With Industry 4.0 and accelerating digitalization adoption across most manufacturing industries, preparing our future workforce is of utmost importance. In our feature article, we are pleased to share details of our collaboration with Kettering University to build a new Industry 4.0 lab to transform learning and prepare students for collaboration across OT and IT engineering disciplines.
Our spotlight feature story is on Scott Grasman, the Dean of Kettering University College of Engineering. We think you will find his story interesting, from his career journey to his hobbies to his somewhat dangerous side gig!
As always, thank you for your interest in Patti Engineering.
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New Industry 4.0 Lab to Transform Education at Kettering University
New Industry 4.0 Lab to Transform Education at Kettering University
Upgrading to the latest industry trends doesn’t just happen in the field, but also in the new classroom lab at Kettering University designed by Patti Engineering.
Kettering University places great emphasis on delivering superior education to its students. Recently, the institution has sought to establish a new student education lab that incorporates Industry 4.0 cutting-edge technology, enabling cross-curricular learning.
“Patti Engineering has been a longtime supporter of Kettering University and has generously helped us design this new lab and develop related coursework,” said Scott Grasman, Dean of the College of Engineering. “We are thrilled to incorporate real-world applications into a single robotic cell for our students to learn industrial robotics, control systems, the internet of things, wireless communications, and data analytics. Together with our industrial manufacturing, electrical and computer engineering students, computer science students will work side-by-side on the different learning opportunities presented by the robotic cell. We will even integrate our 3D printing course into developing the end-of-arm actuators for the collaborative robot. It’s a comprehensive system designed to be utilized by all of our engineering and computer science programs.”
The Industry 4.0 enabled collaborative robotic cell will have hardware from some of the university’s corporate sponsors, including Mitsubish and BorgWarner. Patti Engineering was tapped to help with the design prior to funding and is currently working on the project to be completed over the summer.
“We are excited for the opportunity to develop a new lab for the students at Kettering,” said Sam Hoff, President and Founder of Patti Engineering. “The lab's real-world challenges of collaboration across all disciplines will provide an excellent space for students to put their classroom knowledge into practice, preparing them for the obstacles they may face in their careers. By solving these challenges while still in school, students will be better equipped to navigate and solve problems in their future endeavors.”
Patti Engineering is also responsible for programming the new lab with a baseline demo program. The collaborative robot will use a vision system to pick and place a variety of objects that are housed within the cell and will be able to perform simple tasks for demo purposes. The real goal is to allow students to work with the equipment and program and make improvements from their own ideas. After the term ends, the original Patti Engineering code will be re-downloaded with the push of a button to allow the same learning opportunities for the next students. This thoughtful approach ensures that every student who utilizes the cell has the chance to delve deeply into the material and achieve its full potential.
The concept for the Industry 4.0 lab has been several years in the making. “We are seeing it from our students as they rotate through co-ops,” said Grasman. “While visiting a student during his co-op term recently, I was pleased to see several of our students working together. One was working on the robotics, another on the vision system, a third for the OEM, and a fourth for the end customer. Each has a co-op with a different company and is majoring in a different discipline, but they were all working on the same cell. This really reinforces the idea that we are trying to replicate in this new lab as many of our students will collaborate with different departments on a regular basis after they graduate.”
Currently, the University has separate labs to correspond with the different courses. The new lab will be integrated into existing courses and will be available for future courses. The Kettering University faculty is working on creating additional curricula including capstone experiences centered around the new facility. The new lab is scheduled to open during the summer of 2023.
Scott Grasman, a highly accomplished academic leader, was recently named Dean of Kettering University’s College of Engineering, in January 2023. He served as the Interim Dean since July 2022, where he was responsible for providing direction and leadership for the University's academic programs, research initiatives, and student success programs. Prior to this, he was the Department Head of Industrial Engineering at Kettering since 2017.
“Scott is a visionary on educating Kettering graduates for success in manufacturing,” said founder and CEO of Patti Engineering, Sam Hoff. “He brings a wealth of knowledge and a focus on providing real-world experiences that helps prepare students for their future careers.”
As a faculty member, Grasman has always been passionate about teaching and fostering student success. Even as a dean, he plans to continue teaching courses in the upcoming summer and fall terms. He is excited about his new position and the ability to provide resources to the faculty and students. His current project is a new Industry 4.0 lab where students can work with leading-edge technology in a cross-curricular setting. With the help of Patti Engineering, Grasman has designed the lab to incorporate equipment that students may encounter during their co-ops or permanent jobs.
Grasman's background in academia runs deep, as he often jokes that he has never held a “real job.” He earned his Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering from the University of Michigan before becoming a higher education faculty member. His career as a professor took him to many areas, including his most recent position as Department Head of Industrial and Systems Engineering at Rochester Institute of Technology. Originally from Michigan, his move to Kettering University was a chance to come home to his roots.
Surprisingly enough, Grasman is also not the only engineer in the family that works at the collegiate level. His wife, Kellie, is an Assistant Director for the Center for Research on Learning and Teaching in Engineering at the University of Michigan. Their eldest son attends Kettering University, as a computer engineering student and their twin sons attend the University of Michigan in the chemical engineering and pre-med programs. With all three of their sons in college, they are transitioning into life as empty nesters at their home in Flushing with their three dogs.
In his free time, Grasman enjoys playing hockey a couple of nights a week. His love for hockey began when he was growing up, and he even played as a preferred walk-on at University of Michigan. A few of his hockey peers also helped him pursue a lifelong dream as an on-call firefighter. Otherwise, Grasman can be found working out in the yard and enjoying life outdoors.
Grasman's passion for education is evident in his dedication to teaching, student success, and providing resources for faculty and students. His accomplishments in academia and his personal life are a testament to his commitment to education and his desire to help others succeed. As Dean of Kettering University, Grasman will continue to lead the university to new heights and inspire the next generation of students and educators.
We believe that Industry 4.0 is a journey, not a destination, so we think manufacturers should have a roadmap. Along with our partner i4Score, Patti Engineering is working to help manufacturers evaluate, assess, and implement Industry 4.0.
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