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Engineering Education, Resources and Standards
News Release from: Festo | Subject: Festo PLC-controlled workstation
Edited by the Engineeringtalk Editorial
Team on 23 January 2006
PLC workstation helps train students
Further and higher education institute installs third PLC-controlled workstation in its engineering department.
The Tresham Institute of Further and Higher Education has 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
This article was originally published on Engineeringtalk on 5 Mar 2001 at 8.00am (UK)
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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 include two computer suites, a mechatronics laboratory, advanced CADCAM workstations and an industrial rapid prototyping system.
Two years ago, as part of a £45,000 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 use various pneumatic, electro-pneumatic and hydraulic actuators, with their associated control valves, and are backed by simulation software.
Pete Lillyman, Senior Lecturer in the engineering department, said: "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, added: "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 World Skills Competition in Helsinki at the end of May". Request a free brochure from Festo ...
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