- Email: [email protected]
CIM and Education: A Transnational Approach
Copyright e IFAC Inu:lligcnt Manufaauring Systems, Vienna, Austria, 1994
CIM AND EDUCA nON: A TRANSNAnONAL APPROACH A BODART·, R. BOISSIER·, A KACZMARCZVK··, F. MAILLE·, AMASLOWSKIu. and R. PONSONNET· • Universite Paris-Nord. Institut Universitaire de Technologie. F-93206 Saint Denis Cedex 1. FRANCE. •• Instytut Maszyn Matematycznych (Institute o/Mathematical Machines) PL-02-078 Warszawa. Knyw;ckiego 34. POLAND ... Politechnika Bialostocka (Bia#ystok University o/Technology). Instytut Robotyki (Inst. o/Robotics) PL-15-351 Bialystok, Wiejska 45 A. POLAND
Abstract. A comparative survey of education and training in the field of Computer Integrated Manufacturing is given for one Central European country (poland) and one Western European Country (France). Some curriculae aspects are considered, together with the contextual factors which may contribute in instilling the spirit and competences necessary to production technicians and engineers to face their responsabilities within integrated production systems.
Key Words. Education; industrial control; industrial production systems.
organiZlltionnal aspects of the new techniques. Concurrently many big companies found an easy wa~ to incn:ase the competitivity by delocalizing therr production to low manpower cost countries and brought the public to a disputable equation : new technologies = unemployment. Distrusting such fantasies, industrialist now prefer speaking in terms of Integrated Manufacturing Systems or Intelligent Manufacturing Systems thus notifying the preeminence of methods over partiCUlar techniques.
1. INlRODUCTION. In the recent years social changes in Eastern Europe have been linked with a questionning of the industrial production system and created a need for fast reorganinltion. Meanwhile, in Western Europe, the internationalization of competition has been a challenge for industrialists and led them to develop huge efforts to decrease their production costs, and keep pace with product innovation.These efforts were led in the following directions : - improve the standards of quality and perfonnance of products; - reduce development costs and time through computer aided technologies; - decrease manpower costs through industrial automation; - decrease Wlproductive costs like those emanating from over-frequent defaults or unnecessary stocksimprove adaptativity and response time to market demand; - improve human productivity through new work organizlltion.
The aim of the transnationaI cooperation initiated with this paper is to analyse the present and forecasted roles of integrated approaches of production, and see their consequences on the education and training of production technicians and engineers. After a survey of the present situation in industry and education, some initiating ideas will be developped to pave the way for further discussions and developments of educationnaI curriculae and methods.
The early times of this period have been marked with some over optimistic considerations about the "robot and computer revolution" of production. Due to over-estimation of the sole equipment performances, some industrialists, bigger and smaller ones, faced costly failures and had to admit their Wlder estimation of the human and
A recent survey by a significant nwnber of staff managers of the French industry (Vimont, 1993) has pointed out several general concerns for the next ten years among which : - the rytbm of innovation will go on steadily (office and workshop automation, data exchanges, .. ), inducing an instability and evolution of job profiles;
2. WHAT OPERATORS AND EXECUTIVES FOR INTELLIGENT MANUFACTURlNG SYSTEMS 7
389
- the companies will be looking for unproved quality of goods and services ; - decision making will be more and more decentralized, inducing changes in employment, particularly at executive level; - work organisation will be considered as the main factor of productivity, much more than investments; - big companies will focus more on their basic jobs and subcontract most of their side activities.
COMMON
ST1JOENTS PER 1000 INHABITANTS -GRAMMAR 11 -TECHNICAl 37
, STUDENTS , PER 100 ; IHAB. 14.3
As far as employment is concerned, the productive and technical sectors should be the main consumers of job to the detriment of administrative tasks. The needs can be refmed according to the levels of qualification.
The need for qualified workers should remain stable, they will be asked more and more often to take responsability in first level maintenance of equipement.
l120l-t::::.......---.-J I
I
67
1~
1;
1~ ~7
;8 \9 '20 • AGE(YEARS)
The technicians with secondary school technical education will be appreciated, beginning their career as sophisticated equipement operators and possibly continuing as production team leaders or as production line experts. The higher level technicians with two or three years studies after secondary school will be very much appreciated for initial competences and should be enabled to drive their career to the level of efficient production engineers, a rare species on the French market. The companies seem content with the moderate 3% annual increase of high level engineers who are expected to intervene as senior executives or as managers and developpers of sophisticated manufacturing systems. Conformingly to these results we shall mainly deal with the education and training of the intermediate executives working within the production system. 2. TIIE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEMS SmJATION
IN POLAND A scheme of educational system in Poland is presented on fig Fig. I. - 8 years' elementary school - 3 years' basic technical school - 3 years' technical high school l1IS5 - 5 years' technical high school STSISSS4 - 4 years' secondary technical or specialist school - 4 years' secondary granunar-school SGS4 - 2 years' post-certificate technical school PTS2 - academic school AS ES8 BTS3 TIlS3
S L
- number of schools - number ofleamers (in thousands)
Fig. I . Educational System in Poland Source of figures : Poilsh statistical yearbook 1992 Technical schools, elementary and secondary, prepare cadre for industry, offering programs, which correspond to respective jobs and specialities, drawn up in the official list determinated by Ministry of National Education. Present system of technical education is based on such a list introduced in 1982, that contains more than 200 items. Recently, a new list has been published, that comprises only ca. 100 items. Besides, new, decentralized roles of jobs qualification for educational purposes are under preparation. Jobs specified in the list divide into 2 groups: workers' ( "blue collar") jobs and non-workers' jobs. Cadre for industrial workers' jobs, in newest Polish system, can be educated on basic level, in basic technical schools, or - for almost all jobs - on secondary level, in secondary and post-certificate technical schools. In booth cases learners acquire the same practice, however alumni of secondary schools have broader comprehensive knowlege and more general intellectual formation. Cadre for non-workers' job can be educated only in secondary, post-«rtificate and high technical schools. Technicians of various specialities constitute prevalent group of non-workers' jobs. As well as typical technical specialities, there are such specialities as industrial safety or environmental protection in the job list, and likewise non-technical specialities being found in industry as, for example: economy and organizBtion, fmances and accoutancy, office work. Among technical specialities of techr.icians, there are some of them, directed towards automation, for example: electrical and electronic industrial
390
Industrial cadre of all levels has good general education. Workers and technicians have pretty good formation in their conventional jobs fited pre-ICIM industry. The same can be stated about engineer, with supplement, that newly educated ones have substantial background in theoretical disciplines helpful for ICIM, and in informatics.
automation (electronic technician job), control and measuring apparatus and mechanical industrial automation (both in mechanical technician job). Elements of automation and autonomic control, both theory and laboratory practice, are found in curricula for many other technical specialities of technicians.
The industry, in general, needs a cadre acquainted with ICIM technology - programed tools, computer workstations and computer-aided methods of working, electronic comunication, use of network resources.
Technical schools, in the majority of cases, are groupped into complexes, comprising basics (often a few ones, of different profile) and secondary schools; there are schools attached to factories also.
3. TECHNICAL EDUCATION IN FRANCE
Equipement of schools isn't modem and sufficient. Refering to automation, the equipement, if any, is oriented rather to classic solutions, without computer controllers and robots. There is lack of instructors familiar with modern control and automation technology also.
The French education system is mainly based on a state service of education, although there exists a private system, often managed by Chambers of Commerce, with contracting links with the public service.
University education on the field of automatic control (with its roots in control of continous processes) has long and good tradition in Poland. One can to state the some about informatics, in its mathematical foundations and theoretical aspects especially. Conventional manufacturing education was also well developed.
Higher Education
[
r
CP
(
IUP
(DEUG
New challenges of high-technology era in industry has not been picked-up yet on a large scale. Laucbing of new curricula in Automation and Robotics at 9 Technical Universities 5 years ago was an significant step, however not on all sides it has taken root to the same extent.
GE
I
MST
J
J
Jo~)
~ ~
2d
Curricula dedicated to ICIM, as well as related laboratory facilities, are in short supply. New demands in this score overlap with new trends in restructurization of university education system, which isn't flexible and diversified enough.
15 VI
Hitherto existing university system of technical education contain uniform 5 years' study completed with obtaining a Master Engineer diplomma. There were many stimy determined lines and specializations of study. Two scientific degrees exist - doctor and doctor habilitated - both gained rather on individual manner then by post-grade study (such a study exists in Polish systems, but are rare in hitherto practice). One can expect, that reconstruction of existing system will develop in the folIowing directions: -diversification of level and period of study and creation of undergrade and postgrade type of studies; -making the system more flexible, facilitating creation of new curricula and combining them in individual study profiles.
17 V
18 IV
20
III
22 11
23 I
Fig. 2. French streams for technological education Fig. 2 illustrates the various ways of achieving a qualification in the production and manufacturing connected fields. Differentiation of studies does not begin before the age of 15, after four years of College. Professionnal Education Lycees (Lycees d'Enseignement Professionnels, LEP) prepare to level IV qualification (technicians) through a 2 years certificate CAP or a 2 year award BEP which may be complemented by a further 2 years to get the Baccalaureat Professionnel (BAC PRO) and, more rarely, a Baccalaureat Technique in a Lycee. For the majority of pupils, a three year cursus leads to the various streams of Baccalaureat (BAC) , the end of secondary studies certificate, permitting entry to Universities. All streams offer a general
391
background, with specializations in the .releveant subjects (Maths and Physics for BAC-Sciences, Sciences and Industrial Technologies for BAC-STl). Up to now, the French educational culture has tended not to give all its importance to technically oriented education. However the new STI option appeals to a greater number of students. One may also notice the new STI subsection in Manufacturing Sciences and Productics. Productique is a ten year old neologism which has been a keyword for educators who wish to reach a synthetic approach of the various manufacturing sciences from Industrial Automation to Production Management.
There are 44 different BTS streams connected with Industry, 12 of which include the wordproductique. For IUTs, whose ambition is to produce engineers with a wider scope, the number or departments (and awards) possibly pertaining to ClM is much smaller, namely:
-Genie
Mecanique
et
Productique
(GMP,
Mechanical Engineering and Manufacturing).
-Genie Electrique et Informatique Industrielle (Electrical Engineering and Computer Science): -IvIesures Physiques (Instrumentation) -lnformatique (Computer Science) And more recently :
Level ill qualification (higher technicians) is achieved in a two years course after BAC either in Lycees with a fmal Brevet de Technicien Superieur (BTS) award or in Instituts Universitaires de TechnoJogie (JUT) in order to obtain a Diplome Universitaire de Technologie (DUT) . IUTs are University Institutes with a mixed teaching staff : full-time, researchers and professionals. Production related output flows are approximately 13000 for each BTS and n.rr streams (DEP, 1993). Level I qualification (senior engineers) is obtained after a 3 year cursus in one of the 223 Engineering High Schools (Grandes Ecoles d'Ingenieurs. GE), The GE students are recruited after a two preparatory years essentially in maths and physics and a very competitive selection. In fact these graduated engineers essentially go to advanced development labs or directly in the high level of hierarchy, a recent survey (Decomps, 1988) showed that only 13% of them actually work in the production system. Output flow 1993 : 18000 among which 6000 generalists, 3800 in electronics I informatics, 7500 in mechanical engineering. The conclusion is : there is an evident gap corresponding to level n which is filled partly by by some Gra"des EcoJes and following the conclusion of (Decomps, 1988) by shorter and more applied streams often attended by IUT graduates : - complementary specialization year managed by some IUT's; - new University or Grandes Ecoles schemes to re-cycle practising Higher Technicians into Engineers; - new University engineering cycle : Professionnal University Institutes (JUP) who recruit after I year at university and deliver a Master Engineer (Ingenieur Maftre) award.
-Maintenance Industrielle (Industrial Engineering and Maintenance)
-Organisation
et
Gestion
de
la
Production
(Production Organization and Management)
-Genie des Reseaux et Telecommunications (Local Area Networks and Telecoms Engineering). Less closely related departments are : Transportation and Logistics, Hygiene-Safety and Envirorunent, Chemical Engineering, Thermal Engineering. A strong auxiliary factor of development of practise and innovation in the field of production sciences has been the institution in 1984 of co-operated Production Technology Centers (Ateliers Inter-etablissements de Productique. AlP). These AlP working with the cooperation of Universities, Grandes Ecoles, n.rrs and Industry offer manufacturing platforms for the purpose of : educationnal practise, re-cycling seminars, R&D cooperation with industry (Veron, 1994). In addition, a strong network of Scientific Associations, and Industrial Comittees for the spreading of information through seminars, quarterlies, exhibitions, congresses, continuous education (ADEPA, AFCET, CETIM, MICADO .. ). 4. TRAILS FOR EDUCATION CONTENTS AND METHODS Manufacturing Systems call for a variety of specialities, computerized or not. Sure enough are high level engineers prepared to deal with these subjects, prepared to develop AI based systems and such. However they won't usually work at plantfloor level. Higher technicians and application engineers will
The Industry main concern is about these level ID and n qualification, this is why attention will concentrate on them, particularly on n.rrs who, invented 25 years ago have accumulated a rich experience due to their contacts with university and industry.
carry on the permanent technical tasks and the link between technical office and production, therefore their education is of strategic importance.In terms of manufacturing organisation, it is clear these engineers should master several contiguous levels of the well known ClM pyramid (Waldener, 1990, Baumgartner, 1991) :
392
65432I-
company level factory level workshop level cell level machine level sensor and actuator level
Before getting into the detail of these levels of the hierarchy it can be stated that a simple systemic approach can help the student to clearly indentify inputs. outputs. storages and feedbacks. a step on understanding whole processes. Level I is well treated in electronics and electra-mechanics courses. the new points are : - the now universal imbrication of motors and their control electronics (eg brushless DC motors). - the development of sophisticated sensors (vision). - the development of field-buses for data exchange with the machine control system. notions about data links hardware and software set-up. Level 2 and 3 address the usual industrial automation course. The existence of a variety of PLC types on the market and the necessity of mutual understanding among the staff or a development team mean the use of a methodological approach based of high level specification languages like Grafcet (lEC848 standard) and box oriented languages. A methodological approach is also necessary for serva-system or process control. together with awareness about both analogic and digital systems. Electronics are not sufficient by themselves and system study must clearly associate the electrical and mechanical components of a robot. a nwnericaUy controlled machine-tools (a point of view extensible to other kind of processes. either Awareness about the thermal or chemical. possibility of various forms of knowledge based control (adaptative. fuzzy logic. neural networks) becomes a necessity. Level 4 and 5 are the domain of Production Management and Manufacturing Engineering courses : - design of automated manufacturing systems : types of flexible manufacturing systems. implantation of manufacturing cells. and management of fast production planning alteration (at this level Petri nets are an efficient conceptual tool). - computer aided preparation of manufacturing operations : design of manufacturing sequences. time and cost calculation. access to and updating of databases. production supervision and planning. link with ergonomy. - computer aided inspection. statistical process control and feedbacks. maintenance management preventive maintenance planning. event logging. Level 6 is to be considered in the case of small and mediwn companies:
- Computer Aided Engineering and Product Design with close links with Computer Aided Manufacturing and probable possible Technical Data Exchanges with remote sites. and remote technical data bases. - Link with transport and logistics. - Links with conunercial activities and business engineering. And of course certain knowledges are transversal to the stratification : - quality management : a keyword for a closer approach of technical systems. but also a philosophy of the hwnan role in the production process and the company role with its clients; - data processing and conununication : basic tools for data management. data presentation. decision making. data transfer an dprocess control. The sum of all these knowledges will not guarantee a satisfying and satisfied engineer. The excessive number of subjects may lead to discontentment if they are presented as so many independent ones. It seems that pedagogical efficiency should mean a restricted set of subject matters with many occasions of synthetic work particularly as lab work or project work. The afore mentioIUled industrial survey (Vimont. 1993) sums up the industry general point of view and indeed is no pledge for such an extension of knowledge. It rather insists on : (i) better mastering of basic knOWledge. (ii) better aptitude to oral and written expression (possibly in a foreign language). (iii) developpement of persoIUlal aptitudes like accuracy. motivation. initiative and readiness for team work. Working within manufacturing systems with a growing part of sophisticated technology and with growing productivity constraints puts the pressure on men and women. This may be partly realieved by introducing non specifically technological skills (but necessary for this type of jobs) like background knowledge of socia-industrial environment. conununicative skills within small hwnan groups. research and summarizing of information. The dissertation and presentation required at the end of the industrial training period are a good way to put these skills into practice. especially if the period has been done abroad. Companies generally admit the essential role of the educational institutions for future technicians and engineers. Besides there is a conunon agreement about the development of co-operation. particularly in the field of complementary and continuous education in new technologies. The contribution of companies could be : - complementary educatioIUlal period company bringing a partiCUlar expertise;
393
in
the
- longer periods call1ing for various fomis of sandwich education, involving specially trained company educators; - long industry training periods for the teaching staffs; - wider forms of return to study from industry staff. 5. CONCLUSION
T eclmicians and field engineers are presently bound to work in production environments where product flows are very tight and information flows expected to be very fast, within an evolving environment of sophisticated machines and computer aided systems. Making such systems work is a challenge to the engineers designing or managing such manufacturing systems. It is also a challenge to the education system to meet the need of industry and prepare men and women responsible, efficient and apt to evolve. As far as efficiency is concerned two answers are possible and certainly complementary : - generally maintening the education profile for the teclmicians and engineers with sound fundamentals and teclmiques in their speciality, along with a clear awareness of the side techniques the growing imbrication of all industrial activities; - introduction of new job specialities, e.g. maintenance of computer and communication systems.
REFERENCES Baumgartner H. Knischewski K. Wieding H (\992). CIA I. propositions pour une mise oeul're de la Productique. Teknea Ed. Toulouse (translated from : CIM Basis Betrachtungen: Siemens. Berlin). Decomps B: (1988). L 'evolution des formations d'ingenieurs et de techniciens Superieurs. Haut Comile a l'Educmion Paris DEP (1993). Ministere de I'Education. Direction de I'El'oluation el de la Prospective : DEP Report TS-620~/93 . Van\'es. 10urdan F. et AI. (1993). De la mecal1lque a la productique. Les Cahiers I. ONISEP. Paris. Plumet S. et AI. ( 1991) Electronique et Productique. AVENIRSA24 1-114. ONISEP. Paris. Veron M. (l99~) . Special issue on AlPs. Revue D'Automatique ct de Productique Appliquee. RAPA. To be published. PARIS. Vimont C. (1993). Les hesains des eJ71erprises en formation pour les dix prochaines annees. Education et Economie. I<) ~-9 .Paris. Waldner J.B. (1990). C/i\!. Principes et el1jeux de la production asslslee par ordinateur. Dunod . Paris.
This means from the teaching staff, not so much new teaching subjects but an effort to have an consistent overlapping of subject matters and cooperation among the staff to organize inter-ciisciplinary projects. Keeping pace with innovation is another challenge to the teaching staff, it can be met by Applied Research activities in university related institutions, it can also be based on inter-institution organisation of seminars and up-dating periods if possible with commitment of industry representatives. Training practice with advanced technological tools and systems is a necessity for such people but a fmancial problem for the educational institution : the development of co-operated demonstration platforms, or of part-time specialization on industrial systems can partly solve the money problem and moreover bring in fruitful exchanges between partners.
394
CIM AND EDUCA nON: A TRANSNAnONAL APPROACH A BODART·, R. BOISSIER·, A KACZMARCZVK··, F. MAILLE·, AMASLOWSKIu. and R. PONSONNET· • Universite Paris-Nord. Institut Universitaire de Technologie. F-93206 Saint Denis Cedex 1. FRANCE. •• Instytut Maszyn Matematycznych (Institute o/Mathematical Machines) PL-02-078 Warszawa. Knyw;ckiego 34. POLAND ... Politechnika Bialostocka (Bia#ystok University o/Technology). Instytut Robotyki (Inst. o/Robotics) PL-15-351 Bialystok, Wiejska 45 A. POLAND
Abstract. A comparative survey of education and training in the field of Computer Integrated Manufacturing is given for one Central European country (poland) and one Western European Country (France). Some curriculae aspects are considered, together with the contextual factors which may contribute in instilling the spirit and competences necessary to production technicians and engineers to face their responsabilities within integrated production systems.
Key Words. Education; industrial control; industrial production systems.
organiZlltionnal aspects of the new techniques. Concurrently many big companies found an easy wa~ to incn:ase the competitivity by delocalizing therr production to low manpower cost countries and brought the public to a disputable equation : new technologies = unemployment. Distrusting such fantasies, industrialist now prefer speaking in terms of Integrated Manufacturing Systems or Intelligent Manufacturing Systems thus notifying the preeminence of methods over partiCUlar techniques.
1. INlRODUCTION. In the recent years social changes in Eastern Europe have been linked with a questionning of the industrial production system and created a need for fast reorganinltion. Meanwhile, in Western Europe, the internationalization of competition has been a challenge for industrialists and led them to develop huge efforts to decrease their production costs, and keep pace with product innovation.These efforts were led in the following directions : - improve the standards of quality and perfonnance of products; - reduce development costs and time through computer aided technologies; - decrease manpower costs through industrial automation; - decrease Wlproductive costs like those emanating from over-frequent defaults or unnecessary stocksimprove adaptativity and response time to market demand; - improve human productivity through new work organizlltion.
The aim of the transnationaI cooperation initiated with this paper is to analyse the present and forecasted roles of integrated approaches of production, and see their consequences on the education and training of production technicians and engineers. After a survey of the present situation in industry and education, some initiating ideas will be developped to pave the way for further discussions and developments of educationnaI curriculae and methods.
The early times of this period have been marked with some over optimistic considerations about the "robot and computer revolution" of production. Due to over-estimation of the sole equipment performances, some industrialists, bigger and smaller ones, faced costly failures and had to admit their Wlder estimation of the human and
A recent survey by a significant nwnber of staff managers of the French industry (Vimont, 1993) has pointed out several general concerns for the next ten years among which : - the rytbm of innovation will go on steadily (office and workshop automation, data exchanges, .. ), inducing an instability and evolution of job profiles;
2. WHAT OPERATORS AND EXECUTIVES FOR INTELLIGENT MANUFACTURlNG SYSTEMS 7
389
- the companies will be looking for unproved quality of goods and services ; - decision making will be more and more decentralized, inducing changes in employment, particularly at executive level; - work organisation will be considered as the main factor of productivity, much more than investments; - big companies will focus more on their basic jobs and subcontract most of their side activities.
COMMON
ST1JOENTS PER 1000 INHABITANTS -GRAMMAR 11 -TECHNICAl 37
, STUDENTS , PER 100 ; IHAB. 14.3
As far as employment is concerned, the productive and technical sectors should be the main consumers of job to the detriment of administrative tasks. The needs can be refmed according to the levels of qualification.
The need for qualified workers should remain stable, they will be asked more and more often to take responsability in first level maintenance of equipement.
l120l-t::::.......---.-J I
I
67
1~
1;
1~ ~7
;8 \9 '20 • AGE(YEARS)
The technicians with secondary school technical education will be appreciated, beginning their career as sophisticated equipement operators and possibly continuing as production team leaders or as production line experts. The higher level technicians with two or three years studies after secondary school will be very much appreciated for initial competences and should be enabled to drive their career to the level of efficient production engineers, a rare species on the French market. The companies seem content with the moderate 3% annual increase of high level engineers who are expected to intervene as senior executives or as managers and developpers of sophisticated manufacturing systems. Conformingly to these results we shall mainly deal with the education and training of the intermediate executives working within the production system. 2. TIIE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEMS SmJATION
IN POLAND A scheme of educational system in Poland is presented on fig Fig. I. - 8 years' elementary school - 3 years' basic technical school - 3 years' technical high school l1IS5 - 5 years' technical high school STSISSS4 - 4 years' secondary technical or specialist school - 4 years' secondary granunar-school SGS4 - 2 years' post-certificate technical school PTS2 - academic school AS ES8 BTS3 TIlS3
S L
- number of schools - number ofleamers (in thousands)
Fig. I . Educational System in Poland Source of figures : Poilsh statistical yearbook 1992 Technical schools, elementary and secondary, prepare cadre for industry, offering programs, which correspond to respective jobs and specialities, drawn up in the official list determinated by Ministry of National Education. Present system of technical education is based on such a list introduced in 1982, that contains more than 200 items. Recently, a new list has been published, that comprises only ca. 100 items. Besides, new, decentralized roles of jobs qualification for educational purposes are under preparation. Jobs specified in the list divide into 2 groups: workers' ( "blue collar") jobs and non-workers' jobs. Cadre for industrial workers' jobs, in newest Polish system, can be educated on basic level, in basic technical schools, or - for almost all jobs - on secondary level, in secondary and post-certificate technical schools. In booth cases learners acquire the same practice, however alumni of secondary schools have broader comprehensive knowlege and more general intellectual formation. Cadre for non-workers' job can be educated only in secondary, post-«rtificate and high technical schools. Technicians of various specialities constitute prevalent group of non-workers' jobs. As well as typical technical specialities, there are such specialities as industrial safety or environmental protection in the job list, and likewise non-technical specialities being found in industry as, for example: economy and organizBtion, fmances and accoutancy, office work. Among technical specialities of techr.icians, there are some of them, directed towards automation, for example: electrical and electronic industrial
390
Industrial cadre of all levels has good general education. Workers and technicians have pretty good formation in their conventional jobs fited pre-ICIM industry. The same can be stated about engineer, with supplement, that newly educated ones have substantial background in theoretical disciplines helpful for ICIM, and in informatics.
automation (electronic technician job), control and measuring apparatus and mechanical industrial automation (both in mechanical technician job). Elements of automation and autonomic control, both theory and laboratory practice, are found in curricula for many other technical specialities of technicians.
The industry, in general, needs a cadre acquainted with ICIM technology - programed tools, computer workstations and computer-aided methods of working, electronic comunication, use of network resources.
Technical schools, in the majority of cases, are groupped into complexes, comprising basics (often a few ones, of different profile) and secondary schools; there are schools attached to factories also.
3. TECHNICAL EDUCATION IN FRANCE
Equipement of schools isn't modem and sufficient. Refering to automation, the equipement, if any, is oriented rather to classic solutions, without computer controllers and robots. There is lack of instructors familiar with modern control and automation technology also.
The French education system is mainly based on a state service of education, although there exists a private system, often managed by Chambers of Commerce, with contracting links with the public service.
University education on the field of automatic control (with its roots in control of continous processes) has long and good tradition in Poland. One can to state the some about informatics, in its mathematical foundations and theoretical aspects especially. Conventional manufacturing education was also well developed.
Higher Education
[
r
CP
(
IUP
(DEUG
New challenges of high-technology era in industry has not been picked-up yet on a large scale. Laucbing of new curricula in Automation and Robotics at 9 Technical Universities 5 years ago was an significant step, however not on all sides it has taken root to the same extent.
GE
I
MST
J
J
Jo~)
~ ~
2d
Curricula dedicated to ICIM, as well as related laboratory facilities, are in short supply. New demands in this score overlap with new trends in restructurization of university education system, which isn't flexible and diversified enough.
15 VI
Hitherto existing university system of technical education contain uniform 5 years' study completed with obtaining a Master Engineer diplomma. There were many stimy determined lines and specializations of study. Two scientific degrees exist - doctor and doctor habilitated - both gained rather on individual manner then by post-grade study (such a study exists in Polish systems, but are rare in hitherto practice). One can expect, that reconstruction of existing system will develop in the folIowing directions: -diversification of level and period of study and creation of undergrade and postgrade type of studies; -making the system more flexible, facilitating creation of new curricula and combining them in individual study profiles.
17 V
18 IV
20
III
22 11
23 I
Fig. 2. French streams for technological education Fig. 2 illustrates the various ways of achieving a qualification in the production and manufacturing connected fields. Differentiation of studies does not begin before the age of 15, after four years of College. Professionnal Education Lycees (Lycees d'Enseignement Professionnels, LEP) prepare to level IV qualification (technicians) through a 2 years certificate CAP or a 2 year award BEP which may be complemented by a further 2 years to get the Baccalaureat Professionnel (BAC PRO) and, more rarely, a Baccalaureat Technique in a Lycee. For the majority of pupils, a three year cursus leads to the various streams of Baccalaureat (BAC) , the end of secondary studies certificate, permitting entry to Universities. All streams offer a general
391
background, with specializations in the .releveant subjects (Maths and Physics for BAC-Sciences, Sciences and Industrial Technologies for BAC-STl). Up to now, the French educational culture has tended not to give all its importance to technically oriented education. However the new STI option appeals to a greater number of students. One may also notice the new STI subsection in Manufacturing Sciences and Productics. Productique is a ten year old neologism which has been a keyword for educators who wish to reach a synthetic approach of the various manufacturing sciences from Industrial Automation to Production Management.
There are 44 different BTS streams connected with Industry, 12 of which include the wordproductique. For IUTs, whose ambition is to produce engineers with a wider scope, the number or departments (and awards) possibly pertaining to ClM is much smaller, namely:
-Genie
Mecanique
et
Productique
(GMP,
Mechanical Engineering and Manufacturing).
-Genie Electrique et Informatique Industrielle (Electrical Engineering and Computer Science): -IvIesures Physiques (Instrumentation) -lnformatique (Computer Science) And more recently :
Level ill qualification (higher technicians) is achieved in a two years course after BAC either in Lycees with a fmal Brevet de Technicien Superieur (BTS) award or in Instituts Universitaires de TechnoJogie (JUT) in order to obtain a Diplome Universitaire de Technologie (DUT) . IUTs are University Institutes with a mixed teaching staff : full-time, researchers and professionals. Production related output flows are approximately 13000 for each BTS and n.rr streams (DEP, 1993). Level I qualification (senior engineers) is obtained after a 3 year cursus in one of the 223 Engineering High Schools (Grandes Ecoles d'Ingenieurs. GE), The GE students are recruited after a two preparatory years essentially in maths and physics and a very competitive selection. In fact these graduated engineers essentially go to advanced development labs or directly in the high level of hierarchy, a recent survey (Decomps, 1988) showed that only 13% of them actually work in the production system. Output flow 1993 : 18000 among which 6000 generalists, 3800 in electronics I informatics, 7500 in mechanical engineering. The conclusion is : there is an evident gap corresponding to level n which is filled partly by by some Gra"des EcoJes and following the conclusion of (Decomps, 1988) by shorter and more applied streams often attended by IUT graduates : - complementary specialization year managed by some IUT's; - new University or Grandes Ecoles schemes to re-cycle practising Higher Technicians into Engineers; - new University engineering cycle : Professionnal University Institutes (JUP) who recruit after I year at university and deliver a Master Engineer (Ingenieur Maftre) award.
-Maintenance Industrielle (Industrial Engineering and Maintenance)
-Organisation
et
Gestion
de
la
Production
(Production Organization and Management)
-Genie des Reseaux et Telecommunications (Local Area Networks and Telecoms Engineering). Less closely related departments are : Transportation and Logistics, Hygiene-Safety and Envirorunent, Chemical Engineering, Thermal Engineering. A strong auxiliary factor of development of practise and innovation in the field of production sciences has been the institution in 1984 of co-operated Production Technology Centers (Ateliers Inter-etablissements de Productique. AlP). These AlP working with the cooperation of Universities, Grandes Ecoles, n.rrs and Industry offer manufacturing platforms for the purpose of : educationnal practise, re-cycling seminars, R&D cooperation with industry (Veron, 1994). In addition, a strong network of Scientific Associations, and Industrial Comittees for the spreading of information through seminars, quarterlies, exhibitions, congresses, continuous education (ADEPA, AFCET, CETIM, MICADO .. ). 4. TRAILS FOR EDUCATION CONTENTS AND METHODS Manufacturing Systems call for a variety of specialities, computerized or not. Sure enough are high level engineers prepared to deal with these subjects, prepared to develop AI based systems and such. However they won't usually work at plantfloor level. Higher technicians and application engineers will
The Industry main concern is about these level ID and n qualification, this is why attention will concentrate on them, particularly on n.rrs who, invented 25 years ago have accumulated a rich experience due to their contacts with university and industry.
carry on the permanent technical tasks and the link between technical office and production, therefore their education is of strategic importance.In terms of manufacturing organisation, it is clear these engineers should master several contiguous levels of the well known ClM pyramid (Waldener, 1990, Baumgartner, 1991) :
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company level factory level workshop level cell level machine level sensor and actuator level
Before getting into the detail of these levels of the hierarchy it can be stated that a simple systemic approach can help the student to clearly indentify inputs. outputs. storages and feedbacks. a step on understanding whole processes. Level I is well treated in electronics and electra-mechanics courses. the new points are : - the now universal imbrication of motors and their control electronics (eg brushless DC motors). - the development of sophisticated sensors (vision). - the development of field-buses for data exchange with the machine control system. notions about data links hardware and software set-up. Level 2 and 3 address the usual industrial automation course. The existence of a variety of PLC types on the market and the necessity of mutual understanding among the staff or a development team mean the use of a methodological approach based of high level specification languages like Grafcet (lEC848 standard) and box oriented languages. A methodological approach is also necessary for serva-system or process control. together with awareness about both analogic and digital systems. Electronics are not sufficient by themselves and system study must clearly associate the electrical and mechanical components of a robot. a nwnericaUy controlled machine-tools (a point of view extensible to other kind of processes. either Awareness about the thermal or chemical. possibility of various forms of knowledge based control (adaptative. fuzzy logic. neural networks) becomes a necessity. Level 4 and 5 are the domain of Production Management and Manufacturing Engineering courses : - design of automated manufacturing systems : types of flexible manufacturing systems. implantation of manufacturing cells. and management of fast production planning alteration (at this level Petri nets are an efficient conceptual tool). - computer aided preparation of manufacturing operations : design of manufacturing sequences. time and cost calculation. access to and updating of databases. production supervision and planning. link with ergonomy. - computer aided inspection. statistical process control and feedbacks. maintenance management preventive maintenance planning. event logging. Level 6 is to be considered in the case of small and mediwn companies:
- Computer Aided Engineering and Product Design with close links with Computer Aided Manufacturing and probable possible Technical Data Exchanges with remote sites. and remote technical data bases. - Link with transport and logistics. - Links with conunercial activities and business engineering. And of course certain knowledges are transversal to the stratification : - quality management : a keyword for a closer approach of technical systems. but also a philosophy of the hwnan role in the production process and the company role with its clients; - data processing and conununication : basic tools for data management. data presentation. decision making. data transfer an dprocess control. The sum of all these knowledges will not guarantee a satisfying and satisfied engineer. The excessive number of subjects may lead to discontentment if they are presented as so many independent ones. It seems that pedagogical efficiency should mean a restricted set of subject matters with many occasions of synthetic work particularly as lab work or project work. The afore mentioIUled industrial survey (Vimont. 1993) sums up the industry general point of view and indeed is no pledge for such an extension of knowledge. It rather insists on : (i) better mastering of basic knOWledge. (ii) better aptitude to oral and written expression (possibly in a foreign language). (iii) developpement of persoIUlal aptitudes like accuracy. motivation. initiative and readiness for team work. Working within manufacturing systems with a growing part of sophisticated technology and with growing productivity constraints puts the pressure on men and women. This may be partly realieved by introducing non specifically technological skills (but necessary for this type of jobs) like background knowledge of socia-industrial environment. conununicative skills within small hwnan groups. research and summarizing of information. The dissertation and presentation required at the end of the industrial training period are a good way to put these skills into practice. especially if the period has been done abroad. Companies generally admit the essential role of the educational institutions for future technicians and engineers. Besides there is a conunon agreement about the development of co-operation. particularly in the field of complementary and continuous education in new technologies. The contribution of companies could be : - complementary educatioIUlal period company bringing a partiCUlar expertise;
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- longer periods call1ing for various fomis of sandwich education, involving specially trained company educators; - long industry training periods for the teaching staffs; - wider forms of return to study from industry staff. 5. CONCLUSION
T eclmicians and field engineers are presently bound to work in production environments where product flows are very tight and information flows expected to be very fast, within an evolving environment of sophisticated machines and computer aided systems. Making such systems work is a challenge to the engineers designing or managing such manufacturing systems. It is also a challenge to the education system to meet the need of industry and prepare men and women responsible, efficient and apt to evolve. As far as efficiency is concerned two answers are possible and certainly complementary : - generally maintening the education profile for the teclmicians and engineers with sound fundamentals and teclmiques in their speciality, along with a clear awareness of the side techniques the growing imbrication of all industrial activities; - introduction of new job specialities, e.g. maintenance of computer and communication systems.
REFERENCES Baumgartner H. Knischewski K. Wieding H (\992). CIA I. propositions pour une mise oeul're de la Productique. Teknea Ed. Toulouse (translated from : CIM Basis Betrachtungen: Siemens. Berlin). Decomps B: (1988). L 'evolution des formations d'ingenieurs et de techniciens Superieurs. Haut Comile a l'Educmion Paris DEP (1993). Ministere de I'Education. Direction de I'El'oluation el de la Prospective : DEP Report TS-620~/93 . Van\'es. 10urdan F. et AI. (1993). De la mecal1lque a la productique. Les Cahiers I. ONISEP. Paris. Plumet S. et AI. ( 1991) Electronique et Productique. AVENIRSA24 1-114. ONISEP. Paris. Veron M. (l99~) . Special issue on AlPs. Revue D'Automatique ct de Productique Appliquee. RAPA. To be published. PARIS. Vimont C. (1993). Les hesains des eJ71erprises en formation pour les dix prochaines annees. Education et Economie. I<) ~-9 .Paris. Waldner J.B. (1990). C/i\!. Principes et el1jeux de la production asslslee par ordinateur. Dunod . Paris.
This means from the teaching staff, not so much new teaching subjects but an effort to have an consistent overlapping of subject matters and cooperation among the staff to organize inter-ciisciplinary projects. Keeping pace with innovation is another challenge to the teaching staff, it can be met by Applied Research activities in university related institutions, it can also be based on inter-institution organisation of seminars and up-dating periods if possible with commitment of industry representatives. Training practice with advanced technological tools and systems is a necessity for such people but a fmancial problem for the educational institution : the development of co-operated demonstration platforms, or of part-time specialization on industrial systems can partly solve the money problem and moreover bring in fruitful exchanges between partners.
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