Results of the Questionnaire in North Moravia and Silesia district
Vladimir Mostyn
Jiri Skarupa
VSB – Technical University Ostrava
Results of the Questionnaire
Questionnaires were sent to 168 companies Only 39 companies sent the filled questionnaire
back (23%)- 14 companies from area of plastic and rubber parts production- 15 companies from area of machines production- 10 companies from other areas of production (electrical components, medicinal components, jewels etc.)
The companies who sent the answers are relatively small, there is very few answers from large companies
How many employees in your company?
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
Under 20 20-50 50-100 100-200 200-350 350-500 Other
Q1 - Number of employees
How many employees in your company are engaged in the prototyping/design/manufacturing function?
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
0-5 6-10 11-20 21-30 31-50 Other
Q2 - Number of designers
Have you, or your design team, met the rapid prototyping technology before?
Are your design team experienced in new prototyping technologies?
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
Large Some No
Q4 - Experience
To what extent are new prototyping technologies practised by your prototyping/design workforce?
0246
81012141618
20
Large Some No
Q5 - Practice
Does your design team request continuing professional development in new prototyping techniques?
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Often Not often Never
Q6 - Request for professional development
When introducing new prototyping technologies is the trade union involvement in the process?
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
Positive Negative Neutral Notintroduced
Q7 - Trade Union
Rank the areas of rapid prototyping in which your design staff may have difficulty.
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
STL FDM SLS LOM 3Dprint
Rapidtooling
Rapidmanu
Q8 - Suitable RP area
For what purposes do you use rapid prototyping models?
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Shape Funct_test Pattern_cast Other
Q9 - Purposes of RP
To what extent has a lack of prototyping skills hindered the development of your company in the recent past?
0246
81012141618
20
Large Some No
Q10 - Hindered development
To what extent would your company benefit from a prototyping technologies skill upgrade for its design staff?
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
Large Some No
Q11 - Possible benefit
Is there a requirement for new prototyping expertise in your design area?
0
5
10
15
20
25
Yes No Don't know
Q12 - Expertise
Would your company pay for relevant design personnel to attend a modular, flexible, dedicated prototyping/design course?
0
5
10
15
20
25
Often Not often Never
Q13 - Willingness to pay for courses
Would an input from your industry to the creation of a new prototyping/design education programme be beneficial to the development of your company?
0
5
10
15
20
25
Large Some No
Q14 - Cooperation on course beneficial
How important does your company consider the development of a strategic plan for prototyping/design education?
0
5
10
15
20
25
Veryimportant
Important Littleimportant
Notimportant
Vain
Q15 - Importancy of strategic plan
Would research and development projects in prototyping/design technologies between your company and educational institutes be?
024
68
10
121416
18
Verybeneficial
Beneficial Not verybeneficial
A waste oftime
Q16 - Common research projects
Are current prototyping/design skills in your company adequate to cope with your future industrial requirements?
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
Yes No Don't know
Q17 - Adequate skills to future
Rank the following resources which you consider would be most likely to improve rapid prototyping/design skills in your company.
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
Graduate Post-graduate In-house Off-site
Q18 - Resources for improving of skills
Scoring 5 for most beneficial down to 1 for least beneficial
Rank the following initiatives in the education sector which you consider would be most beneficial to your company.
Scoring 5 for most beneficial down to 1 for least beneficial
Conclusion
The companies met the Rapid Prototyping technology, but they are not experienced in it and they are not using it
They need professional development, they consider it to be beneficial, but they are not willing to pay very often and too much
The companies prefer two types of courses – up – skilling courses for relevant categories of employees mostly at the companies (in – house)– undergraduate and postgraduate courses at the universities