Automation lab to support new engineering majors at North Central College
A company that's looking for well-rounded engineering graduates and a college that's about to begin training them are partnering to create a new lab where hands-on learning is the norm and automated production lines are standard.
Called the Omron Design and Automation Lab, the space inside a room of the Myron Wentz Science Center at North Central College in Naperville will open for students this fall.
That's also when the liberal arts college will welcome its first cohort of 50 students to join a new engineering program that President Troy Hammond said will offer majors in electrical, mechanical and computer engineering.
Omron, an automation technology company based in Japan, has pledged through its foundation an unspecified financial donation in support of the lab, as well as ongoing support through equipment, subject matter expertise and access to online learning for North Central students. Nigel Blakeway, Omron Americas Corporation CEO and Omron Foundation President, said the firm plans to sustain the partnership and hopes to gain "well-rounded students" from the ranks of North Central engineers as future employees.
"This design lab here is our investment for the future," Blakeway said Tuesday as college and company officials dedicated the space.
Omron, which Blakeway said is "trying to answer society's needs in the future with automation," has partnered with North Central since 2008, donating to a scholarship fund to allow 75 students to study abroad in its native country.
Hammond said discussions with the company about supporting a lab within the $60 million science center, which opened a year ago, began in 2013. With the lab soon to be equipped with up to 72 3-D printers and two automated production lines complete with robots and conveyor belts, Hammond said he's excited for the opportunities students will gain.
"I have every confidence that industry partners are going to be amazed about what they've already had hands-on experience with," Hammond said.
The new lab, he said, will be "an integral part" of the experience for new engineering students about to head to campus.
Frank Harwath, director of the new engineering programs and professor of engineering, said the room will be a lecture-lab setup, allowing him to instruct at the beginning of each period, then allow students to tests and complete reports - just as professional engineers do.
"I act as a consultant and guide to students who are basically doing experiments," Harwath said. "Students will get very, very interested in engineering."