Master’s Degree in Additive Manufacturing

Presentation

The Master’s Degree in Additive Manufacturing is a face-to-face joint degree programme developed by the University of A Coruña, as the coordinating institution, and the University of Vigo. It is included in the G2030 Guide “Future Professional Profiles and New Degrees and Specialisations”, forming part of the catalogue of profiles agreed upon with the socio-economic stakeholders of the region and evaluated through an intensive participatory and benchmarking analysis process. This analysis, developed within the framework of the G2030 project, aimed to identify degree programmes capable of successfully covering the key competencies required by the roles included in the Catalogue of Future Professional Profiles not currently covered by the Galician University System (SUG).

The degree stands out due to a number of characteristics that provide significant added value:

• It focuses not only on additive manufacturing itself, but also on the engineering associated with this group of technologies.
• It presents an interdisciplinary approach to its contents together with a strong practical orientation.
• It addresses all phases of the additive manufacturing process, specifically dealing with the combination of additive manufacturing with other manufacturing methods and the most advanced technologies.
• It adopts a multisectoral application perspective and constitutes, in itself, a key element for advancing the integration of additive manufacturing into different industries.
• The Master’s Degree has a strong impact on two of Galicia’s four main industrial sectors, automotive and shipbuilding, and is integrated into the industrial diversification strategy by incorporating high-technology activities in emerging sectors such as aerospace, healthcare and advanced materials.

This degree programme, characterised by a strong practical and engineering-oriented component, is designed to train students in the field of additive manufacturing technologies and to provide them with practical experience in the design, adaptation and production of parts and products that can be used in sectors of great importance for the development of our region and beyond.

Main Objective

This degree programme will provide students with specialised training in the field of additive manufacturing with the aim of achieving the following general objectives:

• To understand the basic principles of additive manufacturing (AM), analysing its advantages and disadvantages.
• To understand the different types of additive manufacturing (AM) processes available, as well as their advantages and disadvantages.
• To understand the different materials and their properties used to produce components through AM processes.
• To understand how problems and defects may occur in components produced by additive manufacturing (AM) processes, as well as the preventive measures that can be applied.
• To understand the finishing techniques used in the different AM technologies.
• To become familiar with the use of CAD design tools in relation to product design and manufacturing.
• To understand how position and orientation affect build properties.
• To understand the different types of additive manufacturing (AM) processes available, as well as their advantages and disadvantages.
• To acquire knowledge of the application of new manufacturing technologies oriented towards smart industry.
• To understand the benefits of additive manufacturing for the design and production of new products and prototypes.

Within these general objectives, special importance is given to providing training in a context that emphasises the need to adapt to new professional situations, continuously updating scientific, technical and technological knowledge related to the professional environment, managing personal learning and the resources available for lifelong learning, and effectively using information and communication technologies.

Competencies

• Prepare technical and administrative documentation in accordance with current legislation and customer requirements. Comply with the current legislation regulating additive manufacturing standards.
• Assess economic costs and business opportunities arising from the application of additive manufacturing in both production and R&D&I processes.
• Ensure compliance with legal and environmental regulations, as well as with quality requirements for materials, processes and products.
• Combine and integrate different technologies within additive manufacturing processes.
• Evaluate and compare the requirements of the different additive manufacturing technologies available on the market in order to select the most suitable ones for production processes.
• Design different products according to the technical requirements offered by different additive manufacturing tools and technologies.
• Design and redesign objects using parametric design tools for 3D printing.
• Integrate additive manufacturing systems into the company’s production control management system, taking into account quality, safety and environmental requirements.
• Inspect manufactured products or parts in order to verify compliance with quality standards and established technical specifications.
• Evaluate and apply procedures for assessing the safety, durability and life cycle of materials.
• Supervise and apply quality management, universal accessibility and “design for all” procedures in professional activities related to production or service provision processes.

Learning Outcomes

Knowledge

• Define printing methods and safety and efficiency criteria in order to adapt object designs to 3D printing.
• Identify the advantages of producing objects through 3D printing in order to evaluate manufacturing performance.
• Identify production requirements in order to adapt them to new additive manufacturing systems.
• Define quality, safety and environmental requirements in additive manufacturing environments in order to integrate them into the production control management system.
• Identify the characteristics of objects manufactured through 3D printing by studying their structure and functions.
• Carry out simulation and modelling processes for 3D design and material prototyping, as well as for the simulation of structures and manufacturing processes.
• Define the technical requirements of the different products to be developed and select the most appropriate additive manufacturing tools and technologies.
• Identify the stages of the additive manufacturing production process.
• Define the 3D printing method taking into account the characteristics of the object to be produced.
• Adapt object designs considering the printing method used and the corresponding safety, efficiency and sustainability criteria.
• Recognise the possibilities of additive manufacturing compared with traditional manufacturing.

Skills

• Know and apply characterisation and analysis techniques for materials (metals, ceramics, composites, polymers, etc.) in order to understand their properties and identify potential applications.
• Know and apply legal and environmental regulations, establishing protocols for the management of waste generated during manufacturing processes.
• Identify opportunities for the creation of new designs based on the possibilities offered by new additive manufacturing design and printing techniques.
• Select materials for specific manufacturing applications according to the specifications of additive manufacturing tools and printers, as well as the different existing modelling methods.
• Solve situations, problems or contingencies with initiative and autonomy within their area of competence, demonstrating creativity, innovation and a spirit of continuous improvement in personal and team work.
• Develop creativity and an innovative mindset to respond to challenges arising in work processes, organisation and personal development.
• Analyse the characteristics of objects to be produced in order to select the most appropriate printing method.
• Manufacture objects and components through 3D printing by applying reverse engineering techniques to improve production processes.
• Repair high added-value parts and produce replacement parts through the use of additive manufacturing tools and technologies.
• Apply reverse engineering techniques to reproduce components through 3D printing.

Structure and Distribution of Credits

Courses

• By term
• By year

Admission Requirements

The access requirements for the Master’s Degree in Additive Manufacturing are, in general terms, those established in Article 18 of Royal Decree 822/2021 of 28 September.

Access to the degree programme shall comply with the regulations established by the Ministry, the Autonomous Community of Galicia, and the regulatory provisions developed by the University of Vigo and the University of A Coruña. Furthermore, as this is a joint Master’s Degree, the provisions established in the Academic Collaboration Agreement between both universities for the joint delivery of the programme shall also apply.

Detailed information regarding admission and registration procedures is available on the websites of the participating universities:

University of Vigo:

https://www.uvigo.gal/en/study/access/access-masters
https://www.uvigo.gal/en/study/students-management/registration/masters-registration

University of A Coruña:

https://www.udc.gal/en/matricula/

Applicants seeking admission to the programme should preferably hold a Bachelor’s Degree in one of the following fields:

Industrial Engineering degrees:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering
• Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Electronics and Automation Engineering
• Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Technologies Engineering
• Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering
• Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Chemistry
• Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Organisation Engineering
• Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Design Engineering and Product Development

Biomedical Engineering degrees

Mining and Energy Engineering degrees

Royal Decree 822/2021 of 28 September, establishing the organisation of official university education, states in Article 18 that students may be admitted to a Master’s Degree according to the specific requirements and merit assessment criteria established by the universities offering the programme.

Admission Criteria

The Academic Committee of the Master’s Degree will evaluate the suitability of other related qualifications belonging to the scientific-technological field that are not included in the list above.

In addition to fulfilling the minimum requirements established by current regulations, the Academic Committee of the Master’s Degree will examine each application individually and may reject applications from candidates whose previous academic background is not considered appropriate for successfully following the programme, that is, when their previous degree does not belong to the fields indicated above.

Where appropriate, the Academic Committee of the Master’s Degree will define any additional training requirements for each student.

Admission criteria will be based on the following aspects:

• Suitability of the previous qualification in relation to the contents of the Master’s Degree.
• Academic transcript.

The following admission criteria are established:

• Previous qualification (between 0 and 2 points), according to the suitability of the qualification with the objectives and contents of the Master’s Degree.
• Academic transcript of the previous qualification (between 0 and 1 point).

The established scoring system generates a ranking in which each criterion is applied hierarchically.

Applicants will be ranked according to the total score obtained, and admission will be granted until all available places are filled.

Applications with incomplete documentation that prevents proper evaluation will be rejected.

Recognition of Prior Learning

The arrangements for the recognition of prior learning in the Master’s Degree in Additive Manufacturing follow the general academic regulations established by the participating universities (the University of Vigo and the University of A Coruña) in accordance with Spanish higher education regulations.

Recognition of credits may be granted for:

• Previous official university studies completed in related fields.
• Subjects previously passed in other Master’s Degree programmes with equivalent learning outcomes and competencies.
• Professional or accredited work experience related to additive manufacturing, industrial engineering or associated technological areas, when it can be demonstrated that the acquired competencies correspond to those of the programme.
• Academic mobility activities carried out within recognised national or international exchange programmes.

The Academic Committee of the Master’s Degree is responsible for evaluating applications for credit recognition on an individual basis, taking into account:

• the equivalence of competencies,
• learning outcomes,
• course contents,
• workload and ECTS credits,
• and the professional or academic background of the applicant.

Where appropriate, the Committee may establish additional training requirements in order to ensure that students acquire the competencies necessary to successfully complete the programme.