Werk150 Learning Factory: A successful 3DEXPERIENCE Edu Center of Excellence
Bridging Theory and Practice Through the 3DEXPERIENCE platform
The uniqueness of our center is that we have a combined factory with a digital and a physical environment. This really seizes opportunities for our students.
In times of a shortage of skilled engineers, it is more important than ever to prepare young talents for the challenges of industry. In 2013, the Learning Factory on the Reutlingen University’s campus in Germany was set up, offering pioneering solutions for the next generation of industrial engineering education, while trying to bridge that skills gap.
The Werk150 Learning Factory is a research and education factory, that combines science and practice, and serves as a real-world manufacturing environment where students can immerse themselves in the challenges and innovations of industrial technologies.
Vera Hummel:
00:07:02 to 00:10:17
We are in the Werk 150, at the Reutlingen university.
00:10:20 to 00:17:16
I'm a mechanical engineer, and I was appointed as a professor at the Reutlingen University in 2010.
00:17:17 to 00:29:05
In 2023, I was elected as the president of the International Association on Learning Factory, which covers more than 30 excellent universities with their learning factories around the globe.
00:29:12 to 00:44:09
The Learning Factory is a research and an education factory about the opportunities and the challenges of innovative technologies, and their mission is of shaping the future in regard to industrial technologies.
Alexander Chukomin:
00:47:08 to 00:51:24
Here we have a real-world manufacturing environment, where we can test and teach digital engineering.
00:54:17 to 01:08:01
The 3DEXPERIENCE platform is the backbone of our digital transformation activities. It allows us to simulate, design and also optimize production processes in a virtual environment.
01:09:02 to 01:23:10
On the big screen, we always see the digital twin of our actual physical layout. The 3DEXPERIENCE platform bridges theory and practice. It covers a wide range of competencies and skills.
01:24:11 to 01:40:21
Our students develop a unique combination of technical and business expertise, and they gain a lot of experience for their career. It makes them very attractive to companies that are focusing on industry 4.0 and even 5.0.
Alina Wäschle:
01:42:04 to 01:49:20
I'm studying international industrial engineering, and it has a focus on industrial topics and also engineering topics.
01:49:20 to 01:59:06
With the 3DEXPERIENCE platform, we planned a warehouse. So I had to implement or to design a whole warehouse in the platform.
01:59:19 to 02:11:09
3DEXPERIENCE platform was also teamwork because we worked in a lot of groups, so it was important that every group did their tasks so the other groups could work with the outcome of their work.
02:11:15 to 02:27:10
The big benefit for me, it's I can build things or design things in the 3DEXPERIENCE platform to experience it so that I can use it in the company, so we get a big overview of what we're doing in our future. And we also can decide in which direction we can go.
Nathalie Huslik:
02:30:00 to 02:43:05
I really like that we have also the theory part of the studies, but also we can do practical things. We can gain knowledge directly at product lines.
02:44:00 to 03:00:09
I think it's really important to gain experience and also knowledge in systems like the 3DEXPERIENCE platform because you will need it later in your job. So I really like about that we have this very early in our program.
Vera Hummel:
03:01:00 to 03:13:18
I think the uniqueness of the Werk150 is that we really have industrial environment where the students are getting trained here in the middle of a region where we have a lot of small and medium-sized companies.
03:13:19 to 03:31:23
We do not work only in the digital environment. We really have a combined factory with a digital and a physical environment. And for a University of Applied Science, this seizes opportunities for students: it's something which is really unique to Reutlingen campus.
A fruitful collaboration between academia & industry
Werk150 and Dassault Systèmes offer companies the opportunity to integrate sustainable practices into their processes from the ground up. The use of virtual twin experiences thought the 3DEXPERIENCE platform makes it possible to optimize resource efficiency and develop innovative, environmentally friendly solutions.
Werk150 is proving to be an important source of inspiration for German SMEs: These companies benefit from low-risk, low-threshold access to cutting-edge technologies and state-of-the-art infrastructures.
The close integration of industry and academia also creates a fruitful innovation cycle. Companies not only benefit from well-trained graduates, trained on real industrial practices, but also gain access to the latest research findings and technologies.
Werk150 honored as a 3DEXPERIENCE Edu Center of Excellence
In December 2024, Dassault Systèmes honored the Werk150 Learning Factory as a 3DEXPERIENCE Edu Center of Excellence and thus recognized the exceptional achievements of Werk150 in the application and integration of state-of-the-art technologies, in particular the 3DEXPERIENCE platform.
The platform enables simulation, design, and optimization of production processes in a virtual setting, thereby allowing students to visualize and interact with a digital twin of the actual physical layout. This blend of digital and physical environments enhances the learning experience, ensuring that students are well-prepared for the demands of Industry 4.0 and beyond.
The 3DEXPERIENCE platform is the backbone of our digital transformation activities, where our students develop a unique combination of technical and business expertise and gain a lot of experience for their career.
Preparing for the future with early exposure
The early introduction of the 3DEXPERIENCE platform in their educational program is a strategic move that ensures students are well prepared to essential skills and technologies before entering the workplace. This early exposure is critical in preparing students for future roles in industries that are increasingly reliant on digitalization.
"The big benefit for me is that I can build or design things in the 3DEXPERIENCE platform to experience it, and be able to use it in the company", said Alina Wäschle, a student in Industrial Engineering.
Students develop key skills such as Simulation, Data Analysis, Interdisciplinary, Collaboration and Innovation through the use of Virtual Twins Experiences and new Education Experiences. Thanks to them, teachers can quickly and efficiently incorporate industry best practices and knowledge into their classroom. They are now fully equipped to shape the next generation of game changers, and a new generation of multidisciplinary engineers ready to take on an increasingly complex future.
About Hochschule Reutlingen University
Hochschule Reutlingen University is around 5,000 students from over 80 countries, and composed of six schools - ESB Business School, School of Informatics, School of Life Sciences, School of Sustainability and Technology, School of Engineering and TEXOVERSUM School of Textiles - they offer a variety of courses in more than 48 degree programs. They aim to prepare students for future challenges, both professionally and personally, and they are committed to shaping the future.
For more information: https://www.reutlingen-university.de/en/