Years ago, vocational training centered on teaching students to manually operate machines for shops or factory applications. Today, apprentices at training centers like the Remscheid Vocational Training Center in Germany learn complete processes for successful production — from CAD via CAM to machining (CNC) to finished component. To prepare apprentices for successful careers in the mechanical and electrical industries, the vocational center requires them to learn a number of software programs. For the past five years, ANSYS SpaceClaim has been their CAD software of choice.
The Remscheid Vocational Training Center is one of the leading training centers in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. In their Training Workshop for Businesses, approximately fifty employees provide instruction to 160 first year apprentices and an additional 1,100 second- through fourth-year apprentices. Another 700 qualified employees per year participate in career training programs at the Center. Each apprentice starts with a one-year basic training program, followed by specialized training courses. It is not unusual for an apprentice to begin basic training at age 16 and attend career training courses at the Remscheid Vocational Training Center while working, so that ten years later the apprentice has worked up to become an industrial foreman.
The modern vocational training center of the metal and electrical industry in Remscheid has over 1,000 apprentices in its charge in specialized courses.
What prompted this prestigious center to choose ANSYS SpaceClaim? Reimscheid needed a program that was geared towards mechanical engineering, but also needed to be user-friendly. “We emphasize learning by doing and with this program the apprentices are always motivated since they gain a sense of achievement rapidly,” says Gerd Peter, Department Head of CNC technology. They have been working for over 20 years with Vero Software GmbH, specialists in production software, and Vero recommended ANSYS SpaceClaim.
Live CAD training
At the center, students work with ANSYS SpaceClaim in the fields of production, automation, design, development, 3-D printing, quality control and measurement engineering. With ANSYS SpaceClaim, Gerd Peter says students create 3-D volume models up to five times faster than with traditional CAD tools. Apprentices are familiar with functions like Cut, Copy or Paste from other software, so they can quickly create sophisticated 3-D models without being overwhelmed by complex tools. After they complete a 3-D model, it is transferred to an Edgecam CAM system. Then the students prepare a work plan with processes like lathing or milling. Finally, a finished program with exact move commands is sent to the controller of the CNC machine. Workpieces are produced here in large series, so it would be expensive if errors were found and changes had to be made during inspection of the metallic components. So students use ANSYS SpaceClaim again to prepare their models for 3-D printing. When the changes are complete, the models are converted to STL data and saved. The workpieces can then be printed cost-effectively as plastic prototypes. The prototypes are used for quality control and measurement — only then does optimized production begin.
The apprentices rapidly create sophisticated 3D models with ANSYS SpaceClaim. If there are any questions, the instructors are ready with advice and assistance.
Sought after training with modern equipment
The Remscheid Vocational Training Center offers training above all in the metal and electrical professions, but also professions in IT or design draftsman. In addition, there are numerous continuing education programs. The CNC field is especially important, that’s why there is a large machine park with everything a CNC professional could want. The vocational training center is popular both with businesses as well as with apprentices. Gerd Peter says, “Our apprentices appreciate the modern environment and are therefore very motivated and work very hard.” The apprentices return to their plants to work, apply their knowledge, and tell them about about ANSYS SpaceClaim.
Vero Software and the vocational training center scanned the bust of Röntgen and prepared it for 3D printing with the help of ANSYS SpaceClaim.
What does the future look like?
According to Gerd Peter, the 3-D Print Division will be expanded soon, so in addition to printing in plastic, it will also be possible to print metal. They’ll also strengthen their collaboration with ANSYS to make modern software available to future generations of apprentices.
We invite you to try ANSYS SpaceClaim right now in the cloud, with nothing to download or install. Whether you’re a machinist wanting to repair or optimize CAD files, or an engineer needing to modify an STL file for 3D printing, you’ll find ANSYS SpaceClaim an invaluable tool in your arsenal. We believe it will save you time and money whenever you have the need to work with 3D models. You can learn more about ANSYS SpaceClaim at www.spaceclaim.com.
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