An Integrated Smart Manufacturing and Industrial Automation Demonstration Platform for Automated Material Handling and Sorting

Industrial automation education often faces a gap between theoretical classroom instruction and the practical automation systems encountered in industry. Students may learn PLC programming, sensors, actuators, industrial control and human-machine interfaces as separate concepts, but have limited opportunities to interact with an integrated industrial production system. This project will address this gap through the development of a small-scale industrial automation demonstration and material sorting system incorporating conveyor belts, industrial-grade sensors, actuators and a Siemens PLC for automated identification and sorting of materials such as metal and plastic.

The system will provide a realistic industrial environment in which students can develop, program, test and troubleshoot automation processes. A corresponding virtual model will be developed in Factory I/O to enable simulation and virtual commissioning of the production line, while an HMI will be designed for process monitoring, operator control and visualization of system status. The project will provide a reusable platform for practical training, undergraduate projects and research in PLC-based automation, industrial sensing, HMI development, virtual commissioning and smart manufacturing. It will strengthen the laboratory's capacity to expose students to industrial automation practices and technologies while creating a foundation for future integration of robotics, industrial communication and Industry 4.0 technologies.