European CNC-Network – „Penny Press Machine“ for EUROPE Erasmus Project

Project Title

European CNC-Network – „Penny Press Machine“ for EUROPE

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : School Exchange Partnerships

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2019

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: ICT – new technologies – digital competences; Key Competences (incl. mathematics and literacy) – basic skills; Creativity and culture

Project Summary

The planned school partnership is an initiative going back to the „European CNC-Network“ established in 2006, a cooperation of more than thirty vocational schools in Europe. The most popular and probably most successful school project of our network was the Charlemagne Youth Price Award winning project in 2010, the „Train for EUROPE“.

The present project idea is the result of several preparatory meetings, the most recent one in Dublin in December 2018. The main product of the project will be a so-called „Penny Press Machine“. This kind of attraction is often found at touristic hot spots. Usually, after having paid a one-euro coin and inserted a five-cent coin into the printing slot, the machine prints a local motif on the five-cent faces when turning a crank manually.

This partnership´s goal is to design, develop and manufacture one fully functional „Penny Press Machine“ for each member in close cooperation. The machines meant for permanent exhibition and to be presented within school buildings accompanied by information boards. As all in all six partner schools will be involved in the project, the machines are expected to print six different motifs symbolizing the community and relatedness within the „European CNC-Network“ long after the project will have ended. Both sides of the coin will be designed individually and should – apart from European elements – also represent regional motifs. In conclusion, this project work – the machines and the medals – represent a sustainable successful European cooperation and embodies the commonalities among partners as well as the uniqueness of the member states united in Europe.

The planned partnership covers the full process of project development. It connects the classical methods of CAD engineering to the highly innovative 3D printing technology used for prototyping and industrial manufacturing based on modern CNC machinery. In our project this technology will be embedded in the comprehensive digitalization-in-production as described in the ideas and visions of the strategy „Industry 4.0“. The production of the „Penny Press Machine“ as a complex tool is highly demanding regarding design and manufacturing. Such tasks are basically found in all technical curricula. The students aged between 15 and 20 years will be supported by at least two teachers. Beyond that, the partnership will be facilitated and backed by regional industry which is closely linked to the regional VET institutions and the project itself.

All the involved partners offer machinery and equipment in their modern workshops. With a view to a successful project work, the participation of each partner school is essential, as every single school brings in individual strengths and unique competences. Only in complementing one another in many ways a successful high-tech result as planned here can in sum be realized.

Regarding the project outcome from a pedagogical point of view, the „Penny Press Machine“ is just a vehicle – a means to an end to shape and create basic skills and key competences. It will offer students the chance and challenge to work and cooperate on a technically demanding task in an international atmosphere. In the foreground stands a solution-oriented peer-to-peer-learning approach. This will make students internalize not only the topic much more intensely as they need to develop and deepen the topic self-reliantly, but they will benefit from one another by sharing and discussing results and values.

Within the two-year running time of the project, six activities are planned. The focus of the different activities is closely adopted to work progress in the project. The partner schools will take over different tasks within the project split in different work lines and separate work groups. The time between activities will be taken to fulfil the agreed tasks. Project work is meant to take place in between the meetings in lessons in school at home. Students will then communicate and discuss suggestions and ideas via internet-based platforms such as eTwinning.

The common work on a technical challenge will intensify the international and intercultural dialogue. Students will have to communicate in English as the project language and will actively develop their communicative competences. The common project work will inspire a common „European Spirit“, meaning that commonalities as well as the uniqueness of the individual project partners will become visible, recognized and respected. We are truly convinced that with this project idea we have found a perfect example for representing and realizing the European idea.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 197961 Eur

Project Coordinator

Berufsbildende Schule Technik-Gewerbe-Hauswirtschaft-Sozialwesen Bad Kreuznach & Country: DE

Project Partners

• Lycée technique des Arts et Métiers
• Escoles Professionals Salesianes, Institut Politècnic
• Byåsen videregående skole
• Lycée Louis Rascol
• HTBLuVA St. Poelten