KNAPP once again proved its flair for finding creative talent with a competition for students. The PLC challenge is a team competition that KNAPP organized for the first time for fourth year students from the HTBL Kapfenberg School. For teams of 4, the challenge was to develop a control system for a training model from FISCHER-Technik components, such as a conveyor system and two work stations. The challenge has practical relevance, because at KNAPP there is hardly one solution that can be realized without programmable logic control.
The project started in October 2013 and spanned one school semester. On May 6, the students presented their results in the Corporate Headquarters and Development Centre in Hart bei Graz. A jury of four lead by Peter Puchwein, Innovation Team Manager at KNAPP, selected the winning team. Evaluation was based on the quality of the specifications, visualization, operating structure, programme concept as well as the fulfilment of extra tasks, where the students could earn bonus points. The winners, Dominik Decker, Jakob Kandlbauer, Andreas Kemerle and Christoph Pichler get to work at KNAPP in the summer. They anticipate an exciting hands-on work experience in product development, to include a visit abroad to a logistics system.