SJEC organized a 3 Days Hands-on Workshop on “Automation & PLC Programming”

St Joseph Engineering College (SJEC), through its AICTE IDEA Lab in association with the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Industry Innovation Group, organized a 3-day hands-on workshop on “Automation & PLC Programming” for diploma students of Karnataka Polytechnic, Mangaluru, from 18 to 20 August 2025 at the FESTO Centre for Industrial Automation, SJEC, Vamanjoor. The program was inaugurated by Dr. Ravikantha Prabhu, Head of the Mechanical Engineering Department, who highlighted the importance of automation and industry-oriented training.

Day 1 introduced participants to the Fundamentals of Hydraulics and Automation. Sessions by Mr. Joel D’mello covered principles, system structures, and industrial applications of hydraulics. Mr. Prathviraj H & Mr. Prashanth Kumar guided students in hydraulic circuit design, while Mr. Rajesh Belchada & Dr. Sushanth H. G demonstrated pneumatic circuit visualization using FluidSIM 5. The day ended with a hands-on demo of FESTO Workbench by Dr. Swaraj D. Lewis & Mr. Belchada.

Day 2 focused on Pneumatics and Electro-pneumatics. Mr. Prashanth Kumar & Mr. Prathviraj explained system components, compressors, FRL units, and actuators, followed by practical pneumatics sessions led by Dr. Lewis & Dr. Sushanth. Afternoon sessions introduced Electro-pneumatics, integrating electrical controls with pneumatic systems, with live demonstrations.

Day 3 centered on PLC programming. Dr. Binu K. G & Dr. Rolvin D’Silva introduced programming concepts and Ladder Diagrams, while Mr. Rajesh Belchada & Dr. Sushanth demonstrated TIA Portal v15.1 for real-time PLC simulation. The workshop concluded with FESTO Workbench demos by Dr. Prabhu & Dr. Ashwin Shetty, showcasing automation integration with industrial hardware.

The workshop bridged theory and practice, offering students exposure to hydraulics, pneumatics, electro-pneumatics, and PLC programming. The sessions built confidence in handling industrial automation tools and software, preparing participants for industry challenges.

The event concluded with a feedback session and certificate distribution, attended by all resource persons and coordinators. Technical support was provided by Mr. Immanuel and Mr. Harshith, while Dr. Vijay V. S (Convenor), Dr. Sushanth H. G, and Mr. Joel D’mello (Coordinators) ensured smooth execution.