Building of a production system program control laboratory.

Mudrikova, Andrea ; Kostal, Peter ; Matusova, Miriam 等

1. INTRODUCTION

Within the grant project KEGA being solved in the Institute of Production Systems and Applied Mechanics, STU Bratislava, in years 2009-2011, we endeavor to acquire and improve abilities and skills which employers expect graduates of technical universities to have in present circumstances.

Intent of this project is to create a laboratory for program control of production systems and a suitable teaching system supporting key and occupational competences, abilities and skills of technical university students which at the same time would reveal strongpoint's and weak spots of their preparation for practice. In this paper we wish to present targets of this grant mission and its expected merit.

2. PUBLIC NEED TO BUILD UP A PRODUCTION

SYSTEM CONTROL LABORATORY

In present social, political and economic circumstances globalization creates competitive environment where only the best individuals can be successful.

Fast-paced labor market conditions connected with progressing globalization on one hand and fast technical development on the other hand create stress on the change of competences of employees. Labour power becomes a significant development factor in the information society of nowadays. A strong group of potential high-qualified employees consists just of university graduates, among them especially graduates of economical and technical universities the interest in whom on the labour market is growing. Surveys of employers' needs and students' opinions on academically preparation indicate a small relationship between curriculum, teaching and needs of practice; they indicate a need for development of some competences that means abilities and skills of students. Key and occupational competences represent a significant and important integrating category of educational and pedagogical objectives resulting from qualification requirements and conditions of practice (Kazlova, A., 2005)

An important requirement of potential employers is a "proper" ratio between occupational competences (a high level of occupational knowledge and overview of contemporary trends in the branch) and key competences.

Key competences are understood as a complex of universal abilities exceeding the scope of specific occupational knowledge and abilities. They express ability of a person to behave adequately. Expert knowledge is of course inevitable and key competences support their better exploitation in practice. However, as (Caganova, D. & Simurdova, L. ,2008) emphasize "All key competences are regarded as equally important, due to the fact, each of them can contribute to successful life in knowledge society".

* Occupational competences which warrant a good managing of work problems

* Key competences as widely utilizable abilities e.g. to make decisions, solve problems, work in teams, communicate in foreign language, learn and work with information, ...

The present economic situation of Slovakia and Europe requires making experts of our students also in the area of production system control.

At present various types of PLCs or industrial PCs are applied as control units in production system control, controlling various power- operated actuators by relays. These actuators are usually pneumatic, hydraulic (most often direct but can be also rotary), or electric (steppers or servomotors). (Kostal, P. & Velisek, K., 2004).

By teaching in such a laboratory we try to increase competitiveness of our graduates on the present labour market in the SR and within globalization also on European labour markets.

This objective however means an important and responsible task for us, pedagogues including complex preparation of graduates of technical universities for practice and life.

3. PROJECT OBJECTIVES AND LABORATORY IMPLEMENTATION

Intention of the project is to build up a laboratory for program control of production systems. This laboratory will serve the purpose of teaching principles of designing, working, operating and maintenance of various production systems and control system operation simulation. Building up such a laboratory we pursue teaching improvement and attractiveness in several study subjects of "Production facilities and systems" (Automation and mechanization, Theory of automatons, Theory of systems, Operation of production systems, Programming of manufacturing and handling devices, and others). Students who will be taught in this laboratory can gain necessary skills and will know methodology of designing and controlling production systems of various control type and level. (Mudrikova, A. & Charbulova, M. 2008)

By the above mentioned laboratory we also respond to ever-increasing requirements of the European labour market as well as to fast developing industry in Slovakia (especially automotive and electrotechnical). We expect increase of interest in our graduates as a result of their increased value on the labour market. We try to adapt our teaching process to needs of future employers of our graduates. Working in this laboratory will significantly increase key and occupational competences of our students:

* team work,

* team management,

* ability of individual work,

* crisis situation solving,

* communication,

* working with various technical equipment,

* acquisition of creative technical work methodology,

* work results presentation

We try to introduce object teaching, development of cognitive operations (knowledge, abilities, skills and habits, i.e. development of key and occupational competences), and at the same time to reach link with the practice. All this we want to achieve by working in the laboratory where students can design and simulate operation of various production devices and control systems. For this purpose there will be a software installed in the laboratory computer network by the help of which various elements of real production systems used in the industry and their controls (PLCs, steppers, various sensor types, ...) can be operated. At the same time students can obtain an opportunity to develop specifications and projects of various areas in our study program. Getting this under control they will support their specialization.

The project includes preparation of all study materials related to teaching in the mentioned laboratory and then published on Internet serving thus as supplementary study literature for internal and distance students in our university. In this manner these study materials can support the distance teaching. Prepared study materials will be free available also for interested persons out of our university for noncommercial applications. (Mudrikova, A. & Charbulova, M. 2008)

Experience in building up such a teaching method will be implemented in the distance teaching system by means of e-learning.

The laboratory capacity is planned for the standard number of students that means 12 working stations (what means 6 panels).

4. E-LEARNING

If we look at e-learning as at efficient utilization of information technologies in educational process then it actually means new opportunities that can be used in education.

E-learning is a solution designed for education, however education conceived in full context. It is not limited to education of students only but is in a broad sense a method of information sharing and passing within lifelong education that is a necessity especially for technicians. (Kundratova, M.& Mudrikova, A. 2005)

In contrast to classical information systems dealing especially with information sharing and a possibility to find information necessary in proper time; e-learning lays a big stress on method of representation. Nowadays it is not enough only to acquire a correct information in due time but it also is necessary to understand it fully and see it in context. And just e-learning supports these abilities.

E-education as a progressive teaching form opens many new opportunities. This form can be used in all formal education grades and also in lifelong education

5. EXPECTED CONTRIBUTION

Expected contribution of this project:

* Quality improvement of the teaching process

* Higher attractiveness of the teaching process for students

* Higher efficiency of the teaching process for students due to object teaching

* Students will learn and improve their technical knowledge, skills and abilities

* Teaching process in this laboratory includes concurrently several teaching subjects of study programs accredited in our Institute.

* Increased competitiveness of our graduates on the labour market in Slovakia and Europe

* Utilization of tools, instruments and equipment repesenting today's industry standard.

* Students will become familiar and work with real industrial elements,

* Visualization and promotion of technical study in our university and faculty.

(Mudrikova, A. Charbulova, Kostal, P. Velisek, K. 2007)

6. CONCLUSION

Systems and their operation taught in the laboratory often exist also in real industrial conditions. Knowledge and experience in those systems are highly appreciated and demanded by many employers especially big international machinery corporations (PSA, KIA, Volkswagen, and others).

Institute of Production Systems and Applied Mechanics can increase competitiveness of graduates of our university on the labour market thanks to education in such a laboratory.

Experience gained by construction and operation of the virtual laboratory will also be used in other projects and help establish a new, modern teaching method via e-learning.

7. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

This paper was created thanks to the national grant KEGA 3/7131/09--Laboratory of production system program control

8. REFERENCES

Caganova, D. & Simurdova, L.(2008) Komunikacia v materinskom a cudzom jazyku ako sucast celozivotneho vzdelavania. Communication in mother tongue and foreign langue as a part of lifelong learning. Proceedings of: Vedecke prace MtF STU v Bratislave so sidlom v Trnave.--ISSN 1336-1589.--C. 24 (2008), p. 15-22

Kazlova, A. (2005) Pracovni trh: Zamestnavatele se pretahuji o talentovane absolventy. Hospodarske noviny-HN Kariera business, 4.4.2005, c.065,str.01.

Kostal, P. & Velisek, K. (2004). Flexible assembly systems, Proceedings of Comatech 2004 ,pp. 201- 206, ISBN 83-920972-4-6, Protection of Mechanical Systems in the Mining Industry Against the impact of high Energy conference location, October 2004, ZINT, Ustron

Kundratova, M.& Mudrikova, A. (2005) Survey of employers' requirements on key competences of graduates of technical universities Proceedings of: CO-MAT-TECH 2005. 13. medzinarodna vedecka konerencia (Trnava, 20.-21.10.2005). --Bratislava : STU v Bratislave, 2005

Mudrikova, A. & Charbulova, M. (2008) Virtual laboratory for pneumatic and electropneumatic as a tool for increasing efficiency of teaching technical academic fields. Proceedings of AMO 2008 : 8th international conference on advanced manufacturing operations. Bulgaria, Kranevo, 18-20 June 2008.--Sofia : DMT Product, 2008.--S. 115-118

Mudrikova, A. Charbulova, Kostal, P. Velisek, K. (2007) Virtual laboratory of pneumatics. Proceedings of 25 jubilejna naucna konferencija s mezdunarodno ucastie MTF 2007. : Sbornik dokladi. Tom II.--Sozopol, 14.-16. 9. 2007.--Sofia : Techniceskij universitet, 2007.--ISBN 978-954-438-624-5. --10-15, Tom 1