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Smart manufacturing and engineering education: strategic partnership

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  • Smart manufacturing and engineering education: strategic partnership

Under the agreement, Purdue will join the Rittal + Eplan Partner Network as a research partner, focusing on developing and strengthening smart manufacturing education and equipping students with the skills needed for the next industrial revolution.

Purdue will open two dedicated labs on its campus: an Eplan Electrical Engineering Technology Projects Lab and a Rittal Automation Systems Lab, where students can conduct studies and gain practical experience in data-driven processes in plant engineering, wire assembly, and wiring. The collaboration will provide Purdue students and faculty with unparalleled access to an integrated ecosystem of hardware and software at the forefront of automation and fabrication sectors.

Mutual benefits for the partnership

The comprehensive partnership also includes plans for scholarships, internships, and joint research and development initiatives, with potential engagement extending to the Purdue Polytechnic High School network. The cooperation will include a substantial number of Eplan software licenses for students as well as further investments by Rittal and Eplan.

Smart manufacturing

Signing of the partnership agreement in Chicago: (front row) Dr Daniel Castro (centre), Dean of Purdue Polytechnic, Sebastian Seitz (left), CEO of Eplan, and Jochen Trautmann (right), CEO Rittal Automation Systems. (photo: Rittal)

“Purdue Polytechnic has always sought to prepare new generations for tech-driven industries, and this partnership is the perfect embodiment of that mission,” said Daniel Castro, Purdue Polytechnic dean. “By integrating world-class solutions from Rittal and Eplan into our curriculum, we are going beyond theory. Students will develop the hands-on skills and technological fluency needed to lead.”

The partnership has a mutually beneficial design. It will create a direct pipeline of skilled talent for industry while providing students with critical exposure to technologies used by leading companies everywhere. Purdue students will gain hands-on experience with the Eplan Platform for electrical engineering design and the related data-driven approach with automation systems and system enclosures from Rittal, ensuring that future leaders in these sectors are industry ready, day one.

For Rittal and Eplan, the partnership represents a significant investment in the future of the U.S. workforce and an opportunity to collaborate on innovative research. As part of the Friedhelm Loh Group, the companies have a long tradition of engaging with science and education in Europe and are excited to extend this model to the United States.

“Purdue Polytechnic’s tradition of preparing their students for immediate industry impact makes them the perfect match,” said Sebastian Seitz, CEO of Eplan. “Purdue will continue to build on its excellent reputation through cooperation with industrial top players, while Rittal and Eplan look forward to smart impulses from cutting-edge research and education. Purdue students will be the engineers who bring advanced concepts to the U.S. economy, applying their knowledge to drive the next wave of industrial innovation. We are proud to invest in the talent that will move the world forward.”

“The U.S. economy has a great opportunity for growth,” Seitz said. “A deep understanding of data-driven automation with high-quality data right from the start is the key to unlocking this growth especially in an era of skilled labor shortages. That domain knowledge forms the basis for the next level: real-life value creation with industrial AI. This partnership is about laying that foundation.”

The collaboration is already yielding tangible opportunities for students. Purdue students developed a capstone project that was presented last fall in the innovation area of the Rockwell Automation Fair. Rittal and Eplan sponsored the project and also invited more than 100 Purdue students to the internationally relevant event to provide them with invaluable networking opportunities with industry executives. Further strengthening the partnership, executives from Rittal and Eplan will join the Purdue Polytechnic Dean’s Advisory Council.

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