Have you wondered how something was manufactured? Do you want to learn what it takes to turn your design into a finished product at scale? This course introduces a wide range of manufacturing processes including machining, injection molding, casing, and 3D printing; and explains the fundamental and practical aspects of manufacturing at scale.

For each process, 2.008x explains the underlying physical principles, provides several examples and demonstrations, and summarizes design for manufacturing principles. Modules are also included on cost estimation, quality and variation, and sustainability. New content added in 2020 and 2021 includes 360 degree high-fidelity views of products, augmented reality product disassembly, and select updated lecture videos. Together, the content will enable you to design a manufacturing process for a multi-part product, make quantitative estimates of cost and throughput, and recognize important constraints and tradeoffs in manufacturing processes and systems. The course concludes with a perspective on sustainability, digitization, and the worldwide trajectory of manufacturing.

At a glance

• Institution: MITx
• Subject: Engineering
• Level: Intermediate
• Language: English
• Video Transcript: English
  
• Prerequisites:
• secondary school (high school) math and physics
• Calculus I
• knowledge or willingness to simultaneously study basic principles of mechanics of material, fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, and heat transfer

Take this course

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What you'll learn

Skip What you'll learn

• Manufacturing processes in detail: machining, injection molding, casting, thermoforming, sheet metal forming, 3D printing, electronics assembly, and more.
• Overarching principles: rate, quality, cost, flexibility, sustainability.
• Design for manufacturing principles, how to plan a multi-step manufacturing process, and important life-cycle considerations of mass-produced products.

Syllabus

• Week 1: Introduction and Process Planning
• Week 2: Machining
• Week 3: Injection Molding
• Week 4: Thermoforming and Sheet Metal Forming
• Week 5: Casting
• Week 6: Additive Manufacturing
• Week 7: Quality and Variation
• Week 8: Manufacturing System
• Week 9: Manufacturing Cost
• Week 10: Sustainability and Robotics
• Week 11: Electronics
• Week 12: The Future of Manufacturing and Conclusion

Instructors

A. John Hart

Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology

John Liu

Lecturer, Department of Mechanical Engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology

     David Dow

       Technical Instructor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Sanjay Sarma

Vice President for Open Learning at Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Timothy Gutowski

Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Emily Welsh

Educational Technologist at Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Who can take this course?

Unfortunately, learners residing in one or more of the following countries or regions will not be able to register for this course: Iran, Cuba and the Crimea region of Ukraine. While edX has sought licenses from the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) to offer our courses to learners in these countries and regions, the licenses we have received are not broad enough to allow us to offer this course in all locations. edX truly regrets that U.S. sanctions prevent us from offering all of our courses to everyone, no matter where they live.