Seven students of Mechatronics at Aalen University of Applied Sciences used the last two weekends of September outside of term-time, during non-lecture period, to get to know innovative packaging technologies directly at two highly-respected, well-known partner companies as part of a 14-day block course entitled "Smart Packaging Technologies".
"With this block course, we are deliberately breaking new ground for the second time in order to strengthen the interlocking of study units and complementary practice embedded in everyday industrial life in direct cooperation with our industrial partners, thus making it a focused learning experience and at the same time reducing the pressure to perform during the lecture period," says Dean of Studies, Studies Dean Prof. Dr. Peter Eichinger, explaining the intention of this special Elective Course.
"The students were enthusiastic about the idea of being directly involved in everyday development work at two regional companies for two weeks," reports Professor Dr. Markus Glück. The very first day began with an introductory lecture on the control technology used at Beckhoff Automation's training center in Crailsheim. Important basics of control and feedback control (systems) were repeated and tried out directly on the equipment under the instructions, tutorial of application engineers Fabian Heer and Markus Seckler.
The second partner company, Gerhard Schubert Verpackungstechnik, took over on the third day. The teams were fully integrated into the company's day-to-day operations: safety shoes on and straight to the equipment. Two robots were prepared for the seminar participants. The course leaders Hannes Häusler, Ghazi Chouikh and William Hoole, an alumnus of Aalen Mechatronics, first introduced the robot's control architecture.
The aim was to find the previously learned control technology components, get to know the robot programming and try out the first movement sequences. After brief theoretical introductory lectures on hand-eye calibration, digital) image processing, drive and feedback control (systems), AI methods and arm and tool design, the seminar participants were gradually introduced to their project tasks.
Independent work was now required. The students were given sample objects of various packaging types and began to discuss the necessary gripping functions as a team and derive requirements for the systems. But that wasn't all: on the fourth day of the seminar, the students worked hard on CAD designs, then optimized them in joint exchange rounds and finally produced prototypes using 3D printing.
"The second week of the seminar was all about applied Mechatronics system design," says Professor Dr. Bernhard Höfig, explaining the course concept. The self-developed gripping tools now had to be attached to the robot and integrated into the robot's control environment. Interfaces had to be adapted, control parameters optimized and workpieces identified using camera support.
The latest AI-based methods were used for this. Training data had to be generated and automatically labeled, then the correct function of the models had to be tested. A challenge that the teams mastered very well under the instructions, tutorial of their specialist coaches and impressively demonstrated at the degree in their exam presentations on the equipment.
"This block course was a complete success," was the unanimous conclusion of all participants during the final feedback round. The students were enthusiastic about the practical nature of the department and the learning experience in the technical departments.
Professor Dr. Peter Eichinger was also enthusiastic: "The goals of our project were fully achieved. It is impressive to see the results that can be achieved by working well together and concentrating on one topic while having a lot of fun at the same time". Eichinger thanked the training development engineers from Beckhoff and Schubert for their great commitment and openness to liaise with (companies), liaise between (students and companies), coordinate act as intermediary between.
Janine Gromes from Schubert's HR department deserves extra praise for her successful project coordination on behalf of the host partner companies. Eichinger's conclusion: "This is truly exemplary engineering for a world worth living in, which we were able to get to know here. This calls for a continuation, subsequent follow-up, perhaps even expansion."
