Industrial automation & mechatronics

It’s advantageous for craftsmen to combine mechanical engineering and machine construction with electrical, electronic and control techniques. In some countries, there are dedicated training and educational opportunities for this, in others the Industrial automation & mechatronics discipline is relatively new.

CFS supported EuroSkills 2008 to help bring this profession under the spotlight. CFS is a leading supplier of machines, packaging materials and complete production lines for the food processing industry worldwide. CFS machines prepare, marinate, process, slice and pack meat, poultry, fish and cheese products.

On Saturday 20 September, two teams each comprising two people competed in the Industrial Manufacturing & Engineering Technology category for the title ‘European Champion Industrial Automation & Mechatronics’. Using the CFS MultiFormer forming machine, they carried out assignments varying from exchanging a transport belt and motor to updating and downloading software for the frequency converter and the PLC. The experience and excellent teamwork of the Swedish team gave them a lead over the Dutch team, so they won the title. “Real cool! It’s a nice machine to work with, with a user friendly control panel,” said Jonathan Svensson Köhler, one of the Swedish team members.

CFS Lifecycle Performance

CFS specializes in performance-focused solutions for the food industry, from a single machine or packaging material to a complete production line for the preparation, marination, processing, slicing and packaging of primarily meat, poultry, fish, seafood and cheese based products.
CFS offers Lifecycle Performance, supporting the performance of food processors here and now and in the longer term. Operational challenges such as variety and flexibility, cost per kg / pack, food safety and environment, are the basis of CFS' product and packaging innovation for improving output and reducing operating cost of food processors.

EuroSkills

The first EuroSkills took place on 18 to 20 September 2008 in Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

EuroSkills challenges students and graduates from tertiary studies to show their craftsmanship. This pan-European event comprises challenging professional contests that involve both innovative and traditional professions and trades, as well as lively debates about the future of professional trade education in Europe.

EuroSkills focuses attention on craftsmanship and the skills and study opportunities that go with it. EuroSkills 2008 is organised under the supervision of the European Skills Promotion Organisation (ESPO) in cooperation with WorldSkills. The organisation is taken care of by Skills Nederland. http://www.euroskills2008.eu/nl

Group contest Industrial automation & mechatronics (2 persons):

The group contest is about team skills: communication during the assignment, work preparation, handle problems together, work safely and take the environment into account, work as a team, install and wire (electric power and control) – inclusive the assembly – of components, installation of wire systems and cables, interruptions and connections, replace (broken) components; PLC programming, circuit design and/or -adjustment, hardware tracing breakdowns.