Solving advanced manufacturing needs with cutting edge virtual reality technology training
TU Dublin's agility meets Intel's specific needs and delivers required learning outcomes
Intel has been at the forefront of advanced manufacturing in Ireland for more than three decades. The highly complex production processes utilised at its plant include extreme ultraviolet lithography which has been deployed in a high-volume manufacturing setting for the first time in Europe at the company’s new €17 billion Fab 34 facility in Leixlip.
The Challenge
The extraordinary precision required in all aspects of Intel’s production process places a high premium on the training and development of the 4,500 employees at the Leixlip facility. Not only must new employees be trained for their roles, but existing staff must undertake continuous training to keep pace with advancing production processes.
The method of training delivery also needs to evolve, and the Intel Ireland Training and Development team has for some time been exploring the use of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) to enhance the effectiveness of online training. The company also wanted to establish if it was possible to design and develop their own training modules inhouse or if that work would need to be outsourced.
The Solution
Those needs led to a collaboration between Intel Ireland’s Training & Development team and TU Dublin’s Enterprise Academy, the School of Media and the School of Informatics & Cybersecurity to develop a customised training programme in 3D modelling and design and applied interactive 3D games technologies for use in training applications within the company.
The National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) Level 9 accredited programme offers 15 stackable credits which can be used to build towards the credits required for a Masters Degree.
“We looked initially at the emerging areas where we needed to build skills for the next 10 years,” says Pat Morrissey of Intel. “These include Industry 4.0, generative AI, machine learning, machine vision, and so on. We had worked with a number of third level institutions over the years and already had a good relationship with TU Dublin.” That relationship saw Morrissey get in touch with the TU Dublin Enterprise Academy with a view to designing and development an appropriate course.
Student Unity Interactive 3D Simulation Software Project
“We have very strong interest in people here developing skills in areas like this,” Morrissey adds. “We found that TU Dublin already had a number of course modules that could be customised for us. Therefore the programme was in place within less than nine months of the initial contact. If we had to start from scratch, it would have taken longer. The whole experience was very positive. TU Dublin is very customer oriented, and the people there have a very can-do attitude. They moved quickly, put everything in place and delivered the programme we needed in a very short timeframe. ”
We looked initially at the emerging areas where we needed to build skills for the next 10 years. These include Industry 4.0, generative AI, machine learning, machine vision, and so on. We have very strong interest in people here developing skills in areas like this. We found that TU Dublin already had a number of course modules that could be customised for us. Therefore the programme was in place within less than nine months of the initial contact.
Pat Morrissey, Program Manager, Intel
This agility was managed and facilitated by the Enterprise Academy who were on hand to provide support to the school in respect of documentation and business processes whilst also assisting Intel with determining their needs and keeping everybody informed. This it allowed for the speedy development of the initiative whilst supporting already very busy people.
The result was a programme run over two semesters from September 2022. “There were 13 evening classes in each module with a further three to four hours course work each week,” he notes. “It provided a broad education of what is involved in 3D modelling and design.”
Hugh McCabe is a Lecturer in Creative Digital Media at the School of Media in TU Dublin. He delivered the first module on 3D Modelling & Design which ran from September 2022 to January 2023. “I have been teaching this for a long time,” he says. I was able to adapt the module to meet the specific needs of Intel and to deliver the required learning outcomes.”
There were some important differences to accommodate. “The programme was to be delivered online to facilitate potential interest from Intel employees worldwide and the busy professional lives of the learners or participants based here in Ireland,” McCabe points out. “I had already delivered the 3D module online to TU Dublin students during Covid and that experience was very helpful. When you are teaching people to use a complex piece of software you may need to stand over their shoulders sometimes. I also adapted the assessment project to align with Intel’s objectives for the course.”
University / Industry Collaboration
Dr Matt Smith, Senior Lecturer in the School of Informatics and Cyber Security has been collaborating with industry on a variety of projects over the past 20 years. That experience proved very useful when it came to designing and delivering the programme’s second module on Applied Interactive 3D Games Technologies.
“I needed to develop something for making interactive 3D game-based environments. The solution can also be used for 3D simulations of industrial machinery and products and processes. I started out by looking at what the Intel employees who would be doing the course needed to learn. I went out and spoke to people in Intel about the sort of environments they wanted to create, the problems they needed to solve, and what they wanted to do with the technology after the course. Looking at the quality of the projects and the digital assets created by the students at the end of the programme, it was very successful” Dr Smith explains.
The quality of the lecturers was fantastic. The quality of the course content and delivery was also excellent. I found it a very positive experience. It was pitched at right level for the participants. I did find it challenging. It involved more time than I expected but I did find it beneficial. On the basis or my experience with this programme, I hope we can work with TU Dublin again.
Gemma Dunn, Augmented Reality Specialist, Intel Ireland
The Impact
Elaine Gaughran was one of the Intel employees to complete the programme. “I really enjoyed it,” she says. “I did it to improve my skills and capabilities. It was an opportunity to learn something new and I am always interested in that. I did miss a few lectures, but the material was available online to help you catch up. The live sessions were very valuable . You need the live element for demonstrations and to be able to ask questions. Also, the lecturers were very accessible if you wanted to reach out to them between classes. It was an excellent learning experience.”
Gemma Dunn is a Augmented Reality Specialist with Intel Ireland and was also one of the course participants. “TU Dublin’s ability to co-design and set up the modules so quickly was very impressive,” she says. “The quality of the lecturers was fantastic. The quality of the course content and delivery was also excellent. I found it a very positive experience. It was pitched at right level for the participants. I did find it challenging. It involved more time than I expected but I did find it beneficial. On the basis or my experience with this programme, I hope we can work with TU Dublin again.”
