LIMA – The University of Northwestern Ohio was awarded a $15,000 grant from the PPG Foundation designated for additional improvements to the Robotics and Automation Lab located at 1391 N. Cable Road.
This is the third year that UNOH has received a grant from the PPG Foundation. Last year the funds allowed for the development of a fabrication area in the robotics building. Specifically, it aided in the addition of an industrial fabrication course designed to teach students the fundamentals of fabrication by using industrial metalworking equipment such as sheet metal shears and brakes, MIG and TIG welders, saws, grinders, power tools, drill presses, plasma cutters and various other tools.
This year, the funds will be used to purchase a Fanuc Welding Robot. Robotic welding is one of the main uses of industrial robots in industry today. With the addition of the Fanuc welding robot, students at UNOH will gain experience in: fixture setup, welder maintenance, welder setup, wire feeds and speeds, programming welding cycles and more.
This equipment also will allow for the creation of new labs to be used in the following courses: automation mechanical, industrial fabrication, robot integration and the work cell. Students who have experience working with robotic welding cells will be well-prepared to enter the workforce at manufacturing facilities around the country.
Since the start of the robotics and automation program at UNOH in January 2016, the program has educated nearly 700 students and, in that time, there have been more than 200 graduates to date.
To accommodate this growth, the robotics building doubled in size in 2018 with a nearly 8,000 square foot expansion. This expansion project included renovating an existing shop into two more classrooms while the entirety of the new addition was dedicated to lab and shop space. This addition allowed for the instruction of 240 students daily.
PPG’s global community engagement efforts and the PPG Foundation aim to bring color and brightness to PPG communities around the world. The company invested nearly $12 million in 2019, supporting hundreds of organizations across the world; $6.8 million was dedicated to support STEM programs.
By investing in educational opportunities, PPG helps grow today’s skilled workforce and develop tomorrow’s innovators in fields related to coatings and manufacturing. Additionally, PPG empowers employees to multiply their impact for causes that are important to them by supporting their volunteer efforts and charitable giving. To learn more, visit www.ppgcommunities.com.
