Industry Driven Design and Manufacturing Course for Aerospace Engineering

Virginia State University's Manufacturing Engineering program is surrounded by organizations from the aerospace industry and Research and Development sectors including Rolls Royce, NASA Langley Research Center, and Commonwealth Center for Advanced Manufacturing (CCAM). With support from NASA and industry, a design and manufacturing course has been created to introduce students to state-of-the-art principles of "Advanced Manufacturing Engineering for the Aerospace Industry." We use modern aircraft and industry practices as examples for students to illustrate topics of how design, aerodynamics, propulsion, structure, and performance are influenced by aerospace materials, manufacturing processes, quality systems, and industry regulations. We aim to prepare future technical specialists and/or business leaders for the aerospace industry. This paper details the process, challenges, and strategies associated with implementing this course.