Combined research and curriculum development of nontraditional manufacturing

Nontraditional manufacturing (NTM) is becoming increasingly important in modern engineering. Therefore, it is important to develop up-to-date pedagogic materials for the area. This paper reports collaborative efforts among three universities in such a development sponsored by National Science Foundation of USA. The features of the development include systematic introduction, recent research results, and web implementation with interactive capabilities. This paper is based on an extensive web based course with animations, including Java applets, Shockwave animations, VRML animations, and QuickTime movies. The development is aimed at upper level undergraduate and introductory graduate students. Areas of focus include Laser Material Processing, Electrical Discharge Machining, ElectroChemical Machining, and Abrasive Water Jet Machining. Cross process innovation are also presented. Needs for further pedagogic developments are discussed.