Manufacturing Cell Framework Based on TEC21 Educational Model: A Successful Case of Study

This paper presents a teaching strategy for the course Automation of Manufacturing Systems (AMS). Within the TEC21 model, students are challenged to solve a real industrial problem in their classrooms. Even though it is a common practice nowadays, the novelty of this project lies in the awareness and self-assessment that the students submitted after completion of the challenge to enhance and embrace the evaluation of the competencies. Students must program a manufacturing cell using a vision system in the fulfillment of a packing industrial task. A challenge-based, team-based, game-based, and autonomy-oriented philosophy is adopted to motivate the students to solve the challenge by proposing innovative solutions. A survey on students’ satisfaction and skills acquired is reported at the end of the paper.