Digital Design and Manufacturing, MSc

University of Greenwich

Independent project work is an essential part of Master’s level study. The work undertaken within this Module will be an individual piece of work. The subject area of the project will be consistent with the philosophy and aims of the chosen individual Programme. In all cases, the student will be expected to demonstrate significant elements of independent thinking consistent with the expected research content of a Master’s level project. The student should also demonstrate the ability to report and present the terms and concepts underpinning the work and results. This Module is intended to allow the student to apply the methodologies and techniques learned in the Research Planning and Communication Module. Typically, it will allow students to demonstrate their ability in interpretation of the project's aims and goals; the undertaking of a literature survey; the completion of a piece of independent project work to solve complex problems; and the detailed reporting of such work, both in writing and orally at a significant academic level while evaluating the methods of communication used. If work is to be undertaken at a site other than the University, written authorisation for use of equipment and supervisory staff must be provided to the Module Leader.

This module aims to help students develop the ability to perform research by learning to critically evaluate other researchers’ as well as one’s own work. From there, one will be able to identify a research “gap” and determine the next steps to be taken to solve complex problems, which then leads towards a more specific research plan including the selection and evaluation of methods and tools used. More than ever, it is essential to then be able to effectively communicate these research outcomes to the research community and the larger community to ensure the appropriate economical, societal and environmental impacts of the entire life-cycle of a new technology, product or service.

Developing an in-depth understanding of the strategic vision and the decision-making process and the link with operational management.

Developing the knowledge and skills required for measuring competitiveness and the impact of the remote and operating environments.

Understanding the boundaries and mechanics of the value chain.

Understanding the importance of the dynamic design of the portfolio of offers and the respective roles of the corporate parent and the strategic business units in the ownership of capabilities and competences.

The module aims to provide a solid foundation in the theory and best practice of Innovative Design and Manufacturing and associated advanced technologies that are necessary for innovative design, development and diversification of products and technology services. Comprehensive coverage of concepts and principles of innovative design and manufacturing technologies will be introduced and discussed to systematically enhance the knowledge and background of innovative product development and modern manufacturing systems, including Design Thinking, Design for X, Computer Aided Design (CAD), Computer Aided Engineering (CAE), Computer Aided Process Planning (CAPP), Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM), Computer Numerical Control (CNC), and associated advanced technologies of CAM such as Computer Aided Inspection (CAI), Additive Manufacturing (AM) and Reverse Engineering (RE), as well as the emerging trends towards Smart Manufacturing and Industry 4.0. The analytical and practical skills of working with the modern CAD/CAE/CAM/CNC/CAPP systems are developed through the lab sections and literature reviews of technical and economic challenges and case studies.

This module aims to provide students, working in small development teams, with a round trip design and problem solving experience that allows to them develop a set of industrial quality approaches to the engineering challenges within the product development eco system. The module uses a full lifecycle approach from Inception to decommissioning / disposal to ensure that students are aware of, and can deploy, the need to envisage and include for the end of a products life at the start of its life. The collaborative aspects also allow students to understand the nature of teams, their roles and key aspects of management and leadership across projects.

This module aims to provide the students with a broad understanding of the scope of product design but with a key focus on the engineering and contemporary Tech aspects of the process and its products. This is informed by the increasing need for the inclusion, integration and deployment of Tech products in the finally engineered product solution and their use across lifecycles. It takes a whole lifecycle approach from inception through design and deployment to recycling and reuse. Alongside these tech-based concepts more traditional product design and development themes will be examined to ensure that students understand and can deploy ideas around value, cost and usability as core aspects of any new products development chain.

The module aims to provide a solid foundation in the theory and best practices of Rapid Prototyping and Manufacturing (RPM), with a focus on Additive Manufacturing (AM) - 3D Printing (3DP) and associated emerging and enabling technologies necessary for rapid development, innovation, and diversification of products and technology services, including Design for AM (DfAM), Design Thinking, Decision Making and Technology Selection in AM – 3DP. Comprehensive coverage of concepts and RPM principles, analytical and practical skills, technical and economic challenges, as well as emerging and enabling technologies, innovations and case studies will be introduced and discussed, to systematically enhance the knowledge, background and engineering practice in RPM in general and AM-3DP in particular. The module also focuses on developing the ability to critically evaluate how a modern organisation could strategically exploit AM – 3DP to innovate products and shorten the time for product design and development, taking into account the impacts of Smart Manufacturing and Industry 4.0 as well as Cloud Manufacturing and Supply Chain 4.0.

To provide knowledge, understanding and capabilities with the technologies that underpin industry 5.0. These include Internet of Things (IoT), Big Data, Machine Learning (ML), Data analytics, Artificial intelligence among other aspects of Data Science, Cloud computing, APIs, Edge Computing, Robotics, systems design, wider integration (EG the data driven Organisation / automation) and disruptive effects of these techniques in industrial systems in the manufacturing industries.