Software donation benefits Penn College automation students

Automation students at Pennsylvania College of Technology are benefiting from a partnership with a leading innovator in the industrial software market.

Inductive Automation has provided multiple licenses of its Ignition software for use at the college. Ignition is a platform for quickly building and developing industrial applications, including SCADA, HMI and IIoT. The value of the donation is over $750,000.

“Ignition is the world’s fastest growing automation platform,” said Jeff L. Rankinen, associate professor of electronics and computer engineering technology. “We continue to teach traditional automation systems, but now we can teach an additional option that may offer the best solution to a particular automation problem.”

Penn College offers three majors focused on automation: bachelor’s degrees in automation engineering technology: robotics & automation and automation engineering technology: mechatronics, and an associate degree in electronics & computer engineering technology: robotics & automation emphasis. Students in those programs will be the primary users of the software.

“The purpose of the Ignition software is to connect and store data produced by the production process. Ignition is used to transform data into useful information and create colorful charts, graphs and diagrams, creating visual dashboards. Workers – including operators, supervisors and managers – use these dashboards to make the production process more efficient,” Rankinen explained.
 

“We are grateful for Inductive Automation’s ongoing support of Penn College and our tomorrow makers,” said Elizabeth A. Biddle, senior corporate relations director. “The company’s generosity has helped us to provide our students with the education and training they need to succeed in the workforce.”

A Corporate Tomorrow Maker at Penn College, Inductive Automation was founded in 2003 and is based in Folsom, California. Its software is used in more than 100 countries.

“Inductive Automation is deeply committed to education and giving the next-generation workforce the right knowledge and tools to collect, assess and interpret important data points that maximize processes and systems. We are excited to play a role in developing tomorrow’s engineers and leaders,” said David Grussenmeyer, Inductive Automation’s industry and education engagement manager.

In addition to the software, Inductive Automation has provided the students with free access to its online training library. The company also gave Rankinen a complimentary registration for its 11th annual Ignition Community Conference last September.

“We believe the partnership is a win-win for both parties,” Rankinen said. “Our students will benefit from access to the latest technology, and Inductive Automation will benefit from increased exposure and brand awareness to the workforce of tomorrow.”
                        
For information on automation degrees and other programs offered by Penn College’s School of Engineering Technologies, call 570-327-4520.

For more on Penn College, a national leader in applied technology education, email the Admissions Office or call toll-free 800-367-9222.