Evolution of arc welding Design in welding MicroTack - Kemppi
Evolution of arc welding Design in welding MicroTack - Kemppi
Evolution of arc welding Design in welding MicroTack - Kemppi
You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
DESIGN<br />
New ideas sought <strong>in</strong> the<br />
Lahti Institute <strong>of</strong> <strong>Design</strong><br />
The Institute <strong>of</strong> <strong>Design</strong> teaches creative<br />
problem-solv<strong>in</strong>g. The history <strong>of</strong> the <strong>in</strong>stitute<br />
goes back over 100 years.<br />
The activity <strong>of</strong> the Lahti Institute <strong>of</strong> <strong>Design</strong> has<br />
its roots as far back as <strong>in</strong> 1899, when the East<br />
Häme Agricultural College was established <strong>in</strong><br />
Lahti to give youngsters skills and knowledge<br />
needed <strong>in</strong> farm work. This school can be<br />
considered the prior stage <strong>of</strong> the current design<br />
<strong>in</strong>stitute.<br />
After many stages and name changes, the<br />
<strong>in</strong>stitute received its current structure <strong>in</strong> 1971<br />
when both the Hels<strong>in</strong>ki School <strong>of</strong> Goldsmith<strong>in</strong>g<br />
and the Lahti Institute <strong>of</strong> F<strong>in</strong>e Arts were merged<br />
<strong>in</strong>to it. Back then, the <strong>in</strong>stitute was called<br />
Lahden taideoppilaitokset (‘the Lahti <strong>in</strong>stitutes<br />
<strong>of</strong> art’).<br />
The Institute <strong>of</strong> <strong>Design</strong> was owned by the<br />
state and managed by the F<strong>in</strong>nish National<br />
Board <strong>of</strong> Education until, <strong>in</strong> early 1996, it was<br />
transferred to the ownership <strong>of</strong> the Lahti Region<br />
Educational Consortium. Simultaneously, the<br />
<strong>in</strong>stitute was renamed the Institute <strong>of</strong> <strong>Design</strong> <strong>of</strong><br />
22<br />
<strong>Kemppi</strong> ProNews 1 • 2008<br />
Lahti Polytechnic, which later changed its name<br />
to the Lahti University <strong>of</strong> Applied Sciences.<br />
<strong>Design</strong> and communications education<br />
The Institute <strong>of</strong> <strong>Design</strong> educates pr<strong>of</strong>essionals<br />
to work <strong>in</strong> society and the bus<strong>in</strong>ess world<br />
with the ability to give a concrete, visually<br />
perceivable form and mean<strong>in</strong>g to the objects,<br />
communication, and services <strong>in</strong> society.<br />
The studies <strong>in</strong>clude various k<strong>in</strong>ds <strong>of</strong> courses,<br />
rang<strong>in</strong>g from the theory <strong>of</strong> design, usability,<br />
and ergonomics to mach<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g techniques<br />
for various materials, computer-aided design,<br />
and product market<strong>in</strong>g. Success <strong>in</strong> the studies<br />
requires sensitivity to aesthetic qualities and<br />
ability to resolve issues creatively.<br />
The <strong>in</strong>stitute specialises <strong>in</strong> degree programmes<br />
<strong>in</strong> design and visual communication, and the<br />
studies lead to a degree <strong>of</strong> either Bachelor<br />
<strong>of</strong> Crafts and <strong>Design</strong> or Bachelor <strong>of</strong> Visual<br />
and Media Arts. The education <strong>in</strong> the degree<br />
programmes is based on visual arts and the<br />
humanities.<br />
A lecturer <strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong>dustrial design,<br />
Ilkka Salonen <strong>in</strong>spects the<br />
results <strong>of</strong> a ‘bra<strong>in</strong>wave’ project<br />
with third-year students at the<br />
Institute <strong>of</strong> <strong>Design</strong> <strong>of</strong> Lahti<br />
University <strong>of</strong> Applied sciences.<br />
Co-operation with companies has a key role<br />
<strong>in</strong> education<br />
Co-operation between the Institute <strong>of</strong> <strong>Design</strong><br />
and the local companies is active because<br />
<strong>in</strong>troduc<strong>in</strong>g students to real-life design projects<br />
is an essential part <strong>of</strong> their education. Through<br />
this k<strong>in</strong>d <strong>of</strong> activity, the students are able to get<br />
a realistic picture <strong>of</strong> the methods common <strong>in</strong><br />
the <strong>in</strong>dustry.<br />
The co-operation with bus<strong>in</strong>esses makes it<br />
possible to reach the best possible learn<strong>in</strong>g<br />
results while produc<strong>in</strong>g additional value<br />
for the companies, s<strong>in</strong>ce, thanks to their<br />
open-m<strong>in</strong>dedness, the students may even<br />
be able to provide the product development<br />
departments <strong>of</strong> the companies with a wholly<br />
new perspective.<br />
Among the recent cases <strong>of</strong> co-operation<br />
between the <strong>in</strong>stitute and companies is the<br />
project on welder’s protective equipment,<br />
<strong>in</strong>itiated by <strong>Kemppi</strong>, <strong>in</strong> which experts from<br />
<strong>Kemppi</strong> and students from the <strong>in</strong>stitute<br />
explored possibilities for utilis<strong>in</strong>g new k<strong>in</strong>ds <strong>of</strong><br />
protective equipment to reduce <strong>in</strong>terruptions<br />
<strong>in</strong> <strong>weld<strong>in</strong>g</strong>. █