Lethbridge College electrical tradestudents are receiving valuable hands-on training thanks to the donation of a custom-designed Schneider motor control center (MCC) from EECOL Electric.
“A key benefit to Lethbridge College, especially in tougher economic times, is the ability to continually upgrade our equipment through our relationships with local businesses,” says Cal Whitehead, chair, school of construction trades. “Community partnerships, with companies like EECOL Electric Corp. and Schneider Electric who are willing to donate resources, are geared to see our graduates succeed within their industries.”
An MCC is common in the workplace, but not something students often get to work on as apprentices. This piece of Schneider equipment incorporates all of the newer technologies being used in electric motor control such as forward/reversing starters, a variable-frequency drive, digital metering and a programmable logic controller.
“The Schneider MCC will allow these students to better relate their lab projects to real world applications rather than trying to learn these machines from a textbook,” says Cam Newman, branch manager, EECOL Electric. “As a result of this hands-on experience, students will have a competitive advantage as they’ll develop better troubleshooting and problem solving skills needed in today’s workplace.”
As the MCC has been made mobile, instructors will have the ability to use it in lab classes as well as theory lectures.