ABB Robotics training lab to open at the Indiana Center for Applied Technology,Vincennes University

Oct. 5, 2010 - PRLog -- AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (October 4, 2010) – ABB Robotics and Vincennes University (VU) will host an Open House on October 27th, 2010 to celebrate the grand opening of the ABB Robotics training lab at VU’s $9 million industrial training facility, the Indiana Center for Applied Technology (ICAT). The event will be the official opening of the training lab, a partnership formed between ABB and VU in the fall of 2009 to greatly enhance VU’s vocational and technical robotic training, and provide ABB with an authorized training facility in the central Midwest.

The Open House is from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. EDT, and will include a short presentation, robotic demonstrations and tours of the ICAT, which is also home to the Haas Technical Education Center. The event is open to all parties interested in learning more about VU and its industrial robotic and advanced manufacturing training. The ICAT opened in March 2009 and is considered one of the top workforce development and college level manufacturing training centers in the United States.

The ABB Robotics training lab features 29 ABB robots and related work cells, software and controllers, and will allow students to gain training in applications that include robotic welding and plasma cutting; picking, packing and palletizing; machine tending, material handling and product assembly; and advanced vision related programming. The first training class in the new lab is “IRC5 Basic Programming (US420)”, an introductory robotic programming course beginning at 9:00 a.m. on November 8th and concluding at noon on Friday, November 12th. It is currently open for registration.

“Industry and education must work together to provide the best trained and most skilled workforce to reach the next level of productivity and profitability in advanced manufacturing
companies,” said Mike Richards, VU director of business and industry training. “Industrial robots are now being installed in a wide range of industries and the demand for robotic training has never been higher. The partnership between ABB and VU is one of the best I have seen.”

VU offers a two-year associate degree in Computer Integrated Manufacturing & Robotics, and a series of robotic training courses in its Workforce Development program. “The new robotics lab will offer robotic programming at the introductory and advanced levels, and is open to qualified VU degree students, incumbent workers and others seeking to increase their skills,” added Richards.

“The ABB Robotics training lab at Vincennes is truly a collaborative effort, the result of great vision and very thorough planning on the part of both the school and ABB,” said Joe Campbell, vice president of the ABB Robot Products Group in the United States. “It will provide the best available robotic training in Indiana and the Midwest, and it gives us an ideal model for establishing similar relationships in other regions.”

For more information on VU programs and the Open House please contact Pama Limbach at 812-888-4309 or visit www.vinu.edu/businessandindustry .

About Vincennes University - Indiana’s First College
VU is state-supported with campuses in Vincennes and Jasper and additional sites such as the Indianapolis International Airport. VU also offers instruction at military sites throughout the nation. In addition to offering 200 associate degree and certificate programs, VU also offers bachelor’s degree programs in technology, homeland security, nursing, and secondary education programs in mathematics, science, and special education. VU enrolls students from throughout Indiana, 26 other states, and 37 foreign countries. Tuition and fees are the lowest among Indiana campuses with residence halls. VU is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

Founded in 1801, VU is Indiana’s first college and is the only college in the nation founded by an individual who would later become President of the United States. William Henry Harrison,the ninth U.S. President, founded VU while serving as governor of the Indiana Territory. More information is available at www.vinu.edu.

# # #

About ABB
ABB (www.abb.com) is a leader in power and automation technologies that enable utility and industry customers to improve their performance while lowering environmental impact. The ABB Group of companies operates in around 100 countries and employs about 117,000 people.

About ABB Robotics
ABB Robotics (www.abb.com/robotics) is a leading supplier of industrial robots - also providing robot software, peripheral equipment, modular manufacturing cells and service for tasks such as welding, handling, assembly, painting and finishing, picking, packing, palletizing and machine tending. Key markets include automotive, plastics, metal fabrication, foundry, electronics, pharmaceutical and food and beverage industries. A strong customer focus helps manufacturers improve productivity, product quality and worker safety. ABB has installed more than 175,000 robots worldwide.