2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

FrED Factory Production Labs: An Experiential Activity Translating Product Design to Manufacturing in a Learning Factory

Presented at Manufacturing Division (MFG) Technical Session 3: Experiential Learning in Manufacturing Education I

Bridging the gap between product design and manufacturing education remains a central challenge in academic institutions. This paper presents the FrED Factory Production Labs, an experiential learning activity that immerses students in the end-to-end process of translating product design to designing and operating a manufacturing system in a learning factory. Working in teams, students design, operate, and continuously improve a small-scale factory to assemble real shippable products, with the goal of maximizing production performance indicators such as throughput, yield, and quality. In the first week, teams translate product and process knowledge into a detailed manufacturing plan, designing workstation layouts, material flows, operator roles, and digital work instructions. In the second week, they conduct their first production run, assembling real products while collecting time and performance data to identify bottlenecks and opportunities for improvement. Between runs, teams analyze results and refine their layouts, then perform a second production run in the final week to test their redesigned system. The challenge integrates core manufacturing concepts, including design-to-manufacturing translation, production planning, data-driven continuous improvement, and team operations, giving students a hands-on understanding of how factory design impacts performance. To evaluate learning impact, a pre- and post-activity assessment was conducted using questions aligned with the intended learning outcomes, complemented by a survey based on the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory (interest/enjoyment, perceived competence, value/usefulness subscales) to explore motivational mechanisms. The FrED Factory Production Labs Challenge provides a replicable, authentic platform for integrating design and manufacturing education in a learning factory, cultivating systems-level thinking and practical skills essential for modern manufacturing engineers.

Authors

Mr. Russel Bradley http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9454-4951 Massachusetts Institute of Technology [biography]

Russel Bradley is a Ph.D. candidate in Mechanical Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), specializing in smart manufacturing education, manufacturing systems, and additive manufacturing. He co-founded and leads the development of MIT’s learning factory, FrED Factory, which makes hands-on manufacturing education accessible and replicable across universities. Through its international deployment across multiple institutions, the FrED Factory has reached and trained over 500 students, expanding access to experiential manufacturing education beyond MIT. He also serves on the boards of startups and non-profits in artificial intelligence (AI), sustainable energy, and additive manufacturing that advance technological innovation in Indonesia. He has received multiple honors, including the MIT Graduate Teaching Award, the MIT Graduate Student of Excellence Award, and the Tulip Interfaces Golden Spade Groundbreaker Award.
Ricardo Ruiz Almanza Tecnologico de Monterrey (ITESM) [biography]

Ricardo Ruiz Almanza is a Mechatronics Engineering student at the Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey and completed a research internship at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he worked on the application of artificial intelligence in manufacturing environments. His interests focus on industrial automation, intelligent systems, and the digital transformation of manufacturing processes. Ricardo has industry experience through internships in manufacturing, contributing to automation, computer vision, and data-driven solutions. He also has a strong background in PLC and HMI systems, integrating mechatronics and advanced automation to support the development of modern, efficient manufacturing systems.
Alejandro Guerrero Tecnologico de Monterrey (ITESM)
Naomi Najera Aponte Tecnologico de Monterrey (ITESM)
Diego Alejandro Valadez Aramburo Tecnologico de Monterrey (ITESM)
Dr. Erick Ramirez-Cedillo Tecnologico de Monterrey, Escuela de Ingeniería y Ciencias, Av. Eugenio Garza Sada #2501 Sur, Monterrey, N.L., 64700, México. [biography]

Erick Ramírez-Cedillo is the Director of the Innovation and Transformation Program at the School of Engineering and Sciences, Tecnológico de Monterrey, He holds a Bachelor's in Mechatronics Engineering, a Master's in Manufacturing Systems, and a Ph.D. in Engineering Sciences from Tecnológico de Monterrey. His research focuses on Additive Manufacturing, Manufacturing Systems Automation, Robotics, Educational Innovation, Advanced Materials, and Medical Devices.
Dr. Brian W Anthony Massachusetts Institute of Technology [biography]

Brian Anthony is the Director of the Master's of Engineering in Manufacturing Program and Co-director of the Medical Electronic Device Realization Center at MIT. He has more than 20 years of product realization experience, including instrumentation and me

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The full paper will be available to logged in and registered conference attendees once the conference starts on June 21, 2026, and to all visitors after the conference ends on June 24, 2026

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