Fundamentals of Manufacturing Processes
Study the processes used to manufacture products ranging from toys to smartphones, and learn fundamental principles and practical considerations that enable production at scale.
Course Information
Certificate Track
Learn for Free
About this Course
Have you wondered how something was manufactured? Do you want to learn what it takes to turn your design into a finished product at scale? This course introduces a wide range of manufacturing processes including machining, injection molding, casing, and 3D printing; and explains the fundamental and practical aspects of manufacturing at scale.
For each process, 2.008x explains the underlying physical principles, provides several examples and demonstrations, and summarizes design for manufacturing principles. Modules are also included on cost estimation, quality and variation, and sustainability. New content added in 2020 and 2021 includes 360 degree high-fidelity views of products, augmented reality product disassembly, and select updated lecture videos. Together, the content will enable you to design a manufacturing process for a multi-part product, make quantitative estimates of cost and throughput, and recognize important constraints and tradeoffs in manufacturing processes and systems. The course concludes with a perspective on sustainability, digitization, and the worldwide trajectory of manufacturing.
What you'll learn
- Manufacturing processes in detail: machining, injection molding, casting, thermoforming, sheet metal forming, 3D printing, electronics assembly, and more.
- Overarching principles: rate, quality, cost, flexibility, sustainability.
- Design for manufacturing principles, how to plan a multi-step manufacturing process, and important life-cycle considerations of mass-produced products.
Prerequisites
- Secondary school (high school) math and physics
- Calculus I
- Knowledge or willingness to simultaneously study basic principles of mechanics of material, fluid mechanics, and thermodynamics and heat transfer
Meet your instructors
A. John Hart
Associate Professor
John Hart is Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Director of the Center for Additive and Digital Advanced Production Technologies, and Director of the Laboratory for Manufacturing and Productivity, at MIT. John’s research group at MIT, the Mechanosynthesis Group, aims to accelerate the science and technology of production via advancements in additive manufacturing, nanostructured materials, and precision machine design. In 2017 and 2018, respectively, he received the MIT Ruth and Joel Spira Award for Distinguished Teaching in Mechanical Engineering and the MIT Keenan Award for Innovation in Undergraduate Education. John has co-authored >175 journal publications, is a co-inventor on >50 pending or issued patents, and is a co-founder of startup companies Desktop Metal and VulcanForms, and a Board Member of Carpenter Technology Corporation.
Areas of expertise: manufacturing, nanostructered materials, mechanical design
