By Daniel Wilson

October 04, 2024

Sacramento State Mechanical Engineering students have a new way to experience hands-on learning.

A recent equipment donation by Bosch Rexroth, an international engineering firm that specializes in factory automation, industrial and mobile hydraulics, and electronics, will better prepare College of Engineering and Computer Science (ECS) graduates for career success.

The donation is of industrial computer training station kits that are a type of programmable logic controller (PLC) used in conjunction with Rexroth’s CtrlX computer software or other systems to program and control manufacturing processes such as assembly line conveyor belts, robotic arms and devices, or a variety of machinery requiring rugged and robust processors.

“For example, if it's a thermostat, it will read the temperature from your thermocouple, figure out, yes, it's too cold, no, it's too hot, and then appropriately send out a correction command,” said Ray Tang, assistant professor of Mechanical Engineering. “Then that output would go to something else, turn on the heater or turn on the air conditioning, to maintain the temperature.”

Tang, who has worked to update the University’s robotics lab, said students are used to working with hobbyist equipment, such as Arduino and Raspberry Pi, which is similar to industrial equipment but less powerful.

“Our students should know what an industrial (computer) looks like and how to program them, so I told Rexroth if you can help me get some of these in the classroom, I will get the students ready for the market,” he said.

Tang said industry partners have emphasized the need for graduates to enter the job market with experience working on this type of machinery – how to troubleshoot as well as use it.

“We have to find ways to collaborate with industry and have them donate equipment like this to help us. Our departments typically have hands-on labs, and so it can’t be a hands-on lab without the equipment.” -- Milica Markovic, Electrical Engineering department chair

The equipment donation aligns with the college’s efforts to offer students more ways to learn outside of a textbook, also benefiting potential employers by training graduates who better understand these technologies, reducing turnover and creating competitive job candidates.

“They just want us, for example, to start showing in our curriculum we are teaching what the industry standard is,” Tang said. “We're using hardware that is now being purchased by everyone, and so our students will have this knowledge. It's kind of a win-win for them.”

In addition to benefiting Mechanical Engineering students, the equipment will provide opportunities for the college to offer multidisciplinary classes, certificates, summer programs for K-12 and community college students, and, potentially, new degree programs, Mechanical Engineering department Chair Troy Topping said.

“They call it a training station, but it's not just a training station,” Topping said. “It's equipment that's used in industry. It can be taught from high school to two-year degree, four-year degree, and master's level (students). It's useful in all levels.”

The equipment, which is electronic and utilizes computer software, can provide hands-on learning opportunities to Electrical and Electronic Engineering and Computer Science students, said Rohollah Moghadam, assistant professor of Electrical Engineering.

“The great thing about this equipment is that it's up to date with cutting-edge technology,” Moghadam said.

Rising equipment cost and tighter state budgets have challenged ECS in recent years. One remedy to those constraints has been working with industry entities, which is why donations such as Bosch Rexroth’s are so important, said Electrical Engineering Chair Milica Markovic.

“We have to find ways to collaborate with industry and have them donate equipment like this to help us,” she said. “Our departments typically have hands-on labs, and so it can’t be a hands-on lab without the equipment.”

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The partnership between Rexroth and Sac State came about when Mechanical Engineering student Andres Salazar, who is an intern at Rexroth’s Pleasanton office, was asked to help coordinate a collaboration.

“It's a win-win in the sense that the University needs instrumentation in order to be able to be competitive, teaching what the industry needs, but the industry also needs people to be coming out of college ready to be a valuable asset to companies,” Salazar said.

The partnership makes sense on multiple levels, said Dave Hull, Bosch Rexroth regional vice president, as the company looks to create opportunities and engage students preparing to enter the workforce.

“This is an opportunity to help shape well-rounded graduates and ensure that companies can help cultivate a future talent pool that has experience on the latest technology on the market,” Hull said.

For ways to support the College of Engineering and Computer Science, please contact Thomas Whitcher.