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Innovative Robotic Cell Enhances Kettering University Education

Patti Engineering is excited to commission a robotic cell that will enhance hands-on engineering education for Kettering University in late summer 2024. The project was completed largely through reduced-cost donations from Patti Engineering, Mitsubishi Electric, and Keyence Corporation. The two-station cell includes an industrial and a collaborative robot performing pick-and-place operations and inspection.

Kettering University, located in Flint, Michigan, is known for its academic strengths in engineering, technology, and applied sciences. The university offers a cooperative educational model where students alternate between academic terms and professional work experiences, providing applied learning that combines classroom theory with real-world application. 

The project was initiated when Mitsubishi Electric approached Patti Engineering, aiming to provide students at Kettering University with a learning tool for programming and debugging robots, PLCs, HMIs, and vision systems. Mitsubishi recognized Patti Engineering’s strong portfolio of robotics and control systems integration projects, as well as the strong relationship between Patti Engineering and Kettering University. Patti Engineering’s CEO Sam Hoff and Vice President of Engineering Dave Foster are both alumni of Kettering University, along with electrical engineers Brad Grabow and Abby Engle. In addition, Patti Engineering employs two current Kettering co-op students, Scott Grunwald and Nathan Kramar.

The project received a substantial donation from BorgWarner, while Patti Engineering donated initial system concepts and engineering time, and Mitsubishi provided the robots and PLC at a discounted rate.

“The primary goal of the project was to provide Kettering students with an interactive learning tool,” said Terrance Brinkley, Director of Michigan Operations at Patti Engineering. “We designed the robotic cell to function as a lab for student experimentation, allowing them to modify and rewrite parts of the program.”

Patti Engineering designed and implemented a complete software solution for the two-station cell, including programming the robots and the controls system.  A blank test bed was developed for students to insert their own program settings for testing. 

While students can modify existing code, add new functionalities, and troubleshoot issues, they do not have access to nor the ability to modify the controller and code for safety features. This design ensures that safety protocols remain intact, helping to prevent injury during operation. Additionally, the cell is designed to accommodate future integration of new components and can be expanded in the future.

The project was not without its challenges, particularly in the mechanical design phase. The initial suction-based gripper did not work effectively for picking the medallions out of the bin, as the ridges on the medallion interfered, as shown in Figure 2. “Our associates at Cole’s Machine suggested we use a three-point gripper to solve this issue,” said Brinkley. “It was a great idea and it worked right out of the box.”

Spotlight Video

Employee Spotlight: Kettering University Co-ops, Scott Grunwald and Nathaniel Kramar

In this Employee Spotlight: Video Edition, we highlight two dedicated co-op students from Kettering University—Scott Grunwald and Nathaniel Kramar. Both Scott and Nathaniel have been making meaningful contributions to projects at Patti Engineering while continuing to learn and grow in their engineering careers.

Scott, who started at Patti Engineering in January 2022, and Nathaniel, who joined in October 2023, have been actively involved in supporting senior engineers on various projects. “Our main job is to follow senior engineers on larger-scale projects, assist them, and learn from them,” Scott explained. This experience has provided them with practical knowledge that complements their academic studies.

One of the standout projects Nathaniel worked on was the Mitsubishi manufacturing system being integrated at Kettering University. “This has been the most educational project I’ve worked on thus far,” Nathaniel noted, reflecting on the learning opportunities and the collaborative nature of the project, which involved multiple co-ops. Scott went on to emphasize the breadth of experience they gained, from cell design to PLC and HMI programming.

Both Scott and Nathaniel are working toward degrees in electrical engineering at Kettering University, with Scott aiming to continue his education by pursuing a master’s degree in the same field. The co-op program at Patti Engineering has allowed them to integrate their academic learning with professional experience. “Being able to go to school, learn the basics there, get the gist of it, come back to work, and apply those in real-world manufacturing scenarios is a great learning experience,” Scott explained.

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