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Session 2005-2325

Just an Aluminium Trolley – A Case within the Frame of Problem-based Learning: Linking Strategy, Innovation, Product Development and Design in a Dynamic Concept between the Academic and Professional World.

Sven Hvid Nielsen, Associate Professor Department of Production Aalborg University, Denmark e-mail: i9shn@iprod.aau.dk

ABSTRACT: This paper presents what an engineering school at a university may do to stimulate engineering excellence. Problem-based education methods in connection with project and group- organised studies as a link between the academic and professional world is presented in the frame of Mechanical Engineering and Industrial Design curriculums. Innovation as suggested is the creation of a new product-market-technology-organisation-combination (PMTO-combination) consisting of three key elements: 1) Innovation is a process and should be managed as such, 2) the result is at least one new element in the company’s PMTO-combinations. 3) The extent to which the innovation is new may range from incremental, small step innovation, through synthetic innovation, i.e. the creative recombination of existing techniques, ideas or methods, to discontinuous, radical, quantum-leap innovation. Often new means: new, somewhere on the continuum. The company in this case - a very small business - wanted just an aluminium trolley.

Introduction – just an aluminium luggage trolley When you have invested a large amount of money in building a new airport characterized by the use of glass and aluminium solutions, you do not want to spoil the overall impression by using a luggage trolley made of galvanised steel, said the manager of a very small company (approx 35 employed) KS-group. A costumer chose another supplier because the KS-group did not have the competence, resources and technology readiness to develop and design a new trolley made of aluminium. In a co-operation between the KS-group, Aalborg University (final projects) and Hydro Aluminium it was decided to develop a luggage trolley prototype for further test and development. The development of the prototype is a good example of how work is carried out in teams: where research, education and communication are carried out in integrated interaction with industry.

“Proceedings of the 2005 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition Copyright  2005, American Society for Engineering Education”

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Nielsen, S. H. (2005, June), Just An Aluminium Trolley – A Case Within The Frame Of Problem Based Learning: Linking Strategy, Innovation, Product Development And Design In A Dynamic Concept Between The Academic And Professional World. Paper presented at 2005 Annual Conference, Portland, Oregon. 10.18260/1-2--14968