Students of Electrical Engineering and Mechatronics at Avans University of Applied Sciences in Breda have spent the past year developing and realising a new IAS Smart Factory for IAS Industrial Automation from Zundert. The assignment was to devise a miniature concept for a realistic process that was to be equipped with new Industry 4.0 technologies, such as Profinet and IO-Link. On Friday 29 June, the students presented the result during the Grand Final at Avans University of Applied Sciences.
Partnership Avans and IAS
IAS and Avans University of Applied Sciences in Breda have worked together in various fields for many years. This includes making traineeships and graduation places available, as well as supporting the courses during open days and guest lectures. The idea for the new IAS Smart Factory also began as a traineeship assignment: one Mechatronics student and one Electrical Engineering student were asked to devise and design the mechanical and electrical engineering concept for this Smart Factory. Once this was completed, the students of the Industrial Automation specialism were given the opportunity to design and realise the software for the new system at IAS.
New technologies in the IAS Smart Factory
The IAS Smart Factory demonstrates the process of a water purification plant, complete with a working screening system. Most elements of the Smart Factory were 3D printed by the 3D Pro Group from Zundert. The water purification plant is fitted with an IO-Link Master from Turck, which is connected to smart IO-Link sensors from Turck. Via Profinet, the IO-Link Master is subsequently connected to a System 800xA AC800M PLC from ABB.
