Honeywell announced that it has launched an Industrial Automation Lab in conjunction with the University Politehnica of Bucharest’s Department of Automation and Computer Science to help students build the technical skills and knowledge required to join, compete and succeed in the global industrial automation sector.
The lab – Honeywell’s third at the university in the last two years – allows students to put classroom theories to the test by getting hands-on with the latest industrial automation technologies. These include Honeywell’s ControlEdge™ Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) which – when combined with the Honeywell Experion® Process Knowledge System – can reduce plant integration costs, minimize downtime, decrease risk through embedded cybersecurity, and lower total cost of ownership. Honeywell’s ControlEdge™ Unit Operations Controller (UOC), meanwhile, can be harnessed to bring the powerful Experion control environment to a wide range of applications, including specialty chemical, pharmaceutical, food and beverage, mining, pulp and paper, midstream and water.
“With significant operations and investments throughout Romania and as a major employer in the country, Honeywell has a vested interest in nurturing next-generation talent and facilitating their transition from academia into the business world,” said Pramesh Maheshwari, vice president and general manager, Lifecycle Solutions and Service, Honeywell Process Solutions. “We’re delighted to partner once more with Romania’s leading technical institution – the University Politehnica of Bucharest – in this effort. By accruing deep expertise in Honeywell solutions and applying them to real-life scenarios, young people from across the country will be better prepared and equipped to join the industrial sector.”
Mihnea Costoiu, rector of the University Politehnica of Bucharest added, “Our collaboration with Honeywell is already a tradition. As always, our community seeks to have a positive impact on society, and we know that the Industrial Automation Lab we are launching will help students have a far greater success on the labor market. We thank our Honeywell for the openness to invest in education and in the future of young engineers in Romania.”
Through the lab curricula, students can build logic for the ControlEdge devices, load it in the controller and test it within simulated environments. In the process, they can gain a better understanding of the behavior of controllers; learn more about how logic works; get experience connecting equipment such as sensors, transducers, indications, motors and pumps; and build a wide range of demo applications.
Industrial Automation Lab courses will initially be taught by Honeywell engineering experts alongside representatives from the Department of Automation and Computer Science.