ENGR 422 Industrial Automation

Learn to implement industrial automation technology commonly leveraged in manufacturing and assembly across a wide range of industries. Students will practice using programmable logic controllers (PLC) to interface with sensors and industrial displays and to control various actuation modalities. Machine vision technology will be explored, with students gaining experience in vision system setup and programming for part acceptance and defect detection. They will also demonstrate control of 3-axis gantries along with an understanding of the physical construction common to such systems. Students will specify, assemble, and control pneumatic actuation and valving systems and various conveyance strategies will be introduced. PLCs, machine vision, and pneumatic actuation will ultimately be implemented by students in the context of a part conveyance system, with all elements programmed to function synchronously for a desired operation. The class embeds concepts of lean manufacturing and systems engineering and includes a culminating project.