The Electronics Technology department at Kishwaukee College is hosting an Open House on April 20 for local business and industry, current and prospective students, and community members to tour the upgraded ELE labs and see demonstrations of the newest equipment, including Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) that are used extensively in manufacturing. Pictured is Charles Raimondi, the ELE instructor who will be giving tours of the facilities.
The Kishwaukee College Electronics Technology Program will be hosting an Open House for local business/industry and future/current students on April 20 from 2 – 6:00p.m. in Room A1425 at the College. Open House attendees should park in Lot A/South Lot and enter through Door 23.
Charles Raimondi, Electronics faculty, will be on hand to give tours of the lab/shop facilities and demonstrate the equipment. There will also be an opportunity for attendees to operate the lab Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs). Light refreshments will be provided. Raimondi said, “The Open House is for local, regional and future/current students to obtain information and to see the new PLC systems as well as the other trainers we have in the ELE Department. They can ask questions, obtain course material for the fall and tryout some of the trainers. It is also a great opportunity for local industry to see the training facilities we have on site.”
PLCs are the “heartbeat” of modern manufacturing. Raimondi explained, “Today’s PLC system incorporate all systems into one package. This package includes safety, PLC I/O, Motion and Vision. PLC systems control, monitor and can send data in real-time. Therefore, local and regional manufactures are in need of students to build, maintain and troubleshoot the complex systems.”
The new PLCs in the ELE lab on campus are the latest in a series of upgrades to the facility for students interested in industrial electronics. He stated, “These upgrades could not have been accomplished without the feedback and effort of local and regional business partners. We have partnered with Omorn Automation America and Fluid Power Engineering, which has been instrumental in providing knowledge and expertise in setting up the PLC systems. The Motor Control trainers have been modified to provide an updated and realistic approach to what students will use in industry.” Raimondi added, “Any person who is working towards a maintenance career field or is currently in the maintenance career field needs to have updated skills. Current workers who are working in industry have two options in order to take the course. They can take the full 16-week course or their company can work with Kishwaukee College to customize training.”
In addition to the updated curriculum and facilities. Raimondi has expanded the times when the courses are available. “In order to provide a full spectrum of opportunities for current and future maintenance technicians and possible engineers, we wanted to open-up a morning session for those students who are working second and third shift as well as for our high school students,” Raimondi explained.
After the Open House, the ELE Advisory Committee will be meeting at 6:00p.m. The Advisory Committee is composed of area manufacturing and electronics professionals who review and discuss curriculum and facilities to ensure that the certificates and degrees offered more fully meet the needs of local business and industry. Raimondi invites any interested industry representatives to sit in with the Advisory Committee that evening.
Raimondi added, “I really wanted to thank the community, Kishwaukee College Administration and our students for their help in setting up and providing valuable feedback in order to make this possible. We are excited about our new equipment and facilities.”
For more information on the Electronics Open House at Kishwaukee College, contact Charles Raimondi at 815-825- 9389 or at charles.raimondi@kishwaukeecollege.edu.
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