Exciting trial of AI manufacturing software at Coleg Menai

Coleg Menai learners recently took part in a first research study of how AI manufacturing software could be adopted into their curriculums.

Engineering students tested CAM Assist as a model for using it in an education setting, in an event organised by global software firm Autodesk at the college’s Llangefni campus.

CAM Assist, developed by tech start-up CloudNC, is an AI plug-in designed to save engineers hours of time by automating the programming process for computer-aided manufacturing packages.

It is compatible with software such as Autodesk’s Fusion, which Coleg Menai uses to train students in computer-aided design and manufacturing.

The college was the first educational establishment to join the beta testing program for CAM Assist before the product launched last year, and was again chosen to trial how the software could be used now it is on the market.

Level 3 Mechanical/Manufacturing Engineering students were tasked with creating a model robot using Fusion, following a brief from previous skills competitions.

The learners spent approximately an hour programming the manufacturing process using a human-driven process of converging tools, processes and variable data. They then repeated the process with CAM Assist, which took under 30 seconds.

They used the software under the guidance of engineering lecturer Osian Roberts, a former Coleg Menai student who last year won WorldSkills UK gold in the computer-aided manufacturing discipline CNC turning.

Osian said: “By 2030 it is thought that most manufacturing will be automated by AI. So the main goal from our point of view as a college was to find out, can AI be integrated into manufacturing here to get ahead, so the future workforce already has those skills?

“The students found the software very beneficial in the way it can complete a program within seconds instead of having to program for two hours.

“It’s a great tool for the students to improve their productivity and get more hands-on experience on CNC machines; invaluable time that is scarce for them.”

Also supervising the trial was Iwan Roberts, Autodesk education manager and a former Coleg Menai engineering lecturer.

Iwan said: “The students eagerly embraced the opportunity to deepen their understanding of how AI tools like CAM Assist can be best utilised in education.

“The future of engineering will be in their hands and it’s crucial for them to expose themselves to continuously evolving new tools, to foster innovation and set new expectations in the industry.”

Learners gave feedback to CloudNC senior product manager Sahand Malek, including on when during the academic year they would find CAM Assist useful, and how the product could be improved.

Student Ben Thomas said the AI add-on “would be great at the beginning of the academic year to get you more machine time to learn quicker, and eventually produce more in the long term”.

He felt it would have been useful in helping him prepare for competitions, adding: “If I had access to this before I entered the World Skills UK competition, I could have learnt from it - especially from how it creates the programming order, as I could have compared it to my programming.”

Fellow student Alex Giddings said: “When you’ve had the whole year to program yourself with Fusion, this would benefit me going into my second academic year studying a further computer-aided manufacturing programming unit, where I could program more complicated parts quicker.”

Iwan said: “It was inspiring to hear the students' perspectives and see their confidence in implementing CAM Assist during the academic year.

“They clearly understood the importance of mastering CNC principles and Fusion CAM programming to fully leverage CAM Assist's capabilities. Additionally, it was fascinating to learn how they envisioned using it as a learning tool for newcomers to CAM programming, to complete tasks quicker and solve additional problems.

“It was fascinating to hear them say that the software could be useful at the beginning of the year when they want to make something without having to go through a long learning process, and want to see the entire design-and-make process as quick as possible.

“Also in the middle of the year when they’re preparing for skills competitions - using AI as a ‘spell-checker’ for what they want to do. And then again at the end of the year when they've proven they understand the principles of CAM and CNC (Computer Numerical Control), and want to improve productivity and manufacture a lot of one-off products.

“They were even able to give feedback on things that the developers hadn’t necessarily thought of, such as improving the drop-down options and other user experience issues. This was a great experience to discuss the feedback in an online meet with Cloud NC, in a professional and clear manner - a big credit to the students.”

Do you want to work in the innovative world of engineering? North Wales needs engineers to fill a wide range of exciting and well-paid jobs. To learn more about Grŵp Llandrillo Menai’s courses, click here.