The cement industry has many bright engineers at remote locations, many of whom desire to continue their education. Purdue University's Continuing Engineering Education Masters of Science in Engineering program has designed a concentration on Cement Manufacturing Technology (CMT) with the help of the Portland Cement Association to retain these engineers and attract others into the industry. The commitment required for participation and to balance work, family, and study will be significant. However, with the support and encouragement of cement companies and the industry, employees who participate in this program will have high potential for promotion, the most current engineering knowledge, and a strong desire to excel.

The curriculum for the cement manufacturing technology concentration includes classes of relevance to cement engineers and scientists. It is planned for PCA's Manufacturing Technical Committee to work with professors from Purdue, Colorado School of Mines, University of Missouri — Rolla, Georgia Technical Institute, and McGill University to develop case studies that highlight cement manufacturing technology. Professors currently working with the cement industry will be asked to participate in the program. As they become available, these case studies will be included in the classes offered as part of the CMT concentration at Purdue. And classes currently offered at these schools, that are equivalent to the courses being offered at Purdue in the CMT concentration, will be accepted for credit to the Purdue program (subject to the approval of the administrators).

For those who developed this program, the time required for student participation and the program curriculum were of greatest concern. The program curriculum was developed in consultation with Purdue and a task group of industry managers during summer 2002. Chemical engineering and environmental science were the courses of most interest to PCA member who expect to participate in this program, followed by automation and maintenance.

Plant's Responsibility

Any students enrolled in the program will require a proctor at their plant or office location. The proctor will administer tests and act as liaison with Purdue University. It is typically the human resources managers who act as proctors. Almost all PCA members and MTC members reimburse employees for tuition if the degree being sought is job-related.

As incentive for students and their employers, PCA's Manufacturing Technical Committee has committed $25,000 to a scholarship fund for early-bird students. Scholarships (of as much as $500) will be awarded for each class completed (with a B-grade or better) in this program and will be paid directly to Purdue University to reimburse future tuition for that student, until the $25,000 scholarship fund is used.

Curriculum

The curriculum includes five courses and five electives. The five core courses of the concentration (all students will take these classes) are:

• Particulate Systems (Chemical Engineering). The course will provide and overview of the fundamentals of particle science and technology, with an emphasis on concepts and practical applications. Topics covered include particle size measurement, particle characterization, sedimentation, fluidized beds, pneumatic conveying and slurry flow, gas-solid separation, bin and hopper design, particle mixing, particle size reduction and enlargement, dust hazards, and dust explosions.

• Statistical Quality Control (Industrial Engineering). The course will help the student understand the concepts involved in the application of statistical methods to industrial problems. The student will learn how to use control charts to monitor ongoing processes; to carry out capability studies; to become familiar with the concepts of acceptance sampling, tolerancing, and continuous improvement; and to acquire the rationale behind the use of various techniques. The course will cover gage R&R studies; various control charts, including X-bar; R and S charts; CUSUM charts; attribute charts, moving average charts; and exponentially weighted moving average charts. Average run lengths, design of control charts, Taguchi's contributions to quality engineering, and acceptance sampling plans will be discussed.

• Engineering Economic Analysis (Industrial Engineering). The goal of this course is to provide graduate students in Industrial Engineering with an overview of the key concepts in microeconomics. The course will cover mathematics of optimization; consumer choice and demand theory; demand estimation; production and theory of firm; an introduction to cost accounting; and market structures.

• Computer Control of Manufacturing Processes (Mechanical Engineering). Fundamental elements for manufacturing process control are presented with advanced control theories, modeling and analysis of actuators, controller architecture, interfacing, and programming. Emphasis is on computer-integrated manufacturing with computer numerical control of machine tools, automation via programmable logic controllers, motion control, process control examples, and manufacturing process monitoring.

• Capstone Project Course, in which student complete an independent project with their professor and plant advisor (or mentor) using theories and concepts introduced in previous courses. The student should seek opportunities to improve the quality of products or processes through effective engineering design. After consulting with the professor and mentor, the student submits a written proposal including 1) purpose or definition of problem, 2) intended design and scope of project, 3) approach for solving problem, 4) expected results and benefits, 5) communication process among participants, 6) time-line and milestones for completion of project, and 7) relationship between student's project and his/her normal job responsibilities (written by mentor).

Electives

Students can choose from more than 20 classes for their electives, with their employer's and advisor's guidance. The majority of the classes are from the industrial and mechanical engineering departments, including safety engineering, materials handling, heat and mass transfer, gas dynamics, and reliability-based design. There are two environmental courses, a structural stability course, and a neural-fuzzy system course to be offered by the program as electives in the future if there is demand.

Most students take one class per semester; Purdue offers three semesters per year. It is not required to take a class each semester. Classes run for 10 to 13 weeks. Typically, there are three hours of lecture per week, which can be attended live with satellite link or be watched on VHS tapes or as internet streaming video at the convenience of the student. Homework takes from one to five hours per week. Tests and tutorials will require additional time.

Registration

The Spring Semester of this program began in January 2003. Applications for admission for Fall 2003 Semester are due in June 2003. Applications for the Spring 2004 Semster are due November 2003. For more information on the program, contact:

Continuing Engineering Education
Purdue University
1312 Potter Engineering Center, Room 364
West Lafayette, IN 47907-1312
(+1) 765-494-7015; (+1) 877-598-4CEE (Toll-Free)
(+1) 765-494-6628 (Fax)
E-mail: cee@purdue.edu
Web: https://Engineering.Purdue.edu/Engr/CEE

Cement Manufacturing Professors' Colloquium

This annual one-day event is sponsored by the Portland Cement Association's Manufacturing Technical Committee and takes place in conjunction with the IEEE-IAS/PCA conference, usually held in late April or early May (see www.ieee.org/cement for future dates and locations). The colloquium is a direct outcome of the committee's visits to 20 universities in the U.S. and Canada, and has been modeled after the highly successful PCA Professors' Workshops, which focus on bridge design, pavement design, and other structures.

The core of the IEEE-IAS/PCA conferences are more than 25 technical papers sponsored by five working groups — Automation; Drives and related products; General practices and process equipment; Environmental, maintenance, and safety; and Power generation and distribution. In addition, the conference features tutorials, vendor displays, plant tours, and a safety awards ceremony.

The purpose of the Professors' Colloquium is to focus on research, information, and training related to both education and industry needs. The day will provide an opportunity for PCA and MTC members to meet professors teaching and conducting research relevant to the cement industry; learn more about the new Master of Science with the CMT concentration launched by MTC and Purdue University's distance learning program; and review case studies, such as unattended loadout, vibration energy, etc., which have been under development by members of the MTC and various university professors. In addition, university professors who conducted applied research relevant to the cement manufacturing community have been invited to present their work.

To be a part of the Professors' Colloquium and to find out about how to support and sponsor this initiative, contact Ann Dougherty, P.E., MTC Secretary at (+1) 947-972-9166, or adougherty@cement.org.