Purdue University and Rittal and Eplan, sister companies and global leaders in industrial and electrical engineering solutions and automation, have announced a strategic partnership for smart manufacturing, engineering education.
The five-year collaboration centres around the Purdue Polytechnic Institute.
The partnership will see Purdue join the Rittal + Eplan Partner Network as a research partner with a focus on design of advancing smart manufacturing education and preparing students for the next industrial revolution.
Purdue will open two dedicated labs on its campus: an Eplan Electrical Engineering Technology Projects Lab and a Rittal Automation Systems Lab, where students can conduct studies and gain practical experience in data-driven processes in plant engineering, wire assembly, and wiring.
The collaboration will provide Purdue students and faculty with unparalleled access to an integrated ecosystem of hardware and software at the forefront of automation and fabrication sectors.
The comprehensive partnership also includes plans for scholarships, internships, and joint research and development initiatives, with potential engagement extending to the Purdue Polytechnic High School network.
The cooperation will include a substantial number of Eplan software licenses for students as well as further investments by Rittal and Eplan.
“Purdue Polytechnic has always sought to prepare new generations for tech-driven industries, and this partnership is the perfect embodiment of that mission,” says Daniel Castro, Purdue Polytechnic dean.
“By integrating world-class solutions from Rittal and Eplan into our curriculum, we are going beyond theory. Students will develop the hands-on skills and technological fluency needed to lead.”
The partnership, which a mutually beneficial design, will create a direct pipeline of skilled talent for industry while providing students with critical exposure to technologies used by leading companies everywhere.
Purdue students will gain hands-on experience with the Eplan Platform for electrical engineering design and the related data-driven approach with automation systems and system enclosures from Rittal, ensuring that future leaders in these sectors are industry ready, day one.
For Rittal and Eplan, the partnership represents a significant investment in the future of the US workforce and an opportunity to collaborate on innovative research.
part of the Friedhelm Loh Group, the companies have a long tradition of engaging with science and education in Europe and are excited to extend this model to the US.