Global Production Engineering: Berlin University of Technology

The GPE programme is structured in five module groups: Production, Engineering, Management, Intercultural Communication, and Special Profile.

PRODUCTION:
This module deals with the fundamentals and methods of information processing and industrial applications. Students will learn to evaluate the potentials of information technology for the use in the factory. They will learn to plan projects for industrial information technology according to relevant decision criteria.
Basic knowledge of development, planning, execution and controlling of production systems as well as management of production plants is taught. Factory systems must be planned and maintained and manufacturing systems must be developed and run so that cost and quality attributes of the products are successful in international competition. Logistics contribute to the reduction of throughput time and costs and optimise the material and manufacture flow within the companies.

ENGINEERING:
The goal of this module group is to familiarise students with modern methods of analysis and evaluation of thermal systems and principles of operation and design of the most commonly used energy conversion devices. In the laboratory students become familiar with the operation and evaluation of internal combustion engines and gas turbines.

Modern engineering requires the replacement of traditional trial and error approaches by formal methods. This module group teaches mathematical modelling and solution techniques that lead to a clear understanding of the quantitative aspects of manufacturing processes and of their relations to resource and budget constraints, market forces, and technological innovation. Students will learn to understand the main mathematical techniques employed in this area and to judge their appropriateness for particular instances in production engineering.

Systematic product planning and product development processes are taught. Fundamental insight into the structure of technical problems and products and guidelines for embodiment design is given.

To be effective at reducing risk and to be cognisant of engineering mentality, the problem-solving process must use systemic, well-defined thinking approaches, methods and models. MTRIZ supplies the very effective tools to meet these requirements.

Also, MTRIZ supplies a standardised platform for accumulation and re-use of the most valuable innovative expertise of the many generations of inventors and innovators. MTRIZ prepares its students for continuous inventive development and learning at any industrial company or educational or scientific institution.

MANAGEMENT:
This module group deals with integrated manufacturing management tasks like planning, scheduling and evaluating of manufacturing processes and facilities. Complexity is managed by analysis and design with reference to models, including products, logistics, human resources and qualification. Students are prepared for a systematic manufacturing management and project execution in which they consider relevant decision criteria in the framework of global conditions.

The main focus of this module is company networks, their organisational structures as well as cost efficient designs. Students will learn the fundamentals of logistics. Case studies of manufacturers, retailers and logistics service providers provide a high degree of transparency and allow students to apply logistics knowledge in the business world.
An overview of the scope of quality management and its basics is provided.

INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION:
This module group teaches communicative competence in everyday and academic life and German language competence.

Intercultural management - focus on culture and intercultural learning, identifying dominant national, regional, and personal cultural profiles of the participants within a specific framework. Identifying dominant cultural variables at work by particular case studies and case studies created by the participants. Key principles for good communication and effective personal attributes within cultures are developed. Students learn to implement knowledge transfer in different organisational structures in various cultures.

SPECIAL PROFILE:
This module group teaches applicable knowledge of elements of environmental management systems, mastery of tools for environmental management systems, mastery of techniques for implementation of environmental management systems, ability to individually design environmental management systems and motivation protect the environment and to implement environmental management.

The GPE-Seminar trains the ability to understand the German system of higher education and the study programme Global Production Engineering. Ease of handling of cultural differences to the home country, a comprehensive understanding of German corporate cultures and the ability to work with scientific methods are further qualification goals of the seminar.

This module group also deals with simulation as a method for analysing and evaluating the operation or design of manufacturing processes and facilities. Students will learn to efficiently use the discrete event simulation technique. Complexity is managed by analysing only relevant decision criteria. The following skills can be gained:

• Ability to describe production systems by means of system engineering
• Overview in the field of discrete event simulation and state-of-the-art simulation packages
• Modelling and simulation with the simulation package AutoMod and eM-Plant
• Analysis and improvement of production systems with simulation
• Advantages and disadvantages of simulation