Introduction:
Considering the need of the time most of the state of the art industries in the world have changed from pure mechanical, manufacturing or process controlled to the ones where the processes are more of electromechanical, fully automated and mostly controlled by computers. To achieve the quality products even the most simple production lines and production processes in the industries have a blend of computers in them. It has become the requirement for people working on such processes and production lines to have knowledge of all the related systems.
The college of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering, realizing this disparity between the concurrent industrial requirements and the knowledge imparted to the university graduates who are looking forward to join the system as practical engineers ventured into introducing Mechatronics Engineering from September 1998 at the undergraduate level.
Following text gives an overall view of Mechatronics and its inception as a hardcore engineering curriculum at this college. The text is covered under the following sequence.
What is Mechatronics?
Need for Mechatronics in Pakistan
Response of Industries in Pakistan
Response of General Public
Mechatronics related facilities at the EME College
Need for Mechatronics in Pakistan
Response of Industries in Pakistan
Response of General Public
Mechatronics related facilities at the EME College
What is Mechatronics?
Mechatronics is a relatively new engineering discipline. Originating from Japan, the field of Mechatronics deals with the integration of Mechanical and Electronics with intensive computer integration. More specifically, it refers to a multidisciplinary approach to product and manufacturing system design. It relates to the design of systems, devices and products aimed at achieving an optimal balance between basic mechanical structure and its overall control. Mechatronics represents state-of-the-art machinery, robots and smart mechanisms for manufacturing systems or operational environments. Mechatronics as a new engineering discipline has found widespread acceptance in the western world and Australia. The study of Mechatronics requires, in addition to basic mechanical engineering subjects, a blend of the following modules:
- Computers Hardware and Software,
- Microprocessor based design,
- Control Engineering,
- Industrial Electronics and fundamentals of industrial controls,
- Robotics and Factory Automation,
and many such sub modules requiring the knowledge of computer hardware and software in integration and control of the physical world systems.
Need for Mechatronics in Pakistan
In the last few decades, most of the modern state-of-the-art industries in the world have changed very rapidly from a pure Mechanical or Electro-mechanical to the type of industries where the process is either partly or fully controlled by computers, micro-processors or programmable logic controllers (PLCs). Solid-state digital electronics devices are rapidly replacing the relay or cam-operated mechanisms in producer or consumer goods. Even the most simple production processes and production lines contain some sort of logic controllers or a blend of computer in them. The industry requires that the people working on those process and production lines must have knowledge of all the related systems. The College of EME realizing this disparity between industrial requirements and knowledge acquired by the graduate engineers who are looking forward to join this stream started Mechatronics Engineering at undergraduate level. Soon after this with in a span of about two years three renowned institutions in Pakistan have started the Mechatroncis Engineering in the undergraduate and post graduate level.
Response of Industries in Pakistan
The College of EME has conducted a survey to determine the response of industries about the new discipline (Mechatronics) introduced by the College. It was very exciting and pleasing to know that the Industries in Pakistan fully support the new idea and are anxiously waiting for the qualified Mechatronics engineers. A more comprehensive effort will be taken up with the public sector industries to set aside vacancies for Mechatronics Engineers where their job specification requires an understanding of Computers and Control along with a good understanding of Mechanical Design. Pakistan Army have already decided to enroll Army cadets in this discipline. In the degree course of year 2001, Army has inducted 12 of their cadets in Mechatronics.
Response of General Public
In the beginning the students and their parents were a little skeptical mere by the buzzword Mechatronics. Once they knew about the details of the curriculum, they were also excited and happy to opt for this discipline. Overall response of the general public about Mechatronics Department at the college of EME is very encouraging. This year the choice to join Mechatronics is third in standing, out of six engineering disciplines advertised by NUST.
Mechatroncis Related Facilities at EME College
The College is in a continuous process of updating its facilities to keep abreast of the future challenges in the area of training its manpower. The foremost requirement of the training is to have modern equipment and laboratory facilities. Today all the departments of the College are interlinked via Local Area Network (LAN). Most computer terminals also have access to the Internet. The College has well equipped Electronic Laboratories, Mechatronics Laboratories, (established over the period of three years), Material Laboratory, Control Laboratory, Image Processing Laboratory, Microwave Research Laboratory, Electrical Machines Laboratory and other essential laboratories that provide a strong support to Mechatronics department. The exclusive computer laboratories of the College are shared by all the departments. The details of the existing and proposed laboratories exclusive for the department of Mechatronics are mentioned in subsequent pages.