Virtual laboratory of pneumatic systems.

Kostal, Peter ; Mudrikova, Andrea ; Velisek, Karol 等

Abstract: Virtual laboratory of pneumatics and electro pneumatics systems will bee used to principle of pneumatics and electro pneumatics circuits design education. This laboratory wills bee equipped by computer technology and most modern simulation and design software if field of pneumatics circuits design.

The students gets new knowledge and experiences about a this type of manufacturing device controlling.

Key words: pneumatics, electro pneumatics, flexible manufacturing, automation

1. INTRODUCTION

The today globalization generate concurrence, in this surround can be successful only the bests.

Rapidly requirements transforming of work marketplace are connect to international integration of several countries and by rapid technological progress. These factors generate press to competence changing of workers.

In connection with the development of new technologies the interconnection of areas that were until now independent areas of techniques, the obsolescence of isolated expertise highlight the topic of so called key competences. The fast changing conditions on the labor market, connected on one hand with developing international integration of countries and on the other hand with the fast technological development, create pressure on the change of competences of employees. Labor becomes an important vehicle of development in today's information society not only on the company level but also on the macroeconomic level.

The graduates of universities create a strong group of potential highly qualified employees. The graduates of economic and technical universities are among those who can be seen as very interesting for the labor market. There might be a connection between the chronic lack of people with technical education who would fulfill the current requirements of labor market. (Belz & Siegrist, 2001)

Key competences represent very important and significant integrating category of educational and pedagogical goals that result from requirements on qualification and conditions for the success of graduates in their professional and extra-professional life. In terms of above mentioned definition their characteristics are as follows:

* subject-independent character,

* interdisciplinary,

* long-term validity,

* ability to improve the adaptability of a person in a changing environment,

* influence on general level of students' education. (Kundratova & Mudrikova, 2005)

2. LABORATORY OF PNEUMATIC SYSTEMS

At our department we have laboratory of pneumatic systems with two stands. This means that capacity of this laboratory is only four students. The students by working in this laboratory obtain new knowledge and skills about a pneumatic and electro pneumatic systems. At several professional subjects are some pneumatic mechanisms for solving of several tasks. Most of these mechanisms are created and presented its functions at this laboratory. Very often occurs that the given mechanism is not connected properly and must be reconnected. This is very time spend activity and can cause the pneumatic elements damage. (Fig. 1)

[FIGURE 1 OMITTED]

In frame of solution the KEGA project: "Virtual laboratory of pneumatic systems" we will solve possibility of obtain and reinforce competencies that are needed by employers from graduates of technical universities.

The aim of project is creating of virtual laboratory of pneumatic and electro pneumatic systems and suitable educate system to support of key competencies and experiences graduates of technical education. This system will show the strong and weak part of its preparation to praxis. In this paper are present the aims and expected assets. (Velisek et al.,2007)

2.1 Virtual laboratory

The newly build virtual laboratory of pneumatic systems will be use to principles of pneumatics education. By pneumatic and electro pneumatic systems can create several systems for for controlling and simulation of real industrial systems. By building of this laboratory we want improve the quality and attractively of study in several subjective. Students after complete of education at this laboratory will obtain professional competencies and needed skills and experiences to design of pneumatic and electro pneumatic systems. By these new experiences will significant increase its value for its future employers.

Students in virtual laboratory will be can create pneumatic or electro pneumatic model of control system for given device and simulate its functions. By using of this laboratory the students give possibilities to realize several projects form several studying subjective in frame which are used some pneumatic or electro pneumatic control systems. The students will be ready to practical task solving by this type of systems.

10 today standard PC's as a workstations and one server will equip this virtual laboratory. This server will provide workstations connection to internet and license management for licensed software. This laboratory will be also equipped by data projector to enable a modern type of education (by using a presentations, animations and others).

[FIGURE 2 OMITTED]

2.2 Manuals and studying literature

In this project will be prepared and published large sets of samples and manuals to create a several useful schemes of control systems by internet. These schemes begin by very simply and go to more complex. All of them will has detailed descriptions about its functions. (Fig. 2)

These manuals will use as supplement studying literature for all internal and external students by technology orientation study. These manuals significantly relive learn a new knowledge and skills at design of pneumatic and electro pneumatic devices for industry. The experiences by this type of education will be used to other modern form of education--e-learning too. (Mudrikova 2006)

2.3 Advantages of virtual laboratory

At real laboratory will be realized only correct schemes, which was tested by simulation at virtual laboratory. This means that increase efficiency of laboratory learning, because the mistaken schemes are not realized.

The students will have more time to practice because the most time expensive part of practice (physical realization of connections) will be reduced only to correct connections. The computer experiences of educated students will be increase because the students will works by modern design and simulation software installed at laboratory.

We expect a follow advantages:

* higher quality of education,

* more attractive education for students,

* higher efficiency of education,

* students gets more experiences and skills about a pneumatic and electro pneumatic systems,

* decreasing of operating costs to laboratory,

* the students will be working remotely at virtual laboratory by internet (last phase of this project).

3. CONCLUSION

Institutions of university education must educate students in such a way that they would be well informed and motivated citizens who can think in a critical and creative manner, to analyze and find solutions for problems to apply and accept social responsibility.

In order to reach these aims it is needed to revise the curriculum and use such methods and forms of educations that enable to go beyond the frame of cognitive managing of science disciplines and professions, i.e. to develop key competences of students. They become significantly important not only for their personal life, but also from the point of view of life-long education and enhancement of employability of technical university graduates. The highest requirements are on graduates of universities, not only in the field of professional competencies but also in the wide range of key competencies. The most preferable competences are requirements on ability to solve problems, make decisions and to be responsible. Furthermore sophisticated written and oral communication skills, ability to work in a team, and the ability to be a team-leader are required. The finding that employers during recruitment prefer practical experience gained during the studies, preferably working for the potential employer, should not be ignored.

The most frequent requirements on abilities on future employees--engineers:

1. creativity

2. knowledge of foreign languages

3. independence

4. work on computer

5. responsibility

6. flexibility

7. knowledge of the latest trends in the given specialization

8. ability and willingness to continue their education

9. ability to communicate

10. decent and sophisticated behavior

All of listed requirements to future employees will be developed at this laboratory.

This virtual laboratory are used to learning of principles in field of pneumatics and electro pneumatics. These types of control systems are very often at industry. Knowledge about this type of control systems are needed by huge range of employers mainly by international corporations (PSA, KIA, Volkswagen,). At last phase of building will be enable access to this laboratory by internet, because we want than students can working at this laboratory not only on practice, but every time when he need solve some tasks about a pneumatic or electro pneumatic.

Our institutes by learning at this laboratory want increase competitiveness of our students at labor market and his attractively for its future employers.

The obtained experiences from building and operate of this laboratory will be applied to other modern remote learning type: e-learning.

All of manuals created in this project will be published by internet, so all of our students can access to its.

This paper was created thanks to the national grants KEGA 3/5211/07--Building of virtual laboratory of pneumatic systems

4. REFERENCES

Belz, H., Siegrist, M. (2001) Klicove kompetence a jejich rozvijeni. (Key competencies and its building) Praha: Portal, 2001. ISBN 80-7178-479-6.

Kundratova, M.; Mudrikova, A. (2005) Survey of employers requirements on key competences of graduates of technical universities. pp. 665-670, ISBN 80-227-2286-3, Proceedings of: CO-MAT-TECH 2005, Trnava, Slovak Republic, 20-21 October 2005, Bratislava, STU v Bratislave, 2005.

Mudrikova, A. (2006) Celozivotne vzdelavanie ako jedna z podmienok profesnej uspesnosti inziniera--technika. Proceedings of SCHOLA 2006. 7. medzinarodna vedecka konferencia KIPP: Kvalita vychovy a vzdelavania.--Bratislava: STU v Bratislave, 2006.--ISBN 80-227-2389-4.--S. 274-279

Velisek, K.; Kostal, P. & Javorova, A.(2005) Flexible assembly cell. Proceding of 4th International conference ICAMaT 2005, Editor: C. Doicin, pp.479-482, ISBN 973-27-1254-6, 3.--4. november, 2005, Bucharest, Romania, The Publishing House of Romanian Academy

Velisek K.; Kostal, P. & Mudrikova, A. (2007). Tvorba a budovanie virtualneho laboratoria pneumatickych a elektropneumatickych systemov riadenia, (Building of virtual laboratory of pneumatic systems) Projekt KEGA.2007