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In this research paper, we present a study in which we analyzed and compared three competency models of manufacturing to assess how well the models visually communicate advanced manufacturing (AM) competencies. Advanced manufacturing covers new industrial processes that improve upon traditional methods in quality, speed, and cost. In addition, the dynamic nature of technology and innovation has made it difficult to find a unified illustration of key advanced manufacturing skills. However, three visual models of manufacturing illustrate various stakeholders’ perceptions of the field and depict the competencies individuals need to join the AM workforce. The three models we analyzed are: U.S. Department of Labor’s Advanced Manufacturing Competency Model, the Society of Manufacturing Engineers’ Four Pillars of Manufacturing Knowledge, and the National Association of Manufacturers-endorsed Manufacturing Skills Certification System. While the content in these models has been validated by governmental, industry, and educational stakeholders, less explored is whether these models, as visual media, are readily understandable by their intended audiences. In this paper, we will provide an in-depth analysis of these models by using the six fundamental principles of visual design by Edward Tufte (2006): comparisons, causality, multivariate analysis, integration evidence, documentation, and content. Taken together, these principles allowed us to explore the fundamental principles of design in each model and distill promising directions for further investigation into more unified depiction of the advanced manufacturing industry sector’s competencies.
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Challenges in Representing Manufacturing Processes for Systematic Sustainability Assessments: Workshop on June 21, 2018
Abstract A workshop on Challenges in Representing Manufacturing Processes for Systematic Sustainability Assessments, jointly sponsored by the U.S. National Science Foundation, the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology, ASTM International, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, and the Society of Manufacturing Engineers, was held in College Station, Texas on June 21, 2018. The goals of the workshop were to identify research needs supporting manufacturing process characterization, define limitations in associated education practices, and emphasize on challenges to be pursued by the advanced manufacturing research community. An important aspect surrounded the introduction and development of reusable abstractions of manufacturing processes (RAMP), which are standard representations of unit manufacturing processes to support the development of metrics, methods, and tools for the analysis of manufacturing processes and systems. This paper reports on the workshop activities and findings, which span the improvement of engineering education, the understanding of process physics and the influence of novel materials and manufacturing processes on energy and environmental impacts, and approaches for optimization and decision-making in the design of manufacturing systems. A nominal group technique was used to identify metrics, methods, and tools critical to advanced manufacturing industry as well as highlight the associated research challenges and barriers. Workshop outcomes provide a number of research directions that can be pursued to address the identified challenges and barriers.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1831141
- PAR ID:
- 10141737
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Proceedings of the ASME 2019 14th International Manufacturing Science and Engineering Conference
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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- Free Publicly Accessible Full Text
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Accepted Manuscript1.0
- Conference Paper:
- https://doi.org/10.1115/MSEC2019-3032
