Fraunhofer IGCV promotes young scientists in Augsburg

September 28, 2020

What is mechatronics anyway? What project opportunities are there? How do you generate ideas? And how do you present them to customers? Twelve students from Augsburg University of Applied Sciences and the University of Augsburg were given answers to these questions: They took part in a one-and-a-half-week internship as part of the interdisciplinary course »Engineering 4.0«. Every year, this event is coordinated and taught by scientific staff at Fraunhofer IGCV. Students gain practical and theoretical experience there in the field of mechatronics and digital development processes.

The »Engineering 4.0« internship has already been offered for five years to interested students from natural science courses. The TU Munich originally initiated the event in cooperation with the Fraunhofer Institute for Foundry, Composite, and Processing Technology IGCV. Since then, the event has been held annually - since 2019 also at the Augsburg site. Supported by his institute colleague Martin Zäpfel, Albrecht Lottermoser - doctoral student and group leader Cooperating Robotics at Fraunhofer IGCV - holds the practical for the third time. »For me, it is a perfect opportunity to gain teaching experience,« says Lottermoser. » Also, it is fun to work together with young scientists on tricky tasks.«

Last modified: September 28, 2020

Image gallery internship »Engineering 4.0«

An interdisciplinary course

The seminar aims to provide students with a basic understanding of mechatronic and digital development processes. Previously, the event was held at the TU Munich. Due to increasing demand, it was decided in coordination with the TU Munich to offer it to Augsburg's students on site as well - in the premises of the new institute building of Fraunhofer IGCV. The research internship, classified as an elective subject, can be taken at Augsburg University of Applied Sciences and the University of Augsburg by students from a wide range of disciplines. In 2020, the twelve available places were allocated to mechanical engineering and production informatics students in particular.

Internship »Engineering 4.0« – from idea to running prototype in eight days

In the first days of the seminar, students receive a theoretical introduction to the subject area in the morning. The focus is on the fundamentals of mechatronics and agile development as well as digital engineering. For example, the students learn which tools can be used for virtual commissioning to identify possible errors as early as the development phase. In the afternoon, the newly discovered knowledge is then applied and tested in several short projects. For example, the students simulate a plant's construction with Fischertechnik and familiarize themselves with the agile development methodology » Scrum«.

After the first three days, the students have learned the tools for their free development task. In this assignment, a functioning bottling plant made of Fischertechnik is to be designed and built in the seminar's remaining time. The students receive specific requirements from an imaginary customer, who is played by the seminar leader, which they are to implement with the help of Scrum. Several sprints with associated sprint planning, sprint review, and sprint retrospective are carried out. In Sprint Planning, the development teams meet the Product Owner, who represents the customer and specifies the module's requirements to be developed. In the Sprint Review, the Sprint is reflected, and the work results are compared with the goals to derive improvements for the following Sprints. The Sprint Retrospective serves to improve collaboration within the team. At the end of the last sprint, a miniature packaging system prototype is to be built using Fischertechnik. How the mechanics look is left up to the students, the finished prototype should portion according to the requirements in the end - in this case, peas. And why peas of all things? Organizer Albrecht Lottermoser has to smile at the question: »Peas have simply proven themselves. We used to use chocolate lentils for this, but they often started to melt because of the waste heat from the plant - or were simply eaten by the students.«

The theoretical background and development processes are not the only topics on the syllabus for working out the prototype. »The course also aims to teach soft skills,« says Lottermoser. »Along the way, students demonstrate their ability to work in a team, learn new methods for finding ideas or how to present themselves to potential customers.«

The knowledge learned is tested in an exam on the last day, which earns the students five credit points. As a reward after the exam, there is then a short practical introduction by the company Unity AG, through which the students take away valuable experience from the perspective of the industry as the icing on the cake.

Conclusion: A success right down the line

The internship was a complete success not only for Fraunhofer IGCV, which specifically promotes young scientists with the course and arouses the students' interest in its own research focus areas. The students are also pleased with the practical approach and the unique opportunity to directly apply learned knowledge. The interdisciplinary approach and the exchange with the other university or college were particularly well received by the students. Albrecht Lottermoser is particularly pleased with the different results of the practical work: »The intensive and interdisciplinary cooperation always results in new solutions - the students can give free rein to their creativity and at the same time receive valuable scientific input. Some of them will certainly be inspired to work at Fraunhofer later on.«

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Internship Engineering 4.0

Fraunhofer IGCV promotes young scientists in Augsburg

Image gallery internship »Engineering 4.0«

An interdisciplinary course

Internship »Engineering 4.0« – from idea to running prototype in eight days

Conclusion: A success right down the line

Cooperation with Fraunhofer IGCV

Competences and Industry Solutions

Contact

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