Master i tillverkningsteknik, 120 hp

About the program

Manufacturing methods strongly affect the design, quality and economy of production. In this program you learn to plan, design, develop and integrate processes, systems, machines and tools for the manufacturing of high-quality products. Fully English-taught, University West’s two-year Master’s Programme in Manufacturing Engineering is designed in close collaboration with industry, incorporating recent methods, new materials and new manufacturing processes. The second year can include an industrial placement in Europe, Asia or South America as the basis for your thesis. Outstanding features include the integration of real work situations and access to advanced manufacturing laboratories. This two-year program is designed for new graduates. There is also a one-year master of manufacturing program which is suitable for students with few years of experience as engineers

Why this programme?

Advanced laboratories, simulation tools and access to experts

As a manufacturing engineering student, you will have access to our Production Technology Centre (PTC) during your studies. PTC is one of the largest and most up to date manufacturing laboratories in Sweden. The PTC has been in the field of manufacturing research for over 20 years. This collaborative platform offers a unique collection of manufacturing and related advanced industrial research technologies:

• Welding technologies (tungsten inert gas, metal active gas, robotised welding, etc.)
• World-leading thermal spraying facilities (plasma- and combustion-based spraying guns)
• CNC milling and turning equipment
• AM-specific technologies (powder bed fusion techniques such as electron beam melting, directed-energy deposition techniques such as laser metal deposition with wire and powder as well as wire-arc, etc.)
• Measurement and control systems for in situ monitoring and inspection
• Advanced manufacturing process modelling and simulations tools

Most research projects at PTC address metallic materials such as high-strength steels, stainless steels, superalloys, aluminium- and titanium-based light materials, metallic and ceramic coatings, biomaterials and nanoengineered materials. PTC is also equipped with advanced materials testing and characterisation laboratories to explore the process-microstructure-properties-performance relationship of the materials.

Testing and characterisation equipment

• Microstructural inspection and microanalysis including optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy
• Geometrical and surface topography assessment using 3D profilometry
• Phase analysis using X-ray diffractometry
• Mechanical testing including microhardness, tensile, creep and fatigue at room and high temperatures
• Thermomechanical simulation and testing using a Gleeble welding simulator
• Weldability testing using Varestraint (Variable-Restraint) technique
• Wear, corrosion, and electrochemical investigations in various environments at room and high temperatures
• Non-destructive testing using ultrasound, X-ray, infrared camera, and eddy current, etc.
• Machining dynamics measurement and test equipment such as rotating and stationary dynamometers, impact hammers, and accelerometers.

Simulation Tools

• Advanced high-end CAD/CAM/CAE: Siemens NX
• Welding and Additive manufacturing: Simufact additive, Simufact welding
• FEM: COMSOL multiphysics, MSC Marc
• Computational material science: Thermo-calc, DICTRA, TCPRISMA

You will be introduced to some of the above equipment/simulation tools during your courses, and you may work with some of them, based on the topic of your thesis.

Study Environment

The PTC is home to University West’s research area Production Technology West (PTW). Here you will have the opportunity to do research and experimental work together with experienced researchers, engineers and technicians in the field. There are many companies linked to our research environment. As a student, you will have the opportunity to be part of cutting-edge research and meet possible future employers. University West offers an intimate campus environment without the usual barriers between academic staff and students. Here, your professors are easily accessible to answer questions, hold discussions and provide individual feedback. The teacher-to-student ratio is higher than at most comparable programmes at other universities. While large universities have several focus areas, University West’s small size and high quality allow us to dedicate focus and resources to a few prioritised/selected areas, such as manufacturing engineering. This ensures a high-quality programme as well as a warm and friendly atmosphere. Students from around the globe come together in your programme to create a unique and international environment. The programme is fully taught in English, and you will study together with students from Sweden as well as international students from Europe, Asia and elsewhere. Most of your instructors also have international experience in both research and education. This will enhance your cultural experience and English-language proficiency. In addition, you will have the option to perform your thesis work at one of our partner companies or universities abroad.

International Industry placement and study

You can spend the second year of your studies abroad in multiple locations in Europe, Asia or South America with a corporate and university partner. You will complete your industrial placement while continuing to build your theoretical knowledge at a partner university or through our online courses. You will then complete your master’s thesis in collaboration with your choice of the following:

• Your original international industrial placement company
• Another location within the same company (multinational, such as Volvo, with branches in China, India, Europe, etc.)
• A second international company
• An international academic partner
• University West’s PTW

You may also choose to stay in Sweden during your industrial placement. In Sweden, you can choose between working with a Swedish company or within the University West’s PTW research environment. If you choose to stay in PTW, you will work with a research project that is linked to major manufacturing industries in Sweden. Your industrial placement will include:

• Joint supervision from one industry and/or one university expert
• Degree project with scientific questions based on the needs of the company
• Literature review with relevant literature provided by supervisors for a better understating of the field
• Weekly seminars for discussion of project progress and experience with supervisors and classmates
• Oral presentation on methods, technical outcomes of data processing and conclusions of the project, discussed with supervisors and classmates
• A critical response including a peer-review of a colleague’s project
• The written scientific report reviewed by supervisors before final submission

A strong job market

Manufacturing industries make up 10-20% of the economy of developed countries; consequently, there is always a high demand for competent manufacturing engineers. Graduates of the master of manufacturing programmes have been employed in companies such as Volvo Group, Sandvik Materials Technology, GKN Aerospace, Tooltec and many other small and large companies. Some of these students have continued their studies in the PhD level, as in addition to a career in industry, your competence in Manufacturing Engineering will open doors to advanced studies in PhD level and research both in Sweden and abroad.

Work Integrated Learning

University West is Sweden’s leading university for Work Integrated Learning (WIL). The university was tasked with the development of WIL by the Swedish government in 2002 and continues to lead the field today. WIL allows you to put your knowledge and skills into practice within real-world contexts. The courses in manufacturing engineering program have been developed in close collaboration with Swedish industry considering the needs of the companies representing the sector. Your courses are taught by instructors that belong to the research group Production Technology West, an internationally recognized research group within the field of manufacturing engineering. This WIL approach offers you a focus on problem-based learning for industry, with real projects from PTW and partner companies. Your training concludes with an international industry placement or working within the PTW research group, followed by a master’s thesis project in industry or academia.

More about the programme

This programme presents multiple crucial manufacturing technologies and their scientific bases, along with related scientific developments and ongoing challenges. Master of these subjects will enable you to effectively control and monitor these processes, considering the impact of processes on materials. Course Overview In this interdisciplinary learning environment, you’ll build knowledge across a broad range of engineering topics. An advantage of study at University West, you will also have easy access to the rich research environment in the PTC and PTW. The total programme is 120 credits per the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS).

YEAR 1

Autumn

• Advanced Materials Science, 6 credits
• Additive Manufacturing Processes, 7.5 credits
• Surface Engineering, 7.5 credits
• Machining, 6 credits
• Academic writing, 3 credits

Spring

• Computer Aided Manufacturing, 3 credits
• Welding Processes, 6 credits
• Thermal Spraying, 6 credits
• Metallurgy of Welding and Additive Manufacturing, 7.5 credits
• Non-Destructive Evaluation, 4 credits
• Materials Characterization and Testing, 3.5 credits

YEAR 2

Autumn During the autumn you will need to take your industrial placement. The courses are optional and offered online, allowing flexibility for you to take them along with your industrial placement if it was necessary.

• Industrial Placement, (In Europe, Asia or South America), 15 credits (Elective)
• Statistical Process Control and Design of Experiments, 7.5 credits (Elective)
• Process Simulation and Modelling, 7.5 credits (Elective)

You can also spend the autumn semester as an exchange student in one of our partner universities, and gaining required credits (30 credits) from your host university. Spring

• Master's Thesis in Mechanical Engineering, 30 credits (In Europe, Asia or South America)

Degree

Upon completion of this master’s programme, you will receive a Master of Science (MSc, 120 credits) in Mechanical Engineering with a specialization in manufacturing engineering. One-year Master´s Programme in Manufacturing Engineering Please note that University West also offers a one-year Master’s Programme in Manufacturing Engineering. While the two-year programme is aimed at students who (recently) received their bachelor’s degree and want to develop their knowledge in the field of manufacturing engineering, the one-year programme is aimed at graduates who have a few years of experience as an engineer and want to improve their mastery of manufacturing processes through the use of more scientific tools and/or initiate a research career.

Career

Manufacturing represents a notable section of economic activities in developed countries. Companies of all sizes need manufacturing engineers to handle tasks and challenges relevant to manufacturing processes. These challenges include design and development of manufacturing processes, design of new manufacturing methods or improving existing methods. From this master’s programme, you will gain skills that enhance your career in different sectors of the manufacturing field. Upon graduation, you will be highly competitive for positions within the private sector or further PhD studies.

Further education

This programme helps you build a strong foundation in the field and develop the qualifications you need to pursue your PhD in Manufacturing Engineering. After graduating from this master’s programme you will be eligible to continue studying as a PhD student in Sweden or elsewhere. University West offers a doctoral degree programme within the field of production technology.