Extending the scope of future learning factories by using synergies through an interconnection of sites and process chains

Learning factories serve as platforms to disseminate research findings into industrial practice and to educate prospective engineers in hands-on courses. The number of competences which can be taught in learning factories is related with the number of available processes and machines. A larger number of machines enables for example comparisons between similar processes, the operation of longer process chains and generally speaking a broader curriculum. However, due to financial or space restrictions the investment in machines is often limited. In order to overcome this issue, the collaboration between learning factories through interconnection of process chains is proposed in this paper. A systematic method, by which possible interlinkages can be found, is presented and a case study of the interlinkage of two learning factories in Bayreuth and Augsburg is given.