Course description
This course will introduce the participants to Metal AM including its business case, performance, processes, metallurgy, standards and applications using both theoretical lectures and practical sessions.
Upcoming start dates
Suitability - Who should attend?
Although there are no formal entry requirements for the course, it would suit individuals with a mechanical engineering degree (or similar) who are involved in Metal AM through their organisations. This could include engineers, managers and policy makers who are interested in learning about the Metal AM process, metallurgy and standards.
Outcome / Qualification etc.
What you will learn
On completion of the course, you will be able to:
- Evaluate the different competing wire and powder-based process and methods for a given metal AM application/component
- Build a business case for manufacturing/not manufacturing a part using metal AM
- Develop a plan for building a part using a metal AM process
- Prioritise the different elements in the plan accordingly to make it more efficient
Training Course Content
Core content
The course will cover the basics of metal additive manufacturing and is designed to increase the theoretical understanding of the subject grounded by practical exercises. The course material includes the following subjects:
- Introduction to Metal AM
- AM Processes (Wire and Powder)
- AM Metallurgy
- AM Standards/Quality Control
- AM Systems
- Practical/Lab work
- AM Automation
- AM Modelling
Course delivery details
Course structure
The first week of the course will be delivered within the Cranfield University campus and will contain a mixture of theoretical lectures and practical work in our laboratory. The second week would be fully online with remote lectures and group activities/discussions. A certificate would be awarded after assessment.
Metal additive manufacturing is an emerging area of metal processing that could be used to build near net shape components more efficiently and sustainably.
Therefore, the need to know the fundamentals as well as its practicalities is critical if this technology is to be taken advantage of. This course aims to do just that; by providing the participant with the right tools and experience to get them started on this journey that could benefit both the individual and their organisation!
So why us? We have tried to make the process of answering this question easier by listing some points that we think are important for the course:
- Multiple perspectives
3 for 1, that’s one of the things this course offers. By attending this course, students would benefit from the experience of 3 organisations; Cranfield University, ASTM International and the University of Birmingham. Each of these organisations has world-renowned experts in AM and the collective knowledge on offer would make the student’s experience unforgettable.
- Flexibility
We understand and appreciate that everyone has their own schedules in their busy lives. Therefore, we have designed this course to be short- 2 weeks! What’s more, the second week of the course won't be immediately after the first to allow the student to catch up on other commitments and will also be online. Therefore, there is no need for the student to physically travel and stay on campus for half of the course.
- Competency and Value
We don’t only believe in education for competency, but also value. Having skills is only part of the problem solved since one must also ask what problems do we need to solve. This is what we will try and do in this course; by having multiple sessions of debate/discussion we would all gain a more holistic picture of the industry and decide on which path to take.
- Building
Yes, we are serious, there will be building! Right from the second day in fact. Students will get to utilise the laboratory facilities at Cranfield University to build using AM and analyse their builds. This will run alongside the theoretical classroom sessions thereby, allowing the students to put into practice and witness the lessons of the classroom almost immediately.
As one might be able to discern, education is all about balance and our course is designed to recognise that. We have paid special attention to the method of delivery and how it would benefit the attendee including practical sessions, attendee-led presentations and group discussions
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Cranfield University
Cranfield is a specialist postgraduate university that is a global leader for education and transformational research in technology and management. We have many world-class, large-scale facilities, including our own global research airport, which offers a unique environment for transformational education...