Learning Factory

Key takeaways

Learning Factory belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Learning Factory to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Learning Factory from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Learning factories represent a realistic manufacturing environment for education, training, and research. In the last decades, numerous learning factories have been built in academia and industry.

Definition The term learning factory consists of two words. The word 'learning' indicates the development of competencies, while the word 'factory' defines a realistic manufacturing environment. The generally accepted definition was agreed within the CIRP CWG and published in the CIRP Encyclopedia: According to the International Academy for Production Engineering (CIRP) a learning factory is defined by

processes that are authentic, include multiple stations, and comprise technical as well as organizational aspects, a setting that is changeable resembles a real value chain, a physical product being manufactured, and a didactical concept that comprises formal, informal and non-formal learning, enabled by own actions of the trainees in an on-site learning approach. Depending on the purpose of the learning factory, learning takes place through teaching, training and/or research. Consequently, learning outcomes may be competency development and/or innovation. An operating model ensuring the sustained operation of the learning factory is desirable. The difference between learning factories and model factories is that learning factories provide a didactical concept and an operating model for training.

History The term 'learning factory' was first coined in the US in 1994, when the National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded a consortium of the Penn State University. Industry-related design projects have been supported on a 2000 m2 facility with machines, tools, and materials. Real problems of the industry could be solved in a realistic environment. In 2006, the program received the National Academy of Engineering's Gordon Prize for Innovation in Engineering Education. In Europe, more and more learning factories have been designed in the last decade. One of the first learning factories in this wave is the 'Center for industrial Productivity' founded by the Institute for Production Management, Technology and Machine Tools (Technische Universität Darmstadt), established in 2007 (see section 3). In 2011, the Initiative on 'European Learning Factories' was established with the 1st Conference on Learning Factories in Darmstadt (Germany). The Initiative has led to a European collaboration on the topic of learning factories. In 2017, the initiative decided to include learning factories from all continents and renamed itself to the 'International Association of Learning Factories'.

Examples of existing learning factories Source:

Learning factories in academia

TU Darmstadt: Process Learning Factory CiP In the Process Learning Factory CiP of the Technische Universität Darmstadt focuses on developing competencies for lean production and Industrie 4.0. It has been established in 2007. The delivery of raw material, machining, quality control, assembly, packing, and indirect processes are simulated similar to a small and medium-sized enterprise . Besides the eight variants of the pneumatic cylinder, customer-individualized requirements of different measurements are implemented in a lean machining area. On about 500 m2, learners apply lean methods and solve problems on own experience. The learning factory can map different scenarios from a wasteful and unbalanced production environment to a lean and a digital lean state. The 15 different learning modules are structured in lean basics, lean core elements and lean thinking. Within a learning module, practical experiences alternate with theoretical teaching. The Process Learning Factory CiP is a part of the SME competency center for the Rhine-Main area funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy. With new implemented Industrie 4.0-technologies the concept of lean is extended. Different technologies are implemented, e.g. product traceability, worker assistance, digital shopfloor management, predictive maintenance, milk run 4.0 and AGVs. With each implemented technology new topics for the learning modules are integrated. Furthermore, the operating institute has established many learning factories for academia and industry worldwide.

TU Wien: Pilot Factory In the TU Wien Pilot Factory focuses on Industrie 4.0. It is a realistic test environment with real machines, real production chains, and a real product. On 900 m2 a 3D printer is produced that uses the principle of fused deposition modeling. The printer dimensions can be configured on customer requirements. Different Industrie 4.0-concepts are integrated, e.g. process and layout adaptivity, a high degree of human-machine interaction, and use of data analytics for transparency and optimization. AGV transportation connects the manufacturing with the assembly area. The material is replenished automatically. Furthermore, operators are assisted with collaborative robots, assistance systems, sensor technology, and image processing.

Stellenbosch University: Stellenbosch Learning Factory The Stellenbosch Learning Factory of the Stellenbosch University provides trainings for lean operations, ergonomics and is a research platform for Industrie 4.0. The target groups are industry partners and students for industrial engineering. New developments include a double degree M.Sc. Program with the Reutlingen University. German students have the possibility to visit a summer school. In the learning factory a RFID track and trace-system and a real time KPI visualization are integrated. The product of the Stellenbosch University is a O-scale train set.

University of Windsor: iFactory The iFactory of the University of Windsor has the main topics integrated product – systems learning and Industrie 4.0. Desksets and automobile belt tensioners are assembled on 200 sqm. The tracking of processes and production operations planning and scheduling is possible with RFID tags. The complete system is modular and reconfigurable with equipment from FESTO Didactic. The main purpose of the learning factory is research, teaching and demonstration for students and industry. The learning factory was set up in 2011 and is the first of its kind in North America.

… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Learning Factory

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Learning Factory claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Learning Factory before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Learning Factory ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Learning Factory

In research: Learning Factory appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Learning Factory in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Learning Factory is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Fourth Industrial Revolution, Lean manufacturing, Learning, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Learning Factory outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

How to study Learning Factory in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Learning Factory means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Learning Factory out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Learning Factory in simple terms?

Learning factories represent a realistic manufacturing environment for education, training, and research. In the last decades, numerous learning factories have been built in academia and industry.

Why does Learning Factory matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Learning Factory?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Learning Factory.