BISMARCK, N.D. – Doosan Bobcat North America gifted a hydraulic test stand to the University of Mary’s School of Engineering program. The machine, worth around $40,000, is a large hands-on tool for University of Mary’s Mechanical Engineering students enrolled in the Fluid Power Engineering course.
“This is another wonderful example of how Doosan Bobcat continues to believe in University of Mary’s mission and its willingness to partner with us as it supports not only the hopes and dreams of our students, but also engineering endeavors in our community and the surrounding area,” said Mary’s Executive Vice President Jerome Richter. “We know our world-class engineering faculty will put our mechanical engineering students in the best position to utilize this big piece of machinery in order to maximize their potential as engineers. And for that, we are blessed and forever grateful to Doosan Bobcat.”
While Mechanical Engineering students will get the most use out of the hydraulic test stand, fluid power machines, controls, and devices are everywhere in the industry, it should be a crucial part of any engineer’s education. The components on the test stand are the actual components used in the industry. The stand allows students to experiment with simple hydraulic circuits using components commonly found in many industrial, mobile, and agricultural applications.
“Hydraulics are the lifeblood and muscle of Doosan Bobcat construction equipment. Hydraulic pumps, valves, motors, and cylinders are the components that enable great performance in a very compact package,” explained Doosan Bobcat’s Scott Schuh, Sr. Director of North America Engineering & Global Engineering Strategy.
“As experienced engineers retire, there is a great need for graduating engineers that are competent in the fundamentals of fluid power,” explained Doosan Bobcat Technical Engineer Charlie Young. “Having this training resource on campus will allow the University of Mary to equip its students with a very valuable skillset.”
Through experiments conducted on the test stand, students will learn about concepts such as sequencing circuits, series and parallel component operations, flow control, and hydraulic counterbalancing. They will also be able to witness demonstrations on the negative effects of cavitation and aeration on hydraulic circuits.
“This helps students bridge the gap between academics and practice and fosters professional preparation,” said Dr. Anthony Garcia, assistant professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Mary. “We are very grateful for the hydraulic test stand which represents an investment of both time and money and would like to acknowledge Doosan Bobcat's generous ongoing support of our program.”
The University of Mary has three tracks within its engineering program: mechanical, electrical, and civil. Mechanical has approximately 30 students in Mary’s program and is growing quickly as the median annual wage for that field is nearly $90,000, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Consequently, there are a large number of design projects and labs currently ongoing in the mechanical engineering program. The projects include: design and fabrication of crawling mechanisms, battle bots, manufacturing equipment, such as a benchtop lathe; educational demos, such as an inverted pendulum; instrumentation, such as load cells; and 3D-printed therapeutic devices.
“We also partner with other schools and departments within the University of Mary such as Occupational Therapy and Speech-Language Pathology, so students will gain experience interacting with clients and other professions,” added Garcia. “Job prospects for mechanical engineers are very good in the region. Some of our graduating seniors already have standing job offers and our students routinely get internships as soon as their sophomore year.”
This hydraulic test stand comes at the perfect time as the new School of Engineering facility plans to open its doors this August — just in time for the start of the fall semester. The new state-of-the-art facility is the repurposing of what was once the north cafeteria area located on the main level of University Hall, initially designed by world-renowned architect Marcel Breuer.
