Vocational training projects

Jonas has developed a device for pressing a cover onto the associated housing. This solution is both functional and pleasant to use for assembly.

This included the creation of all production documents, the ordering of parts, as well as the assembly and testing of the finished device.

Now the casing and lid can be placed in the holder and pushed back. The lid is then pressed into place using a toggle press.

As part of his training to become an electrician, Selim was given the "Window Automation" project for his individual practical work (IPA). The aim of the project was to solve the problem of rooms cooling down at night when the windows are open.

The aim of the project was to develop two electronic systems. One of them reads various parameters (temperature, humidity, eCO2) of the room air and, after exceeding adjustable limit values, sends a command via Bluetooth Low Energy to the second electronic system.

This then opens or closes a bottom-hung window using a purchased window motor. An app is also being developed to modernise and simplify the setup and control of the window automation.

Michael developed a soldering tweezer to complement the soldering station, which can be operated independently or in combination. Jonas designed the housing and used a 3D printer to create a compact, comfortable and stable handle.

The tweezers are operated with just two buttons and their status can be read from five LEDs. There is a motion sensor in the handle that automatically switches on standby mode when the tweezers are left still on the table for a long time.

The main challenge of the project was to integrate all the electronics into the handle of the forceps, while ensuring that the end result was very handy and easy to use.

Simon and Selim have developed a universal soldering station by analysing various commercially available soldering stations and carrying out measurements.

They developed and programmed their own circuit to control soldering tips and a desoldering bar. After testing and improving several prototypes, they built the final version in a plastic housing with buttons, potentiometer and display. The soldering station is now being used in vocational training. In an additional vocational training project, Michael has designed desoldering tweezers that can be operated together with the soldering station.

As individual practical work (IPA), Daniel was given the task of constructing a universal test adapter for printed circuit boards. He planned the project according to the IPERKA method (inform, plan, decide, realise, control, evaluate).

Using a mind map and morphological box, he sketched three variants and then determined the best one. The toggle press turned out to be the best variant. He designed this and calculated the required press force and lever length. Of course, this also includes drawing up the production plans and documenting them neatly. Previously, a fixture had to be built for each blank. Thanks to the universal test fixture, it is now sufficient to manufacture only the fixtures for the PCB. Changing over to other PCBs is also very quick and uncomplicated.

As individual productive work (in the ordinary qualification procedure), Simon developed monitoring and energy buffer electronics for test systems of STEINEL Solutions AG.

A Raspberry PI (single-board Linux PC) is installed in some of STEINEL Solutions AG's test systems and performs certain control, monitoring and test functions when modules are tested. To ensure that the operating system is shut down in a controlled manner when this Linux computer is disconnected from the power supply, the supply voltage must be buffered, a mains failure detected and this status continuously communicated to the computer. Simon successfully designed and developed such monitoring electronics.

In the first step, Felix developed a temperature measurement card for a measurement system for his IPW (individual practical work) so that one can collect data from endurance tests of different devices.

The project is part of an expandable measuring system. More cards can be developed to additionally measure e.g. voltages or currents. The basis of this system is the control element called Raspberry Pi (single board computer). Felix has written software for this with the Python programming language, which runs on the Raspberry Pi.

The compressor system at STEINEL Solutions AG is equipped with a timer that is aligned with the production hours.

Previously, the room was accessible, allowing the compressor to be turned on if needed, even outside of production hours. Since the room is now locked, our trainee Simon has developed an electronic system that allows the compressor to be switched on via SMS for four hours.

Simon and Selim, two of our apprentices, worked on the 'soldering station' project at regular intervals, during which they were able to design one themselves. They used a commercial soldering station as a reference, on which they repeatedly took measurements and recorded them in order to understand the exact functions and rules of a soldering station.

From the knowledge gained from this, they developed their own circuit to control the soldering iron and programmed an Arduino Nano (microprocessor platform) so that the temperature set on a potentiometer is shown on the display and correctly readjusted on the soldering iron. The circuit was tested extensively and then implemented in the layout programme in such a way that it could then be installed in a housing with the display and the potentiometer.