Materials-Joining: Advanced Technologies for Tommorrow's Manufacturing Workforce

Portland Community College, Portland OR

Investigators

Abstract

The Portland Community College "Materials-Joining: Advanced Technologies for Tomorrow's Manufacturing Workforce" project is an innovative means to prepare two-year technology and high schools students and their faculty for the more sophisticated and highly automated workplace environments of the near future. Specifically, the intent is to expose community college and high school students to advanced concepts in metals joining technology by integrating the newest joining processes in manufacturing with classroom studies in mathematics, physics, materials science, and computer science. To achieve this goal, several new courses are being developed, to be capped by a laboratory experience entitled "Advances in Joining Science." This capstone experience is familiarizing students with fundamental metal joining principles and practices. The project employs a flexible delivery system, with emphasis on contextualized learning. A hands-on approach to investigating new technology with a concrete science platform is thus being offered students as a unique way of exploring re-engineering concepts.