Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) Knowledge and understanding: 1. know and understand the main mechanical components and their functions; 2. acquire knowledge and understanding of the most important manufacturing and assembly processes in the mechanical industry; 3. understand the relationships among materials, manufacturing processes, and product requirements; 4. identify the advantages and limitations of primary industrial manufacturing and assembly processes; 5. recognize the potential of unconventional processes compared to traditional processes in industrial production. Applying knowledge and understanding: 6. develop the ability to solve medium complexity problems in the core fields of automotive engineering; 7. evaluate which manufacturing and assembly processes are most suitable to meet specific product requirements. Making judgements: 8) critically identify and select the information necessary for the proper selection of the manufacturing and assembly process; 9) objectively asses results obtained from analytical processing, numerical simulations, or experimental laboratory tests; 10) develop a proactive approach to solving medium complexity problems related to manufacturing and assembly technologies; 11) use technical and scientific literature. Communication skills: 12) develop the ability to structure and prepare scientific and technical documentation inherent to the main manufacturing processes used in the mechanical industry; 13) enhance the ability to present, communicate, discuss, and argue the topics covered in the course. Ability to learn: 14) develop learning skills through the individual study of the topics covered during the course. In addition, the analysis of different manufacturing and assembly process problems may also be addressed by group discussions; 15) enhance knowledge of manufacturing and assembly processes by consulting scientific literature, specialized texts, and technical and international standards provided by the professor during the course.

Students enrolled in the course should have a basic knowledge of mathematical analysis, technical drawing, physics, and material science. Basic computer skills, including Excel and Solidworks (or similar software), are also required.

The course covers the following topics: MANUFACTURING PROCESSES o Classification of manufacturing processes o Materials for automotive applications o Fundamentals of metal plasticity o Bulk deformation processes: - Rolling - Drawing - Extrusion - Forging o Sheet metal forming o Fundamentals of material removal processes o Machining processes - Turning - Drilling - Milling - Grinding - Other machining operations o Tool materials o Tool wear o Casting processes - Solidification of metals and mold design - Expendable mold casting processes - Permanent mold casting processes o Unconventional manufacturing processes o Manufacturing and joining of plastics ASSEMBLY TECHNOLOGIES o Welding processes - arc welding - laser welding - resistance welding - other fusion welding processes - solid-state welding o Mechanical joining o Hybrid joining techniques o Brazing and soldering o Joint quality, testing, and inspection o Taylor welded blanks o Corrosion protection o Painting in the automotive sector o Assembly line analysis o Assembly line saturation and balancing

The course combines frontal lectures dedicated to classroom and exercise activities, as well as possible visits to manufacturing companies and/or exhibitions. The course is divided into two parts providing the fundamentals of manufacturing processes and assembly technologies for the automotive industry.

PowerPoint slides presented during lectures will be provided as lecture notes (.pdf files) and uploaded to the web portal of the course. In addition, professors may also provide supplementary readings (e.g., research papers, web links) or videos concerning the course topics. The student can mainly refer to the following textbooks: 1) S. Kalpakjian, "Manufacturing engineering and technology", ed. Pearson 2) M.P. Groover, "Fundamentals of modern manufacturing, ed. Wiley

Exam: Written test;

Formative assessment Classroom exercises, laboratory activities, and discussions with the professor during lectures will provide opportunities to assess and evaluate students' ability to apply their knowledge and understanding of the topics covered in the course. The expected ILOs assessed during the formative assessment are as follows (refer to the list in the "expected learning outcomes"): - ILOs assessed through discussions with the professor: 2, 11, 13, 14. - ILOs assessed through classroom exercises and laboratory activities: 1, 3, 6, 9, 10, 12, 14. Criteria, rules, and procedures for the final examination The final examination consists of two distinct written parts, manufacturing and assembly parts, which must be taken consecutively on the same day. The first part assesses the contents concerning manufacturing processes, while the second part assesses the contents concerning assembly technologies. The Manufacturing part (70 min) consists of two tasks inherent to the topics addressed during the course: - a multiple-choice quiz of 8-10 questions (30 min) about manufacturing topics. For each question, the student must choose 1 or 2 correct answers from 5 alternatives proposed. A penalty from -0.1/30 to -0.5/30 points is given for each wrong answer, depending on the difficulty of the question. Not answered questions have no penalties. - 2 exercises (40 min) about manufacturing topics. The Assembly part (70 min) consists of two tasks inherent to the topics addressed during the course: - a multiple-choice quiz of 8-10 questions (30 min) about assembly topics. For each question, the student must choose 1 or 2 correct answers from 5 alternatives proposed. A penalty from -0.1/30 to -0.5/30 points is given for each wrong answer, depending on the difficulty of the question. Not answered questions have no penalties. - 2 open-ended questions (40 min) about assembly topics. In both Manufacturing and Assembly parts, students are not allowed to use textbooks, notes, blank sheets, or electronic devices (such as tablet, smartphone, smartwatch, etc.). Only calculators, pencils, pens, and erasers are permitted. Blank sheets are provided by the professor. Each part can be successfully passed if the student achieves a minimum score of 18/30. Both parts must be passed with at least 18/30 to pass the whole exam, otherwise the exam is failed. If a student only passes one of the two parts (e.g., Manufacturing) but fails the other (e.g., Assembly), the overall exam is failed. However, the student can keep the passing score for the next exam sessions and retake only the failed part (ex. Assembly). When both parts are passed successfully, the overall exam can be registered. Note that this opportunity is only valid until the beginning of the course in the next academic year (about the end of February). After that, any previously earned marks for a single part will expire. The expected ILOs assessed during the final exam are (refer to the list in the "expected learning outcomes"): 1-8, 10, 13. Evaluation criteria and criteria for awarding marks The evaluation criteria of the exam are based on the correctness of the responses to multiple choice questions and exercises, and the pertinence and clarity of the response to the open-ended questions. The grade for each part is expressed in a 30/30 scale. Final grade The final grade is computed as the arithmetic mean of the scores obtained from the Manufacturing and Assembly part. The final grade is rounded to the nearest integer: the grade is rounded down if the first digit is less than 5; the grade is rounded up if the first digit is 5 or greater. A final grade of 30 cum laude is awarded only if the student passes with a score of 30/30 on both the Manufacturing and the Assembly parts. Exam results are communicated to students on the didactic portal, generally within 4-5 working days. Students can review their graded exams during a meeting with the professor. The meeting date will be communicated to the students by notice on the didactic portal before each exam session. Examples of previous exam formats and exercise solutions are available on the course portal.

In addition to the message sent by the online system, students with disabilities or Specific Learning Disorders (SLD) are invited to directly inform the professor in charge of the course about the special arrangements for the exam that have been agreed with the Special Needs Unit. The professor has to be informed at least one week before the beginning of the examination session in order to provide students with the most suitable arrangements for each specific type of exam.