Conveyor system in Sharf Lab receives state-of-the-art updates

One of the founders of R&E and an OU electrical engineering alum, Dan Jaraczewski, with OU intern Tom Pecoraro, Rob Neff and Chris Stearns of Siemens, and Professor Robert Van Til with the renovated conveyor system.

State-of-the-art hardware and software updates have brought new life to a conveyor system used in Oakland University’s School of Engineering and Computer Science.

Up until now, the conveyor system that was originally donated by DE-STA-CO, has been primarily used for demonstrations. After updates from R&E Automated Systems, it now uses Siemens controls technology and is ready for use in Industrial and Systems Engineering courses, including a new Programmable Logic Controllers course being offered this winter semester.

“Now, (using the conveyor) you can develop a controls training curriculum with a true resource that you’re going to see in the field today,” said Christopher Stearns, R&E program and business project manager. “It has the latest Siemens hardware and software architecture that is used in real-world design.”

For anyone who learns on Siemens architecture, Stearns said, they are training on the actual hardware and software they will see on a palletized conveyor at any automotive manufacturer.

Robert Van Til, department chair and professor of Industrial and Systems Engineering, is excited about how the conveyor system can enhance the ISE curriculum.

“It makes sense to provide application items and skills necessary to do these jobs,” said Eric Kaczor, business excellence manager at Siemens. “When these students are coming out of college, they can pick up these jobs and move forward in the company instead of just talking about theory.”

Already, the upgrades to the device have provided a unique internship opportunity for one engineering student. Thomas Pecoraro, a junior mechanical engineering major, removed the old equipment and installed the new hardware, including a FANUC robot and a Siemens controller.

The conveyor system is located in the new S. & R. Sharf Computer-Integrated Manufacturing (CIM) Laboratory in the Engineering Center.