PreparingEngineeringStudentsforCareersinManufacturingIndustries.docVIP

P2002 057 Preparing Engineering Students for Careers in Manufacturing Industries R. Radharamanan Abstract This paper presents an overview of how engineering students could be prepared for careers in manufacturing industries. Engineering students must be familiar with various manufacturing processes, machines, and equipment types including their characteristics/functionality, applications, advantages, and disadvantages. The students must have a firm grip on the analytical tools, hands-on experience, and simulation based problem-solving tools, and are able to use the systems approach in problem solving. Classroom instruction must include project and case based learning, coverage of theoretical topics, computer based process simulation, and hands-on laboratory experiments. The students should be trained to solve practical problems using analytical skills and creativity. Increased collaboration between industries and the universities will help to prepare successful manufacturing engineers. In this paper, “manufacturing curriculum” is defined, “industry needs” are presented, “mercer experience” is highlighted, and “future directions for manufacturing education” are discussed. Introduction The advancement in technology, computers, and automation demands continuous improvement in the quality of education both in theory in the classroom as well as hands-on practice in computer simulation, and manufacturing laboratories. There is a growing need for preparing the students both in theory and practice so that they are well prepared to meet the challenges in the job market especially in the manufacturing industries of the 21st century. A strong multi-disciplinary background is required from engineers due to increased automation in the shop floor and the globalization of industries. To improve U. S. technology transfer and address the problems in engineering education requires a program that links industry more tightly to engineering schools. Such a program has two o