Dale Heatherington Mechatronics Lab

The Dale Heatherington Mechatronics Lab offers a hands-on learning environment in the exploration of advanced education, research and service supporting the creation of the new mechatronic products and processes.

A variety of engineering methods have been explored in the mechatronics lab. Not only the analysis of capacities and capabilities of small educational robots performing specific tasks, but also the collaboration of autonomous robots exploring diverse environments. The lab is not limited to the building, automatic parking methods, such as a self-parking-car routine installed in a KIA automotive sample, offers a unique outdoor lab environment. 

The lab also has a FESTO Reconfigurable Mechatronics System (RMS) to provide hands-on experiences implementing Siemens Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC’s).

Combining FESTO and Siemens technologies it is possible to investigate not only intelligent features, but also implementing more flexible, agile and reconfigurable mechatronic system applied to manufacturing automation. Major equipment includes four Kawasaki Robots and one Fanuc Robot with industrial capacity and capabilities to simulate relevant industrial projects. that integrates four stations demonstrating the full automation of manufacturing and assembly.

The FESTO RMS includes an Automatic Guided Vehicle (AGV) system represented by the central conveyor. The AGV system synchronizes the manufacturing cell using different pallets to transport and connect the products in the four stations. Each station includes different types of robots implementing specific routines representing the manufacture and assembly of different products. The FESTO equipment uses a pneumatic system and all operations are programmed by using Siemens PLC’s controllers.

Location:
Engineering Technology Center, Building Q
Room Q-118