Press release submitted on behalf of Wittmann.
Wittmann USA is furthering the future manufacturing workforce by providing an Industry 4.0 work cell to the Penn State Behrend School of Engineering’s plastic lab.
The equipment is on loan to be used primarily in the school‘s undergraduate Plastics Engineering Technology (PLET) program by about two dozen students.
It will be used extensively in the courses PLET 222, Introduction to Plastics Processing, and PLET 327, Plastics Processes and Statistical Methods, both of which are primarily injection molding courses. It will also likely be integrated into PLET 323, Plastics Packaging, as automation is being added into that class. The equipment might also be used in senior research projects and technical electives.
The work cell features:
- SmartPower 90 servo-hydraulic injection molding machine
- W908 robot with R9 control
- Tempro plus D250M Dual Zone temperature controller
- Gravimax G14 M primus blender and S3net loaders.
The Wittmann cell was on full display during the school’s Innovation and Emerging Plastics Technologies Conference June 11-12 at the campus’s Burke Center. The equipment will be used in industry workshops run through the school’s Plastics Training Academy.
“Hands-on experience on state-of-the art machinery is invaluable in shaping future industry leaders, and we’re excited to see how students use this technology to innovate and grow,” explained Wittmann USA President Sonny Morneault.
“This consignment is an important addition to our world-class plastics processing lab,“ added Plastics Training Academy director Brad Johnson. ”This work cell greatly enhances our injection molding automation capabilities for teaching, both in our Plastics Engineering Technology undergraduate courses and our Plastics Training Academy workforce-building endeavors. Contributions like this from OEMs as important as Wittmann are what make our program possible.”
About WITTMANN
With headquarters in Vienna, Austria, WITTMANN is a global company with 7 production facilities, 31 subsidiaries, and 24 agencies in 52 countries. WITTMANN is the only manufacturer offering plastic processors worldwide a complete range of innovative robot automation and injection molding machine technology, along with auxiliary equipment for material conveying, blending, drying, granulating, heating and cooling, for individual work cells to fully integrated project managed system solutions from one manufacturer. Their worldwide sales and service network provides unmatched local service and support.