Innovation and Design in Academic Work through Industry Partnership

There are many benefits of university-industry partnerships and collaborations (UIPC).The strength of university programs depends on staying relevant to innovative technology and current market trends, not only regionally but globally.Having strong industry partnerships allows students and university stakeholders to learn about current and future technology.The collaboration between LinMot Inc. USA and Purdue University Northwest (PNW), driven by support from the Packaging Machinery Manufacturers Institute (PMMI) Foundation and the "PMMI U Skills Fund" exemplifies that unity.Using industry-standard software, equipment, and resources, like that provided by LinMot Inc. USA, allows students and workforce trainees to learn using the newest equipment, learn about emerging technologies in packaging and processing, and provide a pipeline of workforce-ready talent.In this paper, the authors explain the steps to design, fabricate, and build a testbed trainer to be used with the existing trainers in the hands-on activity laboratories, student/industry projects, and capstone design.This project is a good tool for students to practice utilizing innovative technology and hands-on skills using an electromagnetic linear actuator made by LinMot.The results of this project are also demonstrated and explained.All necessary steps that are needed for programming and testing are discussed in detail.