Year: 2025
Type: conference-paper
Abstract: This paper will describe the evolution and transformation of a traditional foundry practices lab into a Netshape lab which maintains the hands-on metal casting activities but integrates them with Additive Manufacturing (AM) and Computer Numerical Control (CNC) for the rapid production of patterns, molds, and castings.This is a one unit freshman level course with no prerequisites.It is a three-hour, one unit course that meets for 10 weeks and is taught in a lecture/activity format.The mission of the course is to teach engineering students about the wide array of processes that comprise the metal casting industry.This is done through a combination of traditional lecture, interactive computer tutorials/ case studies, traditional foundry lab experiences and the use of CAD/CAM systems to produce CNC milled patterns and AM produced patterns and molds.Our engineering programs are hands-on.We firmly believe that the educational experiences are greatly enhanced by projects and the making of things.In the evolution of the course it became apparent that the need for careful planning to avoid a bottleneck that could occur in the production of foundry tooling had to be overcome.The desire was to be able to enable the students to quickly make the design, the tool, the mold and the casting without getting bogged down in a long process that took a great deal of knowledge to be successful.We are introducing them to these processes and not training them to be experts.Therefore we had to come up with processes where the students, could be successful in producing a part in a very short time frame, learn a great deal and have fun.The paper will describe the course objectives, methodologies, the equipment and systems used.
Author: Martin Koch
Institution: California State Polytechnic University
Language: English
Subfield: Architecture
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
SDG: Quality education
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W4409668045