Education/training
Meeting the needs of manufacturing industryNot long ago, robots were used almost exclusively in the automotive industry. Together with automated manufacturing systems, they’re helping companies compete in a global economy in a huge variety of sectors, creating a demand for skilled workers. |
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 [ 2007-05-16 ] |
Wang (left), automation and robotics program co-ordinator/professor, and student Mike Collins examine the ABB robot/automation equipment. (Centennial College)
Institutions such as Centennial College in Toronto are preparing graduates for careers in the high-tech field of automation through programs like its two-year electrical-mechanical engineering technician program and a one-year automation and robotics technician program for qualified college or university electrical or mechanical engineering graduates.
The programs focus on the basic technology used in building and operating automated industrial systems, including hydraulics, pneumatics and electrical/ electronics. “Those three elements give you power for any automated equipment,” program co-ordinator/professor Donald Wang says.
The next three elements are Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC)/microprocessor, robotics and mechanical. “They control mechanical movements and are the ‘brains’ of the system,” Wang says. “We literally have a full-production line in our lab that operates in real time … When students go out to work, it’s the same environment.”
Centennial was the first fluid power training centre in Canada to be recognized by the United States Fluid Power Education Foundation. It is now looking at integrating medical automation and robotics into its programs. “We see clear opportunities for this technology in the health- care industry,” says Jag Mohan, dean of the School of Engineering Technology & Applied Science.
The programs prepare students for careers in three areas: sales and service for each of the six program elements, manufacturing (such as process, project or maintenance engineers) and automation houses that build automated machines for the manufacturing sector.
One of the most common reasons companies adopt robotic technology is to protect people from dangerous and labour-intensive work environments. Industry insiders believe the types of applications and industries that use robots will continue to grow, reports the Robotics Certification Standards Alliance (RCSA), an alliance created in 2002 to increase the awareness of automation, standardize robotic testing and meet the need for highly-skilled employees.
It offers a Certified Industrial Robotics Programmer (CIRP) course for those wanting to write application programs and maintain existing application programs in the manufacturing environment. In addition to the history of robotics and basic PLC programming, students learn basic and advanced welding applications, palletizing, material handling and painting applications with single and dual robots.
Workshops cover basic and advanced concepts of robot control commands through hands-on applications, combined with a robotic work cell. The 14-week program is taught at robotic technology training facilities and three top international robot manufacturers: ABB, Motoman and Panasonic.
RCSA administers final exams. “A lot of people are coming and learning,” says RCSA spokesperson Dan Fawcett. “This has opened a lot of doors for them. They’re getting hands-on experience with a variety of robots, some of which are 30 feet tall. By working with manufacturers, they’re gaining experience on the latest equipment.”
You can achieve CIRP certification with little or not robot/automation background. RCSA offers two types of certification: one with a welding component, the other without. “We sat down with ABB, Motoman and Panasonic to identify what we saw as trends,” Fawcett says. “It’s good to work with manufacturers, because they know what’s coming.”
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