Curtin IEEE students attend practical PLC workshop at Ultech Engineering

Miri – 14 December 2022 – Seven electrical and electronic engineering students of Curtin University Malaysia (Curtin Malaysia) who are members of the IEEE Curtin Malaysia Student Branch recently attended a workshop on Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) at Ultech Engineering Sdn. Bhd. here in Miri.

The workshop was part of their industrial visit to the company accompanied by lecturers Associate Professor Garenth Lim and Terence Tan.

The workshop was conducted by trainers Howard Hu Ho Yee, Chai Zong Cheng, Bong Chu Jun and Wang Zhi Xian and covered an introduction to PLC, types of PLC and their applications, an introduction to the Siemens S7-1200 PLC, and Basic PLC programming.

Hu, Bong and Wang, who are all Curtin Malaysia alumni, said it was a pleasure to train the next generation of engineers from Curtin Malaysia, especially in developing knowledge and skills in automation.

“I was a member of the IEEE Curtin Malaysia Student Branch myself, so it is good to see the IEEE students dedicating their free time to acquiring new knowledge to strengthen their future career prospects,” said Bong, who is an automation and control engineer with Ultech Engineering.

Founded by Eddie Sim Chow Ping and Pang Khee Siang, Ultech Engineering specialises in industrial automation in the field of onshore, offshore and marine main switchboards. As the only Approved Partner for Siemens Factory Automation in East Malaysia, the company has delivered numerous solutions for clients in the oil and gas, ferroalloy manufacturing, palm oil processing and water treatment industries.

Sim said automation is an important technical field in the manufacturing and industrial sectors, and through such workshops, the company gives students basic training in automation in the hopes that it will spark a keen interest among them in pursuing careers in the field in the future.

He added that Ultech Engineering is keen to explore further opportunities for collaboration with Curtin Malaysia, including in curriculum development.

Meanwhile, lecturer Terence Tan said, “We are always seeking to strengthen our ties with industry and further collaboration with Ultech Engineering to enhance our students’ capabilities is most welcome. I am happy to see that our IEEE students are taking the initiative to connect with industry and actively acquire additional knowledge outside the classroom through workshops like this.”

Agreeing with Tan, Assoc. Prof. Garenth Lim, academic advisor to the IEEE Curtin Malaysia Student Branch, said that learning should not be limited to the classroom, but also be extended to co-curricular activities where students can observe industry in action and connect theories learnt in the classroom to real-life applications.

Harika Moola, vice-president of the IEEE Curtin Malaysia Student Branch and a third-year electrical and electronic engineering student, said she found the PLC training very interesting.

“I learned a lot about using automation programming to connect to the real machinery. I will certainly take this knowledge and experience of training to my future career as an automation engineer,” she said.

Curtin Malaysia offers Curtin’s four-year Bachelor of Engineering in Electrical and Electronic Engineering (BEng Hons) which is double-accredited by Engineers Australia and the Board of Engineers Malaysia. Taught by highly-experienced teaching staff, many with extensive industrial experience, the course provides students with fundamental and advanced knowledge relevant to industry with theory, computer simulation and practical components.

To find out more about the Bachelor of Engineering in Electrical and Electronic Engineering, visit courses.curtin.edu.my.

The IEEE (The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) is the world’s largest technical professional organisation dedicated to advancing technology for the benefit of humanity. IEEE and its members inspire a global community to innovate for a better tomorrow through its more than 400,000 members in more than 160 countries, and its highly cited publications, conferences, technology standards, and professional and educational activities.

Information on Curtin Malaysia can be found on its website at www.curtin.edu.my, or look for Curtin Malaysia on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn or TikTok.

Students being trained on Siemens S7-1200 PLC by Chai Zong Cheng

Students and trainers at Ultech Engineering