Vincennes marks opening of high tech labs
Subscriber Benefit
As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe Now
Vincennes University has opened three new high technology labs in the College of Technology Center that the school says will prepare students for careers of the future. VU says it invested nearly $5 million, but also received grants from private employers to create the labs.
The school says the cutting-edge laboratories give students access to the latest technologies, including collaborative robots (cobots), CNC machining, and 3D printing.
“Vincennes University is delighted to have three new centers that will create more opportunities for students and will help support the needs Hoosier employers have for skilled talent,” said VU President Chuck Johnson. “These three centers will enhance the educational experiences of many students that will have a significant positive impact on VU, the State of Indiana, and across the nation for decades to come.”
VU says the Center for Applied Robotics and Automation was made possible from an $8 million grant from Indianapolis-based Lilly Endowment Inc. It also partnered with Carmel-based Telamon Robotics to create the 4,000-square-foof facility that includes 12 cobots.
Cobots are smaller robotic devices that work alongside people in a shared space. The machines are usually responsible for repetitive tasks.
VU also has cobot labs at its campus in Jasper and at a training center in Lebanon.
The university says Indianapolis-based Hurco Companies partnered with the school to create a 2,300-square-foot CNC machining technology center. The center features 17 new CNC mills and lathes.
VU says its 2,900-square-food 3D printing center offers a variety of printers that can create items from filament, resin and metal.
“The lab spaces are in place because of the needs of our industry partners,” said VU College of Technology Dean Ty Freed. “Indiana is a huge manufacturing state. When you talk about all 50 states, Indiana is really a power player in manufacturing.”