PLC-controlled workstations for training college

The Tresham Institute of Further and Higher Education has recently installed a Festo PLC-controlled workstation in its Engineering Department, after further funding from East Midlands NTI

Tresham Institute of Further and Higher Education has recently installed a Festo PLC-controlled workstation in its Engineering Department.

The workstation facilitates hands-on training for students pursuing higher education courses in engineering, and is the third such system to be installed at the institute's facilities in Corby.

The order followed a second allocation of funding from the East Midlands New Technology Initiative (NTI), and the workstation was installed just before Christmas 2005.

Tresham Institute has made a considerable investment in recent years for engineering training support with facilities that now include two computer suites, a mechatronics laboratory, advanced CAD/CAM workstations and an industrial rapid prototyping system.

Two years ago, as part of a GBP45,000 investment partly funded by East Midlands NTI, the mechatronics laboratory received two Festo PLC-controlled workstations, to help familiarise students with real-life industrial control systems and processes.

The workstations employ a wide variety of pneumatic, electro-pneumatic and hydraulic actuators, together with their associated control valves, and are backed by powerful simulation software.

According to Pete Lillyman, Senior Lecturer in the Tresham Institute Engineering Department, "The increasing popularity of our engineering courses means that our existing workstations undergo a lot of use, and students sometimes have to wait until they can gain access to them.

Although our simulation software enables students to work 'off-line', there is nothing like seeing the results of your labour actually control a system! The addition of this third workstation will allow us to cope with demand, and will prove an invaluable resource".

Steve Stratfull, Training Manager for Festo, points out that Festo has an excellent track record in supporting engineering students: "Our Didactic Centre in Northampton runs courses that are complementary to those offered by Tresham Institute.

Last year, for example, we provided the final training for the UK's mechatronic team, to help prepare for the WorldSkills Competition in Helsinki, at the end of May.

Festo strongly believes in promoting training and skill acquisition to help young people secure career paths in technology, and is delighted to be associated with Tresham Institute's initiatives in this area.

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