UTC Associate Professor Erkan Kaplanoglu works with VW techs as the company prepares to switch to all-electric vehicle production.
A partnership between Volkswagen and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga is getting VW employees ready for the future of automobile manufacturing.
As Volkswagen transforms its Chattanooga factory to become the company’s North American hub for electric vehicle assembly, a key priority is updating the skills of new and current employees in positions related to electric vehicles.
To support these efforts, VW’s training facility—the Volkswagen Academy in the local factory—worked with UTC’s College of Engineering and Computer Science and Center for Professional Education to offer two new, customized courses in advanced automated manufacturing, also known as mechatronics.
The 14 Volkswagen team members enrolled in the courses had recently taken on new roles and responsibilities at the Chattanooga facility. Due to the additional skill sets required for manufacturing electric vehicles, the team members participated in the courses to enhance their knowledge and understanding of mechatronics and pneumatics—a branch of engineering that makes use of gas or pressurized air in the manufacturing process.
Associate Professor Erkan Kaplanoglu was the instructor for all three sections of two weeklong courses, including “Introduction to Mechatronics,” “Introduction to Pneumatics” and “Introduction to Electropneumatics.”
“Through this supplemental education, they better understand the role those components play within the bigger system,” he said. “It is important to have this level of understanding in order to effectively troubleshoot equipment issues, should they arise.”
The courses were a mix of lectures and hands-on instruction, enabling the VW participants to directly apply what they learned in real-world scenarios.
“On a day-to-day basis, these employees complete tasks such as changing a switch or checking a sensor,” Kaplanoglu said.
VW equipment operator Spencer Charlesworth said the courses will help him in his work as the local factory transitions to making electric vehicles.
“The class was extremely helpful in getting a better understanding of pneumatics as a whole. The skills I learned will be useful for my future at Volkswagen,” he said.
