All manufacturing processes involve motion and control, which may range from simple use of pneumatic cylinders in robotics to coordinated motion and sequence control in assembly lines. The technology in motion and control grows and changes at a pace that makes systems of over five years old almost obsolete. The primary purpose of the motion and control certificate program is to provide the graduating engineers with a focused expertise in motion and control and to furnish the necessary tools in order to enable them to follow the changes in technology after graduation. In addition, the program will also serve the practicing engineers and life-long learners to come back to school and refresh their skills using the certificate program proposed here. Undergraduate Mechanical Engineering students, who may choose this certificate program with special emphasis in motion and control, will take all their mechanical engineering elective courses in motion and control.

Admission:
To participate in the program, the student should be formally admitted to The University of Akron as a post-baccalaureate, undergraduate, graduate, or non-degree graduate student.

Requirements:
Students should successfully complete all three courses listed below.
4600:442/542 Industrial Automatic Control
4600:444/544 Robot Design, Control and Application
4600:670 Integrated Flexible Manufacturing Systems*

* Undergraduate students must obtain permission to take this course

The College of Engineering and the College of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering allow for a specialization for the mechanical engineering undergraduate student. Students may earn a Polymer Engineering Specialization Certificate by satisfying the following requirements:

Completion of one of the following three courses:
9871:401 Introduction to Elastomers
9871:402 Introduction to Plastics
9871:407 Polymer Science

Completion of one of the following two courses:
4700:425 Introduction to Blending and Compounding of Polymers
4700:427 Introduction to Molding Technology

A mechanical engineering student may choose a Design of Energy Systems or Design of Mechanical Systems polymer-related project in lieu of one of the above 4700 polymer engineering courses with approvals from the chairs of the Department of Mechanical Engineering and the Department of Polymer Engineering.