Fostering Outcomes; INGENIA Subjects and Digital Prototyping Laboratories

Abstract

Since the adaptation of the different traditional engineering programs to the degree and master degrees according with the Bologna frame, the number of subjects with CDIO methodology has been increasing. This methodology aims that the student, from the beginning, conceive, design, build and implement improvements and operate the project. In the ETSII, and within the Master of Industrial Engineering, all students (362 students in the course 2018–2019) organized in teams must attend and pass a subject called INGENIA in which they must develop a product/project/service that must comply with a series of constraints. These subjects INGENIA are designed following the CDIO philosophy and has as its fundamental objective the development of outcomes according to the ABET accreditation model, and has been hindered by the limitation in the construction of final prototypes since there were not sufficient means available for its manufacturing. Since the end of 2018, a digital manufacturing laboratory has been enabled at ETSII, offering students the opportunity to manufacture and build their prototypes with basic materials, but with functionalities similar to those of the designed artifact/project. Although the commissioning of this laboratory is recent, it has already allowed students to develop and validate projects and improve redesign according to user requirements.