The
Industrial Automation Group of Advantech and the
University of Cincinnati has partnered to create
the Advantech e-Manufacturing Lab to promote research,
development, and educational programs for students
and professionals alike.
Advantech
has provided the University of Cincinnati with Embedded
Automation Controllers (UNO-2171) with Flat Panel
Monitors (FPM-2150) and USB I/O modules (USB-4711)
to monitor machines for changes and provide a predictive
failure analysis. Also, there is a lab station equipped
with AStudio and a Touch Panel Computer (TPC-1570)
so results can be posted on the web and viewed.
At
the grand opening of the lab, Ming-Chin Wu, President
of Advantech's Industrial Automation Group, said
"they looked forward to working with the students.
This e-manufacturing laboratory hits exactly our
target market for customers to enhance productivity
and reliability," he said, adding, "Advantech
is also a good corporate citizen."
Carlo
Montemagno, dean of the College of Engineering pointed
out the importance of establishing a close relationship
with industry. "Universities serve two functions,"
he said, "first, to promote the advancement
of science and technology and second, to promote
the application of that technology for economic
prosperity."
The
Advantech e-Manufacturing Lab will be under the
guidance of Professor Jay Lee, Ohio Eminent Scholar
in the Department of Mechanical, Industrial, and
Nuclear Engineering (MINE).
"The
Advantech Lab will be a bridge between research
and undergraduate education, and graduate students
as well," pointed out Teik Lim, Chair of the
MINE department, adding "that students in manufacturing
courses will use this lab as part of their coursework
from doctoral students to incoming first-year students."
Professor
Lee explained that one of his goals is to rejuvenate
the manufacturing disciplines, which are perhaps
not perceived as being very exciting these days.
Combining manufacturing and information technology
makes us smarter, he explained. The center is a
focus of research that benefits education through
our teaching with students learning by working on
projects. With Industrial collaboration, what the
students learn is then fed back into the first step:
research.
