Alfred University is one of eight colleges and universities
participating in the symposium. The group of students from Alfred developed a
“palletizer” for use at the Arc of Steuben in Bath, NY. The device
automatically wraps plastic around pallets holding boxes. Normally, the job of
wrapping the pallets is done by hand; the automation will help eliminate worker
congestion in the area where that task is done.
Xingwu Wang, professor of electrical engineering and
renewable energy engineering at Alfred University, will be accompanying three
students to Albany, where they will present their prototype at the symposium. They
are: Carl Liboro, a first-year graduate student in electrical engineering from
New York City; Adam Gutierrez, a senior renewable energy engineering major from
Cortland, NY; and Rashid Abuelmaali, a junior mechanical engineering major from
Latham, NY.
Several other undergraduate engineering students -- in
ceramic engineering, materials science engineering and mechanical engineering –
participated, with Liboro serving as a mentor. Students visited Arc of Steuben
to get feedback on what project would best suit the needs of the agency, then
worked to design a device – the palletizer – that would meet those needs.
Wang said the group of students from Alfred University used
a $1,000 grant from NYSID CREATE to develop and build the prototype. After the
symposium, the goal is for Arc of Steuben to make use of the palletizer in its
packaging and assembly operations in Bath.
“Ideally, we’ll deliver the prototype to (Arc of Steuben)
and they will work on its continued development,” Wang said, explaining that a
full-size version of the prototype would need to be constructed for use at the
facility.
