The Learning Factory©

Nadine Barrie Smith

Associate Professor of BioengineeringThe Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA 16802 USA

The Learning Factory:Biomedical Devices and Industry Outreach

through Multidisciplinary Teams

The Learning Factory©

What is the Learning Factory?

• College-wide infrastructure and 6500 sq. ft facility to support industry-sponsored design projects– Mission: bring the “real world” into the classroom– 700+ projects for 175+ companies since 1995– Benefited more than 10,000 engineering students

• Facility utilized by 10+ courses within the college

• Recognized nationally and internationally as a model capstone design program– 2006 National Academy of Engineering’s

Gordon Prize for Innovation in Engineering Education

– Bioengineering since 2005

The Learning Factory©

The layout of the expanded facility (completed and dedicated in August 2008, 6,500 sq. ft. )

The new display/entryway for team meetings and networking

The Learning Factory©

The Bernard M. Gordon Learning Factory is a state-of-the-art facility that supports the capstone design program in the College of Engineering.

The LF sees continuous usage throughout the year by nearly 1000 students: Introduction to Engineering Design (freshmen) to Capstone Design (senior).

Hours of operation are 8 am-10 pm in the Fall & Spring semesters and 9am-4:30pm in Summer.

Learning Factory - Sponsors - Project FeeThe project fee is $3000 as of Fall 2009. There are additional fees depending on a sponsor's needs for Intellectual Property & Confidentiality. Sponsors are invoiced once a team has been formed and starts working on the project. This can be submitted as a tax-deductible contribution to Penn State.

Each team is provided with a budget of $1000 from this fee, which they can use for travel and to buy materials and supplies for their project. Meanwhile, $500 of this fee covers the costs of events, mailings, etc., and the remaining $1500 goes back to the department that supervises the project during the semester to help pay for instructional support as well as their own project facilities.

The Learning Factory©

Learning Factory - Sponsors - Kick-Off

The Project Kick-Off Meeting happens the first week of the semester and is the official start of the project. During the Project Kick-off, sponsors get to display and "sell" their projects to the students who will be picking from among 50-60 such projects each semester.

The Learning Factory©

Who gets involved?

• Participating departments– Aero, Bioengineering, Biological, Chemical, Computer

Science, Electrical, Industrial, and Mechanical Engineering

– Also partner with students in Business, Information Science & Technology, and Materials Science

• Companies of all sizes benefit– Large companies: back-burner projects, recruiting– Small companies: engineering staff for a semester– Inventors: refine/prototype/test a new idea

• Industry Advisory Board is actively involved

The Learning Factory©

The CAD lab and rapid prototyping (pictured through window)

The Learning Factory facility also offers the following computer resources and software for use on design projects:

Hardware8 desktop PCs and workstations HP Laserjet HP Color scanner

SoftwarePro-Engineer Pro-Mechanica SolidWorks Virtual 4 Stroke (IC engine simulation) Adams (Kinematic analysis) MasterCam MATLAB/Simulink MS Project QuickSlice (STL post-processor for FDM rapid prototyping machine)

The Learning Factory©

The new manufacturing area for machining, welding, etc.

The Learning Factory facility is equipped with several workbenches, hand tools, power tools, and the following equipment for use on design projects:

Rapid PrototypingStatasys FDM 2000 Allegheny Systems 3D Printer

Machining3 axis Bridgeport CNC Machining Center (Torq-Cut V22) 2 Bridgeport Series II milling machines with digital readout (DRO) Bridgeport EZ-Trak CNC/Manual vertical mill 2 14" South Bend 1440 lathes with DRO

10" South Bend lathe, Wilton drill press

Sheet Metal Forming48" shear, Brake, Roller

Stock Cutoff and GrindingCutoff saw , Powermatic band saw Wilton belt sander , Pedestal grinder Surface grinder, Bead blaster

WeldingTIG MIG Arc Gas Plasma cutter

Assembly/Test

The Learning Factory©

Organized Networking Events

• Industry Project Kick-Off (Week 1)

• Spring Design Showcase Networking events for industry, faculty and research centers (last week)

• Dinner for 600+ people– Message from the Dean– Keynote speaker– Student awards

The Learning Factory©

• Research: Transesophageal Cardiac

Ablations by Focused Ultrasound

• Undergraduate Design: Design of a high volume water degasser

Water tube

53 mm

Φ 19 mm

The Learning Factory©

Clinical Team(MD, OT, PT, PA)

Student Engineering Team

Client Team(Patient & Family)

Multidisciplinary Engineering Student Design Teams: Projects to Aid Persons with Disabilities

The Learning Factory©

Industrial and Research Collaboration

The Learning Factory©

The Learning Factory©

The Learning Factory©

Leg Stretching Device for People with Spinal Cord Injuries

Wheelchair Stair Climber

Medication Reminder Tool: A System to Remind Medical Staff of Medication Administration Time

Client Coordinator: Skills of Central PA, Inc.

The Learning Factory©

Learning Factory Summary: Win-Win-Win

Learning Factory - Our Mission