A project-based teaching experience for simulation and optimization education

Project-based teaching is a widely acknowledged methodology for education in engineering. Realistic working experiences enhance students´ motivation and develop skills for practice. However, case studies based on real industry problems are usually time consuming and often request a deeper knowledge of the circumstances than it is achievable within a standard course. This paper covers the design and implementation of a laboratory manufacturing line for teaching in process simulation and optimization. Industrial engineering students of the third year in the Quantitative Methods for Industrial Engineering subject at the Universidade da Coruna were offered a project-based evaluation plan consisting of the modeling, simulation and optimization of a manufacturing line in which they worked as labors. The experimental unit provided with an ad hoc designed process in which relevant issues in simulation could be demonstrated.