Hello, I’m François-Philippe Paradis, engineer and product manager of
industrial trades learning solutions at Festo Didactic.
We’re currently introducing “dimensional metrology” as a new topic
in our offering for vocational and technical schools, an important subject
for the manufacturing workforce.
During the development of this learning solution, I’ve had the opportunity to
discuss with teachers about the issues and challenges they face when teaching
dimensional metrology.
I would like to share what came out out of these discussions and that’s
why I’ve collected a few questions and answers in this video.
Why train students in dimensional metrology?
Dimensional metrology is a branch of the wider metrology field which deals
with the physical dimensions of manufactured goods. They include
diameters, lengths and angles for example. These dimensions are
critical to ensure that a part can be used as intended. Therefore,
dimensional metrology skills are important for current workers and
students that are or will be involved in manufacturing activities. Think of
the daily job of industrial mechanics, maintenance and metalworking workers
as well as quality control technicians among others. They will all, at some
point, use measuring instruments to verify dimensions.
But measuring is often not that simple. There are many tools, many techniques
and the slightest mishandling can lead to mistakes. Even if you provide the
best measuring instruments to your employees, they might not be skilled
to use them correctly and efficiently. The worst case being an employee using
a tool with confidence but without really using it correctly.
I’m currently in our production facility located in Canada, where Festo Didactic
designs and manufactures a wide range of learning solutions. We take for
granted that recently hired manufacturing workers master
dimensional metrology. But we sometimes detect issues in the way
they select, handle, maintain, and store the instruments. Well-trained students
and even experienced workers who get their dimensional metrology skills
refreshed help increase the efficiency of operations and avoid costly mistakes
by detecting problems early in the manufacturing process. Training them is
really an investment.
Is dimensional metrology still relevant, in a context of increasing factory automation?
It is true that we hear a lot about the overall increase in automation in about
every type of manufacturing industry. Coordinate measuring machines (often called
CMM) are integrated in automated production lines. Once programmed, they need very
little human intervention. But these solutions are not always accessible or even
desirable, either because of their cost or because they do much more than what is
needed in many cases. Metrology is not only concerned with very high precision
manufacturing. Not every industry fabricates parts that will go into satellites for example.
Think of workers using semi-precision instruments such as tape measures, rules, protractors, calipers
and various gages. If your industry fabricates brackets that are used in TV mounts or joist
hangers for the construction industry, a tape measure or a rule to verify the distance between
mounting holes will be more than enough. And using measuring instruments is not only required
in manufacturing but also in maintenance tasks. To quickly check the diameter of a shaft from
a defective pump, knowing how to use a micrometer will come very handy. Using more
technologically advanced solutions such as a CMM for such a simple task just does not
make sense. Other typical use-case scenarios would be taking measurements on existing
parts that simply cannot be moved.Dimensional metrology also goes beyond using measuring
instruments. Being able to read and understand technical drawings is an essential skill. In a
nutshell, automated measuring machines are spreading, but traditional measuring
instruments are here to stay.
How dimensional metrology is currently taught at school?
Dimensional metrology is a topic covered in several training programs at vocational schools
and technical colleges, but to varying degrees. There are several possible approaches in the way
it is taught. Several teachers have built up comprehensive courses on the subject, lasting
about 30-45 hours during the semester. A few hours of lectures and a lot of hands-on
experimentation. From my point of view, this is an excellent approach. The time spent reading
and interpreting technical drawings and using measuring instruments is the closest to the
tasks a worker will have to perform daily. However, few schools can afford to spend that
much time on the subject. Especially in programs that aim to train workers quickly, often within
a few months. There are many topics to teach but time is limited. To make up for the lack of time,
many training programs teach some concepts of dimensional metrology as part of more general
courses. This type of learning is quite effective because manual skills and abilities are acquired
only when they are really needed, sometimes within a project. On the other hand, this "ad hoc" way of
learning is usually not enough to transmit all the necessary knowledge. Indeed, the learner must be
given many opportunities to take measurements to master instruments that are sometimes capricious.
There is a common denominator to almost all schools: no matter how much time they invest in
the subject, practical training involves real measuring instruments that are used on purchased
parts or parts they have made themselves. Because teachers are resourceful, many have created their
own learning activities for the equipment they have in their labs. But this has some drawbacks.
Teachers must invest a lot of time to create the learning activities. And most of the time, they
don't have many copies of each piece to measure, which means students must share. Also, some wonder
if they are really using the full potential of the instruments with their homemade parts? Are the
dimensions to be measured too complicated or too simple? Do they offer a challenge interesting
enough to allow learners to truly develop their skills? This is not always the case. Can students
learn virtually? As with any technical subject, the theoretical portion of the knowledge can be
transmitted virtually using e-learning tools. However, practical experience is essential.
Students must develop their manual skills. Many measuring instruments rely on the user's dexterity
and ability to perceive small variations in pressure or position. For example, if I use a caliper,
I must be able to feel the pressure I need to apply to the tool to take the measurement
correctly and without damaging the tool. This is quite challenging. 85 00:07:08,000 --> 00:07:11,000 What are key criteria of a good training platform for dimensional metrology?
From the feedback we gathered while speaking to teachers, we found out that the ideal training
solution for dimensional metrology should have the following characteristics: First it must be
modular. Because not all students need to study metrology to the same extent, and because time
and resources allocated to teaching metrology differs from school to school. The solution must
be complete in terms of topic coverage and pedagogical tools. There must be a structured
learning path that allows learners who are new to the field to achieve a high level of competence
and confidence. The learning solution must also allow the instruments to be used to their full
extent and to address a wide range of measurement challenges, from the simple use of a depth gauge
to the delicate handling of telescoping gauge coupled to a micrometer for indirect measurements
of inner diameters. Look for a solution that allows students to be autonomous and learn at their own pace.
Keeping students motivated on a topic that may seem off-putting at first is quite a challenge. The solution
must therefore provide students with realistic and meaningful learning experiences that put the exercises
in context. This helps them assimilate theoretical concepts, build their confidence and expertise, and
understand how they can apply what they’ve learned in the workplace. The ideal solution must also integrate
multimedia to support learning. This is pretty much expected nowadays. And let’s not forget about teachers.
Extensive turnkey courseware has a huge value. Evaluating the time they need to cover dimensional metrology notions,
integrating the topics into lectures and creating lesson plans, designing a wide variety of lab activities with
grading/evaluation performance standards, evaluating the difficulty of a measuring task and time required in the
lab… all this takes a lot of time and efforts. These characteristics were the basis for the development of our
new learning solution in dimensional metrology.
How did Festo develop dimensional metrology learning activities?
First, we developed a list of learning objectives based on existing training programs and certifications. Here
are a few examples of objectives: Read a Vernier scale, Explain the difference between calibration and field check,
Identify the front view on a technical drawing, Explain the reasons for using micrometer stands when taking
measurements with a micrometer. We then interviewed experienced teachers in the field to ensure that our
coverage was complete. It’s at this point that the technical writer joins the development team and helps us
group these objectives into a coherent learning path, or series of exercises. These exercises include a theoretical
portion and detailed manipulations that allow the learner to progress at his own pace and autonomously. The design
of the parts to be measured began in parallel with the writing of the exercises. It was then necessary to ensure
that these parts would allow the students to cover all the previously identified objectives while being interesting.
By interesting, I mean that they had to be put into context and represent industrial or domestic applications that make
sense. It should be easy to explain what the part is used for and why one decides to use a particular instrument to
measure it. This approach has the advantage of allowing the student to better absorb the material because they can make
link with reality. We also decided to include projects that are realistic. In these cases, the student must for example
decide for himself which instrument he will use and be able to justify it. This is the closest thing to what he
will have to do in the industry.
With that in mind, we developed our new dimensional metrology learning solutions. It consists of three separate
packages: basic, advanced (including geometric dimensioning and tolerancing) and we also introduce the topic of
statistical process control which is a tool used in quality control closely related to dimensional metrology. These
turnkey solutions are accompanied by complete courseware that offers a structured learning path to efficiently build
knowledge and skills, with a wide variety of exercises and projects of varying complexity. I invite you to get more
information about this new solution, because it’s one-of-a-kind, and we are convinced that it holds great value
for training on the topic. Visit our website for all details. If you have questions, get in touch with a Festo Didactic
representative near you.