At DesignPro Automation, we believe the best engineers aren’t found, they’re developed. This spring, we were proud to sponsor the Plant Automation Project at the University of Limerick, giving second-year engineering students their first taste of what real industrial automation challenges look like.
Where It All Started
The University of Limerick has developed a module that asks second-year students from Design and Manufacture Engineering, Digital Mechatronic Engineering and Technology Management programmes to do something genuinely challenging: design, build, and operate an automated sorting system, from scratch.
Dr Alan Ryan, the module leader, and Dr Colin Butler, assistant professor, approached DesignPro Automation to act as an industrial sponsor. It was an easy yes for us. The students’ brief maps almost perfectly to the kind of problems we solve every day – part inspection, quality control, automated handling, PLC logic. This wasn’t a simulated exercise. For these students, it was as close to the real thing as you get in a university setting.
“We don’t just build machines, we design production solutions that improve business outcomes. Challenging students with this type of brief, from concept to working system, will be of huge benefit to them in their future careers.”
Peter Konecny, Engineering Manager – DesignPro Automation
The Challenge the Students Faced
Working in teams of five, students were tasked with designing an automated system to sort small cylindrical parts, isolating good parts from out-of-specification ones, without contaminating a good batch. The constraints were deliberately tight:
- Cylindrical parts: Ø20 × 20 mm
- Max footprint: 600 × 600 × 250 mm
- 24V DC motor drive
- Automatic conveyor feeding
- Batch size: 6 confirmed good parts
- Controlled with Mitsubishi PLC
- 4–5 inputs and 4–5 outputs
- Separate good/reject collection bins
From brainstorming and concept sketching through to CAD modelling, PLC code, 3D-printed components, sensor integration, wiring, and final testing, each team had to navigate the full engineering design cycle. The brief started open and was progressively refined to match available hardware, which, in its own way, mirrors exactly how real projects evolve when a customer’s spec develops alongside the engineering process.
Bringing Industry Into the Room
At the start of the semester, our Engineering Manager, Peter Konecny, presented to the full cohort of 80 -100 students. He talked through our company background, how we approach automation challenges, the design philosophy that underpins our work and how we manage complex projects as a team. It wasn’t a sales pitch, it was a real conversation about what engineering looks like in practice.
For many of these students, it was their first direct exposure to a professional machine-building environment. That matters. Understanding the gap between academic theory and industrial reality early in your career is one of the most valuable things a young engineer can encounter.
Why This Partnership Makes Sense For Both Sides
Benefits for DesignPro
- Early visibility with graduates entering automation and MedTech manufacturing
- A genuine pipeline to talented, motivated engineers who already understand our world
- Brand presence within UL’s engineering programmes
- A direct way to give back to the Irish engineering community
- Insight into how the next generation approaches automation problems
Benefits for UL
- Real industrial context for a hands-on module
- Increased student engagement and motivation through industry involvement
- Stronger programme attractiveness for prospective students
- Direct connection between the curriculum and employer expectations
- Recognition and prizes that make the competition feel meaningful
There is something important about a local, Irish-owned engineering company investing time in a local university. We aren’t a multinational with a large CSR budget, we’re an engineering team that genuinely cares about the profession, and this is one small way to show it.
Choosing the Finalists
Last week, our team visited the UL Automation Lab to review the competing machines and select the final designs. Our aim, to look at the clarity of the engineering approach, the robustness of the sorting logic, the quality of the build and how well each team has thought through the real-world constraints of the brief. There were 4 groups of finalists selected, and overall, the level of engagement and interest was very high – approx 100 students took part.
And the Winner Is…
The project will conclude the week of the 18th May, where DesignPro will participate in selecting the winning design. Certificates will be awarded, and the top prize will be presented by the DesignPro team.
What We Take Away From This
Automation is a skilled craft. The engineers who do it well, who can translate a customer’s production challenge into a working, validated, reliable machine, take years to develop. What UL is doing with this module is giving students a head start on that journey, and we’re proud to be part of it.
For DesignPro, this partnership is consistent with how we think about building the future of Irish manufacturing. It’s not just about the machines we build today, it’s about helping to develop the engineering talent that will design tomorrow’s solutions.
We look forward to following these students as their careers develop…and who knows, a few of them might even end up working alongside us one day!
