Endress+Hauser invests $1.4M in process automation lab at Calgary’s SAIT
by Dan Ilika
Lab part of school's new Trades and Technology Complex, features latest in automation technology
BURLINGTON, Ont. and CALGARY—Instrumentation and automation firm Endress+Hauser has a number of commitments in Alberta.
The company is now adding education to that list, after partnering with Calgary’s SAIT Polytechnic and building a $1.4-million lab at the school’s brand new Trades and Technology Complex.
“When we learned about the expansion taking place at SAIT we wanted to be part of (it) to offer students the latest in technology as they’re being trained,” said Endress+Hauser general manager Richard Lewandowski.
The 1,800-square foot Endress+Hauser Process Lab features over $1.25-million in the latest equipment from the Burlington, Ont.-based firm, including multiple flow stations for students to gain hands-on experience as they gear up for their futures in the industry.
According to Lewandowski, with the Alberta market growing rapidly, there is a large demand for people in the automation industry.
Providing the venue for SAIT students to work with the latest in automation will only work to benefit the students themselves, the industry as a whole and maybe Endress+Hauser one day, according to Lewandowski.
“(We’re) assisting industry by helping to educate the students on the technology they’ll be using out in the field,” he said. “Also, we’re hoping perhaps some of these students down the road may be potential employees of Endress+Hauser as well.”
Endress+Hauser’s commitment with the lab isn’t just the initial donation, Lewandowski said, but a minimum 10-year partnership with SAIT.
“We will maintain the lab, we will make sure that it’s functioning properly,” he said. “When new technology comes out we will replace existing technology, so this is a long-term commitment.”
Approximately 600 students will use the lab each year, with a lab curriculum focused on instrumentation theory, control theory, control systems and project management.
Students using the facility are pursuing careers in instrumentation, chemical, mechanical and electrical engineering and in the application of process automation.
