MAADE Project

NSF ATE Grant Updates:

Manufacturing Automation and Additive Design Excellence

De Anza's Design and Manufacturing Technologies (DMT) Department was awarded a three-year grant in 2022 from the National Science Foundation's Advanced Technological Education program to satisfy a growing need for skilled manufacturing workers by developing new courses and certificates in 3D printing, robotic automation and related technologies.

The funding will be used for a project called Manufacturing Automation and Additive Design Excellence, or MAADE.

The project builds on DMT’s existing curriculum and industry partnerships to keep pace with technological advances and address workforce demand for qualified CNC machinists, CAD designers and additive manufacturing (3D printing) technicians.

In keeping with DMT’s track record for innovation, the MAADE project will address these objectives:

• Develop new certificate and associate degree offerings in CAD design, additive manufacturing and 3D printing, multi-axis machining, and robotic automation
• Increase the participation of women and promote diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in manufacturing occupations
• Expand faculty professional development opportunities in additive manufacturing, multi-axis machining, and robotic automation

DMT department chair Mike Appio will serve as the principal investigator for the MAADE project, joined by fellow DMT instructors Roberto Sanchez and Kara Krone and Project Manager Margaret Bdzil, who will serve as co-principal investigators.

MAADE Project Outcomes for Year 1 (2022-23):

1) Developed New Curriculum

• Compiled and analyzed Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) for Additive Manufacturing Technicians
• Launched new Certificate of Achievement - Additive Manufacturing: 3D Design and Production
• Created new in multi-axis mill, live-tooling lathe, CNC machine simulation, and robotic arm and machine tool integration
  

2) Expanded Industry Partnerships

• Convened Business and Industry Leadership Team (BILT) for Additive Manufacturing/3D Printing
• Forged new industry partnerships with Carbon 3D, Meta, Velo 3D, Intuitve Surgical, Indicate Technologies, Joby Aviation, VanderBend Manufacturing, FM Industries, and Peterson Precision
• Signed Statement of Work with NASA/Ames Research Center HUNCH program

3) Promoted Participation of Women and DEI

• Recruited new faculty and mentors that are representative of diverse student populations
• Offered 2 Dual Enrollment DMT classes in partnership with the Fremont Union High School District
  
  • Survey of Design and Manufacturing Processes - Fall 2022
  • 3D Printing and Rapid Prototyping - Winter 2023
• Hosted industry guest speakers from Women in 3D Printing, Carbon 3D, and Boston Scientific

4) Facilitated Faculty Professional Development

• Sponsored 3 professional development short courses for high school and college manufacturing educators
  
  • Intro to CNC Milling Parts I & II - Winter 2023
  • Intro to 3D Design and Production - Spring 2023
• Developed accelerated curriculum for CNC Milling to build upon educators' prior knowledge and experience
• Created content for inaugural faculty professional development course in additive manufacturing

For more details, please download the MAADE Project Outcomes summary for 2022-23.

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The Manufacturing Automation and Additive Design Excellence (MAADE) project is funded in part by the National Science Foundation's Advanced Technological Education (NSF ATE) program. A grant abstract can be found on the NSF award website: NSF Search Award Abstract #2202221.