ANGOLA, IN - Four mechatronics and robotics engineering majors at Trine University earned the top level of industrial certification in programmable logic controller (PLC) systems as part of their coursework last fall.

John Hermann of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, Kenesaw Cramer of Coldwater, Michigan, Arie Lowe of Kokomo, Indiana, and Nathan Goossen of Indianapolis each earned C-207 PLC Gold certification from the Smart Automation Certification Alliance (SACA).

Goossen received an internship at Tenneco as a result of earning the certification.

According to SACA, the certification prepares individuals to program, configure, adjust, monitor and operate industrial PLC systems.

Jason Blume, assistant vice president of Innovation One, said the MRE 262 PLC course the students were part of marked the first time Trine has embedded industrial certification into its curriculum.

"In addition to training industry and area high schools, we've found unique ways to embed the certificate into curriculum for our mechatronics and mechanical engineering students," he said. "This will allow our engineering graduates to have similar certifications to the technicians and mechanics on the floor, so they can work collaboratively with them when they're out in industry."

The course, offered for the first time in fall 2022, originally included Silver certification along with other labs and hands-on experiences. John Liu, Ph.D., assistant professor in Trine's Wade Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, said the students went through the Silver level so fast he decided to give them the opportunity to earn Gold certification.

Silver certification, Blume said, covers theory, while gold recognizes hands-on experience.

"Every one of these students had the opportunity to really do stuff," Blume said.

Trine launched its mechatronics and robotics engineering program in 2021.