SJEC Organized Consecutive 3-Day Hands-on Workshop on “PLC based Automation with Pneumatic Controls”

St Joseph Engineering College (SJEC), through its AICTE IDEA Lab in association with the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Industry Innovation Group, organized two consecutive 3-day hands-on workshops at the FESTO Centre for Industrial Automation, SJEC, Vamanjoor. The first workshop on “Automation & PLC Programming” was held from 18 to 20 August 2025, followed by the second workshop on “PLC based Automation with Pneumatic Controls” from 21 to 23 August 2025. Both workshops were conducted exclusively for diploma students of Karnataka Polytechnic, Mangaluru. The programs were inaugurated by Dr. Ravikantha Prabhu, Head of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, who emphasized the growing importance of industrial automation and the need for hands-on, industry-oriented training.

Workshop Highlights:

First day, participants were introduced to the Fundamentals of Hydraulics and Automation. Sessions by Mr. Joel D’mello, who covered system principles and industrial applications, followed by hydraulic circuit design guided by Mr. PrathvirajH and Mr. Prashanth Kumar. Mr. Rajesh Belchada and Dr. Sushanth H. G demonstrated pneumatic circuit visualization using FluidSIM 5, with the day
concluding in a hands-on FESTO Workbench demo by Dr. Swaraj D. Lewis and Mr. Rajesh Belchada.

Second day focused on Pneumatics and Electro-pneumatics. Students explored system components, compressors, FRL units, and actuators. Practical sessions were conducted by Dr. Lewis and Dr. Sushanth, while afternoon demonstrations introduced electro-pneumatics with live integration of electrical controls.

Day 3 was dedicated to PLC programming. Dr. Binu K. G and Dr. Rolvin D’Silva
introduced PLC programming concepts and Ladder Diagrams, followed by real-time
PLC simulation using TIA Portal v15.1 demonstrated by Mr. Rajesh Belchada and Dr.
Sushanth. The workshops concluded with FESTO Workbench demonstrations by Dr.
Prabhu and Dr. Ashwin Shetty, showcasing complete automation integration.

Outcomes and Acknowledgements
Across both workshops, students gained valuable hands-on exposure to hydraulics,
pneumatics, electro-pneumatics, and PLC programming, bridging theoretical knowledge with
real-world industrial practices. The sessions significantly enhanced student confidence in
working with automation software and hardware, preparing them for industry challenges.
Both workshops concluded with a feedback session and distribution of participation
certificates. The technical sessions were supported by Mr. Immanuel and Mr. Harshith. The
successful execution was ensured under the guidance of Dr. Vijay V. S (Convenor), along
with Dr. Rolvin D’Silva, Dr. Swaraj D. Lewis, Dr. Sushanth H. G, and Mr. Joel D’mello as
Coordinators.