The Interdisciplinary Center for Advanced Manufacturing Systems (ICAMS) at Auburn University (Auburn, Alabama, USA) was awarded $4.26 million from the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) (Arlington, Virginia, USA) to explore the digitalization of manufacturing and become a resource for small and medium manufacturers.
“The most significant way ICAMS can make a difference is in helping small and medium manufacturers understand the technologies they should be utilizing and helping them understand the need for adopting Industry 4.0/Smart Manufacturing concepts, therefore really digitalizing the full supply chain,” says Gregory Harris, ICAMS director and associate professor of industrial and systems engineering.
Small-to-medium manufacturers make up 85% of the industrial base in the U.S., yet there is a growing digital divide between them and large original equipment manufacturers that have blended their manufacturing physical and virtual domains into an Industry 4.0 environment. In order to bridge this divide, ICAMS researchers are promoting advanced manufacturing principles starting at the high school level and continuing through community college and beyond.
“The ideal student coming into this program is somebody who is a cross between a mechanical engineer, an industrial and systems engineer and a computer scientist,” says Harris. “It’s a very interdisciplinary environment where if you’re interested in computers and making things and realizing innovations, you will thrive. That’s the kind of student we’re looking for.”
ICAMS is supported through a partnership with the City of Auburn’s Industrial Development Board, which houses large equipment and provides a hands-on learning laboratory for ICAMS students. In addition to training high school and community college students, ICAMS is working with employers to train their employees in using new technology systems and engineers in designing, building, and running these systems, adds Harris.