Education

John Brooks Ltd has had a unique partnership with the Manukau Institute of Technology (MIT) in Auckland, New Zealand, for over 20 years.  This strong partnership between research centres and the engineering industry has developed training programs run at both the MIT campus and John Brooks Ltd’s offices, teaching aspects of Industrial Power Transmission, and good factory engineering maintenance practices.  

The initial training program created for MIT in 1990 was for engineering apprentices, and this training concentrated on demonstrating individual engineering product items, and advising on their correct selection and installation. These highly practical engineering courses are still run on a yearly basis, and are updated regularly to keep abreast of new industry and product developments. The MIT Engineering Department training programs currently introduce Apprentice Engineers to products like chains, Vee Belts, coupling, gearboxes, bearings, and automatic lubrication devices.

In 2002, the MIT Electrical Department additionally began to offer courses in Motion Control, with John Brooks Ltd being involved on the advisory board and in setting the course direction and content. Using the Trio multi-axis motion controller and software suite, students are taught about Mechatronics (a shortened term for mechanical electronics). 

There are many potential applications of Mechatronics technologies.  One such application undertaken by John Brooks Ltd included using motion control, servo motors, and amplifiers to automate the boning of sheep carcasses in commercial meat processing operations.  This was done in association with the Meat Research Institute in Ruakura, New Zealand. 

Mechatronics involves a range of engineering products, including Trio Motion Controllers, Baldor Servo Motors, amplifiers and Motion Controls, Tramec epicyclic (planetary) gearboxes, IMS stepper motors, Hepco Linear Actuators, Oriental Motor Gear motors, and Teco AC Inverter Controls. John Brooks Ltd supplies and supports this full range of Mechatronics components.  Motion software support is available via telephone, or engineer instruction.

MIT and Massey University (Palmerston North campus) currently have 3 Trio axis X,Y,Z gantries installed, on which students create practical works that integrate with motion software.  Additionally, Auckland Hospital has recently installed Teco AC invertor controls in the School of Medicine, and the Chemistry Department fume cupboards. John Brooks Ltd has handled installation sizes from 1 to 46 Axis units - we cater for any environment.

Recently John Brooks has introduced the Sawyer Collaborative robot to join the student team in #Makeathons creating a new manufacturing process, work cell or even a custom end effector for Sawyer to utilize and move objects.

For further information on our Education offerings, please contact our John Brooks Auckland office now.