Thompson Rivers University’s (TRU) Instrumentation students now have access to a brand new process controls lab, fully outfitted with 12 PIGNAT CEB/2000 units.

The multi-process control trainers were installed and commissioned earlier this year by PIGNAT engineer Regis Rodriguez.

The equipment will move to the brand new Industrial Training and Technology Center once it is completed in 2018.

The CEB/2000 unit was custom-designed for the needs of TRU’s Max Tinsley and is now available as a standard model from PIGNAT.

TRU’s Instrumentation and Control Technician Apprenticeship Faculty Member Max Tinsley

New trades apprenticeship cuts BC wait time

Carolina™ prepared microscope slides provide an essential component for the in-depth study of botany, zoology, histology, embryology, parasitology, genetics, and pathology. After receiving your slides, proper care will keep them in good condition and make them last as long as possible. In the following paragraphs, we’ll discuss the handling, storage, and repair of prepared slides.

Handling

Teach students proper slide handling and slides can be used year after year. Slides should be held by the edges, avoiding the cover glass area. Always begin viewing a slide using the microscope’s lowest magnification. This reduces the risk of contact by the microscope’s objective lens. Afterwards, switch to a higher magnification if needed.

Keep the microscope’s objective lens and other objects from coming into contact with a slide. Pressure on the cover glass can cause it to break or loosen. When finished viewing, remove the slide from the microscope and place it in its storage container. Leaving the slide on the illuminated stage for extended periods of time can cause fading and other damage.

When slides get soiled, you can clean them with soapy water or isopropyl alcohol. Do not immerse slides in water or soak them in it. This loosens the cover glass adhesive, causing the cover glass to come off and possibly ruin the slide.

Storage

To keep your prepared microscope slides in good condition, always store them in a container made for the purpose and away from heat and bright light. The ideal storage area is a cool, dark location, such as a closed cabinet in a temperature-controlled room. Stained slides naturally fade over time. Keeping them in a cool, dark location helps slow down the process.

Slides should be kept horizontal (flat) with the specimen side up. If they are stored on edge, the cover glass or specimen may shift out of position. Take care not to stack slides on top of one another or apply pressure to the cover glass.

Repair

Common problems include a broken slide or cover glass, bubbles in the mounting agent, and specimens shifted to the edge of the cover glass. If a slide or cover glass is broken, dispose of it and replace it immediately to prevent anyone from being cut. The adhesive used to attach a cover glass to a slide is applied as a liquid. As the liquid dries, it only hardens around the edges of the cover glass. With rough handling this seal can crack or loosen, allowing the liquid to ooze out. You can fix a broken seal by applying a small amount of fresh mounting media to the break. Clear nail polish sometimes works if you don’t have any mounting media handy.

Most slide repairs require some amount of skill. Often it is easier and more cost effective to replace the slide rather than to repair it.

After a tour of the Trade Fair Didacta in Stuttgart, AYVA’s President, Dianne Beveridge, headed to Bosch Rexroth’s training facility, along with representatives from more than 20 countries.  The focus was on Bosch’s new i4.0 Mechatronics System with Open Core Engineering and an Active Cockpit to better support the Internet of Things (IOT) – all of which can be found in their factories around the world.  There was also considerable excitement around the APAS, Bosch’s new collaborative robot which has been winning numerous awards and accolades.

Emerging countries like India and Mexico, as well as Thailand and England, shared stories of Government, Industry and Academia coming together to create Centres of Excellence to better prepare students for highly skilled careers in Industry 4.0.  Unfortunately, Canada appears to be lagging behind with respect to such initiatives.  But just last month a Canadian delegation went to Gujaret in India to visit Smart Cities and institutions who are focusing on Industry 4.0 and IOT.

We at AYVA look forward to identifying and partnering with Colleges and Universities in Canada who would like to take the lead on this front.

Features:

Easy. Reliable. Secure.

Many dissection labs can spread across multiple class periods and days at a time. Whether you’re looking to preserve specimens for only a few months or a much longer period, Carolina has you covered.

Vacuum-packed specimens

Vacuum-packed specimens are stored in vacuum-sealed, leak-proof plastic barrier bags. Specimens are offered as either single-packed (one specimen per bag) or bulk-packed (more than one specimen per bag). Single-packed bags are easy to distribute to students in small groups, while bulk-packed bags are ideal for teachers looking to use more than one specimen at once. Quantity discounts are only available for bulk-packed bags. 

In order to retain moisture of the specimens and fend off mold growth, Carolina’s Wetting Solution can be used between dissection labs. After spraying specimens with the solution, they can be returned to the vacuum-sealed bags and sealed with clips or rubber bands. This bag can be placed within a second resealable bag for added protection.

Disposal Methods

Disposal of specimens has never been easier than with Carolina’s Perfect Solution®. However, before disposing of any specimens or fluids, it is advised to contact local waste or wastewater authorities to confirm that the disposal procedure is acceptable at your school. It is also important to address disposal with a supervisor if your school contains its own septic system or aerobic waste treatment system.

Specimens stored in Carolina’s Perfect Solution® can generally be disposed of in a school’s regular waste. These specimens do not fall under hazardous waste and do not pose a biohazardous threat. It is recommended to double bag any specimens that are being disposed of as an additional precaution.

Fluids involved in pails containing Carolina’s Perfect Solution® can be put down the sink and washed down with lots of water. The fluid is not classified as chemical waste.

It is still important to wear appropriate PPE when disposing of Carolina specimens and fluids, including gloves, an apron, and splash goggles, and to work in a well ventilated area.

Kuka’s KR 3 AGILUS is ideal for use in 600 x 600 mm automation cells since it enables automation in confined spaces and reaches maximum performance in minimum space.

Thanks to its intelligent design, the KR 3 AGILUS is cost-effective, requires minimal maintenance and is highly reliable. The KR 3 AGILUS is optimized for the production of the smallest components and products. For example, for applications such as the assembly of small parts, Pick & Place, screw fastening, brazing, adhesive bonding, packaging, testing & checking and much more.

Wherever minimum cycle times and maximum output in production are needed, the KR 3 AGILUS – one of the fastest robots in its class – is ideally suited for the task.

Last week, AYVA’s Jason Peng visited the University of the Fraser Valley’s (UFV) Automation and Robotics Lab where he had the opportunity to see two of KUKA’s KR6 Robots in action.

The pair of KR6 robots await orders from a remote computer with a programmed script of their operation.

UFV’s robotics instructor Avner Bachar awakens one of the robots to showcase what his students have programmed. In a matter of seconds the robot boots up and begins motioning, the actuators can be heard working the 6-degrees of freedom, and the sound of pneumatic hisses activating the vacuum gripper that Avner and his team cleverly devised using a 3D printed adapter. The robot then begins its job of picking and placing cups on a bottling station where it puts an empty cup onto a conveyor, waits for the cup to be filled, empties it into a reservoir tank and stacks it.

Avner notes that graduates have gone on to work in industry, anywhere from brewing companies to PLC control for egg-sorting in local farms.

Who knew robots could have such a delicate touch.

Last week, Regis Rodriguez, the product specialist from Lyon, France was onsite to commission the new Mixed Adsorption Desorption: Gas & Liquid Adsorption, the latest addition to their state-of-the-art labs. Paige’s labs already boast a Spray Dryer and a Controlled Reverse Osmosis from this world-class industrial manufacturer.

AYVA has partnered with PIGNAT to equip Chemical Engineering as well as Environmental Engineering Labs at colleges and universities across Canada. Customers appreciate the quality and industrial components but what impresses them most is PIGNAT’s willingness to customize the products to best suit their needs. Educators can choose whether to be trained in France or to have an experienced chemical engineer from PIGNAT conduct on-site training.

Click here for an overview of PIGNAT’s training equipment.

Mixed Adsorption Desorption: Gas & Liquid Adsorption
Spray Dryer
Controlled Reverse Osmosis

We also explored ways to maximize student laboratory time and to drive project-based learning outcomes.  Several educators who were transforming their teaching labs using products from the NI Ecosystem were in attendance to share their successes.

It was a first-class event and we hope to identify a few academic thought leaders who can accompany us next year for NI Week 2018!