Three-dimensional (3D) printing can revolutionize the way products have been designed and manufactured. This necessitates engineering graduates equipped with the knowledge and skills of 3D printing. As a result, the educational aspects of 3D printing have earned a great deal of attention. Nevertheless, to teach 3D printing in an undergraduate engineering degree program, an outcomes-oriented approach integrating engineering design, object visualization/digitization, and 3D printing domains can be used. Accordingly, this study presents a tutorial development method to teach undergraduate engineering students the knowledge and skills of 3D printing. The method integrates the abovementioned domains maintaining a hierarchy among the seven ABET-prescribed outcomes. The hierarchy organizes the outcomes into three levels (primary, secondary, and tertiary). The presented method is implemented by introducing a tutorial where a spur gear-pinion pair is designed, visualized, digitized, and 3D printed systematically. E-learning tools can be developed to deliver the tutorial online.

This article addresses the issue of educating engineering students with the knowledge and skills of Computer-Aided Design and Manufacturing (CAD/CAM). In particular, three carefully designed tutorials—cutting tool offsetting, tool-path generation for freeform surfaces, and the integration of advanced machine tools (e.g., hexapod-based machine tools) with solid modeling—are described. The tutorials help students gain an in-depth understanding of how the CAD/CAM-relevant hardware devices and software packages work in real-life settings. At the same time, the tutorials help students achieve the following educational outcomes: (1) an ability to apply the knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering; (2) an ability to design a system, component, or process to meet the desired needs, (3) an ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems; and (4) an ability to use the techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools that are necessary for engineering practice. The tutorials can be modified for incorporating other contemporary issues (e.g., additive manufacturing, reverse engineering, and sustainable manufacturing), which can be delved into as a natural extension of this study.

This study investigates the capability of additive manufacturing (AM) technology to produce sandwich composite structures through focusing on the 3D Printing process, experimental testing, and anticipated impact as energy-absorbent elements. The growing cost of manufacturing prototypes that use conventional methods has resulted in exploring the exploration of 3D printing as a viable alternative. The research problem addresses the challenges of manufacturing sandwich composites and the need for automation in the civil, mechanical, aerospace, and aviation industries. The study aims to investigate 3D-printed hybrid sandwich composite structures made of multilayer materials, conduct finite element analysis, produce specimens, conduct flexural and impact tests, and analyze the data. The proposed methodology includes preparation of the 3D printer, 3D printing of the specimen, inspection, finite element analysis, preparing the specimen for testing, conducting different impact tests, and data collection and analysis. The expected mechanical properties of the study lie in the potential for additive manufacturing to reorganize the adoption of sandwich composite structures for energy absorption purposes, reducing costs and automating the process.