Electro Mechanical Engineering Technician Offering Trains for Important Field

Many things we encounter in our daily lives have been created with the help of an electro mechanical engineering technician who works in automation and robotics. Automation is the use of machines, control systems and information technologies to optimize productivity in the production of goods. Meanwhile, robotics deals with the design, construction, operation, and application of robots as well as computer systems for their control, sensory feedback, and information processing. Combined, automation and robotics creates automated systems that are at the heart of virtually all advanced manufacturing industries. As such, electro mechanical engineering technicians may work in maintenance, in which professionals fix assembly lines or technical sales and service, in which professionals sell them. In addition electro-mechanical engineers can design, program and install robotic systems and the associated interfacing with other factory control systems including programmable logic controllers, human-machine interfaces and supervisory control and data acquisition software.

To enter this technological field, students must complete a post-secondary program such as Centennial College's Electro-Mechanical Engineering Technician - Automation and Robotics. In this offering, students obtain theory and practical laboratory experience through which they learn basic technology used in building and operating automated industrial systems: Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs), hydraulics, pneumatics, electronics and robotics. More specifically, Electro Mechanical Engineering Technician students attend various courses such as: Digital Electronics (students are introduced to digital circuits in this lab and theory course. They study Boolean algebra, mapping and all common gates, gated latches, flip-flops, counters, and shift registers); Robotic Devices (topics include programming the ABB robots, challenges of the integrated systems, robot safety guidelines, terminology and classification of robots, definition of robotics in CIM systems, and end of arm tooling); Report Writing in Technical Environment (students present technical information in appropriate formats that meet professional/workplace standards. Students write a formal report, a number of informal reports, technical descriptions, and records of data/research); and more.

This automation robotics engineering offering allows students to either graduate as technicians after two years, or continue for additional study and co-op work experience in Centennial’s three-year Automation and Robotics Technology program. The main difference between the two is that the latter offers a co-op experience, which involves students partaking in a field placement during which they apply what they have learned during their courses and have a chance to network with seasoned professionals.

To apply for the Electro Mechanical Engineering Technician program, applicants must possess at minimum an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or equivalent, or mature student status (19 years or older). They must also have completed the English Grade 12 C or U, or equivalent (minimum grade required) and Mathematics Grade 11 M or U, or 12 C or U, or equivalent (minimum grade required) or take a Centennial College Assessment for Admission.