Electromécanique

Master of Science in Industrial Engineering - Electromechanics

The profession

Industrial engineers with an electromechanical focus are first and foremost multi-skilled, with a solid technical background giving them a global vision in the fields of mechanical design, thermal engineering, materials, implementation, production and control of parts, electrical engineering, energy and automation.

He/she may design and size simple components intended for integration into more complex systems, while complying with the regulatory framework relating to safety and quality (compliance with standards, directives, standardisation, etc.) and optimising costs, or design these complex systems by selecting their components from suppliers and assembling them to form installations for which he/she will be responsible for manufacturing control. Once these installations are in service, he/she will also be responsible for their maintenance and reliability to increase their availability, supervising teams of specialised technicians on a daily basis.

They play an essential role at all levels (research and development, design offices, production, operations, quality control, maintenance, etc.) and in all sectors (aeronautics, machine building, energy, biomedical, pharmaceutical, chemical, food processing, special building techniques, industrial electricity, railways, etc.), which guarantees them access to their first job.

ECAM industrial engineers in electromechanics are particularly appreciated for their technical skills, but not only! Their open-mindedness, autonomy, logical reasoning and motivation to resolve any situation are also qualities sought after in the industrial world. They play an important role in a constantly changing world, which is why during their studies they will be made aware of the concepts of Corporate Social Responsibility (importance of well-being in the workplace, communication, change management, etc.), environmental aspects (concepts of sustainable development, energy transition, product life cycle, short circuits, emissions, etc.), new technologies, digitalisation, etc. so that they can meet the challenges of tomorrow.

Organisation of studies

At the end of the 3-year bachelor's program, electromechanics is one of the seven master's programs offered at ECAM. A pre-orientation choice must already have been made during the 2nd year of the bachelor's degree. The 3rd year of the bachelor's degree in electromechanics is a common preparatory year for the electromechanics and automation majors.

ECAM's electromechanical engineering course is designed to be close to the realities of the field, with 45% theory and 55% practical activities (laboratories, exercises, projects, TFE, etc.). Electromechanics students will have the opportunity to put into practice and consolidate their theoretical knowledge through these practical activities, but also, on a voluntary basis, through various projects such as the Shell Eco-Marathon project (international automobile competition aimed at promoting research into very low consumption vehicles), the 4L Trophy project (a humanitarian rally-raid aimed at providing schooling for as many children living below the poverty line in the Moroccan desert as possible, using a 4L restored by the students), the 24h 2CV project (restoration of a 2CV to take part in the 24h 2CV race on the Spa-Francorchamps circuit), the 24h vélo de Louvain-la-Neuve (creation of a folklo bicycle combining mechanical design and manufacturing), and internal school projects such as the sustainable development unit, the Fablab project, etc.

Final learning outcomes targeted by the training of industrial engineers with a focus on electromechanics.

In order to achieve level 7 of the European Qualifications Framework (EQF) and in line with the ARES skills reference framework, at the end of the Master's degree in Industrial Engineering Sciences, electromechanical specialisation, the student will be able to :

*Final learning outcomes*	*Themes*
AAT1: compiling information AAT2: validate the relevance of information AAT3: justify the choice of a methodology or test protocol appropriate to the problem posed AAT4: Critique the results obtained and the approach used	Application of scientific research methods, techniques and tools to a research or industrial project
AAT5: analyse (using technical and scientific knowledge and the tools and methods specific to the engineer) an existing system (or a need, a risk, etc.). AAT6: design a solution adapted to the problem posed (via modelling, sizing, etc.) while complying with the regulatory framework in force AAT7: manage the implementation of the proposed solution with an overall vision of the project, while incorporating it into a continuous improvement process AAT8: incorporate aspects of Corporate Social Responsibility (well-being at work, awareness of responsibilities, ethical issues, sustainable development, etc.) into their day-to-day work.	Global project management
AAT9: communicate both orally and in writing, adapting the form and content to the target audience (management, sales staff, experts or non-experts, etc.), in several languages.	Oral and written communication
AAT10: adapt to the context in which they will be required to carry out their job, while demonstrating autonomy, a spirit of collaboration,... AAT11: regularly develop their knowledge, skills and attitudes (precision, rigour, critical thinking, etc.) as part of a continuous improvement approach.	Personal leadership

Electromechanical engineering training courses.

In order to achieve these 11 learning outcomes at the end of the Master's degree in electromechanics, a number of areas have been developed:

- Mechanical and thermal axis

- mechanical design, production and materials

- Electricity

- Control and automation

Alongside these 4 areas, ‘cross-disciplinary skills’ are being developed.

These different areas of training are briefly described below:

The mechanical and thermal axis, itself composed of thermodynamics (study of the thermal and mechanical actions that a fluid exchanges with its environment, notions of cycles, etc.), fluid mechanics (study of fluid flow in pipes, concepts of pressure losses, heat transfer, etc.), HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning) techniques, operating installations (pumps, fans, compressors, etc.), prime movers (combustion engines, steam engine cycles, turbines, etc.) as well as the energies that link this area with electricity (current energy context, fossil fuels, nuclear energy, renewable energies, etc.).
Mechanical design, production and materials, through which students will create an electromechanical assembly, from its design to its production and inspection, by learning design software (mainly Autocad and Solidworks), manufacturing methods (3D printing, machining (turning/milling), laser cutting, etc.), notions of metrology, etc. Students will also be taught digital finite element analysis methods so that they can establish digital models adapted to the mechanical problem. Alongside this design, knowledge of materials, their behaviour and their shaping techniques is essential, which is why metallic, polymeric, ceramic and composite materials will also be covered during the course. Finally, the concepts of maintenance and reliability will also be covered. Electricity, itself divided into 2 main themes: the distribution of electrical energy (Medium Voltage / Low Voltage networks, electrical equipment, plans and electrical schematics) and electrical engineering (electrical machines and their control through power electronics, electrical measurements).
Electricity, itself divided into 2 main areas: the distribution of electrical energy (Medium Voltage/Low Voltage networks, electrical equipment, electrical drawings and diagrams) and electrical engineering (electrical machines and their control through power electronics, electrical measurements).
Regulation and automation, itself divided into 3 main areas: regulation and control of dynamic systems, industrial automation (PLC, industrial computing, pneumatics, automation architectures, etc.) and industrial instrumentation (measuring instruments and actuators).
The ‘cross-disciplinary skills’ axis, which includes 3 main areas:

- Management in the broadest sense (accounting, economics and finance, human resources management, communication, ethics, etc.);

- Proficiency in at least one foreign language;

- IT tools and methodology (functional analysis and development cycles, Agile methods, databases, etc.).

Learning to work independently, project management and planning, teamwork, etc. are also developed in the 2 placements and during the final year's work.

Labs

In order to apply all the concepts mentioned above, many laboratories provide students with cutting-edge equipment in various fields:

- Thermal engineering laboratory (HVAC installation, heat exchangers, thermal cameras, etc.)
- Mechanical manufacturing laboratory (computer-aided design software, machining, welding, laser cutting, 3D printers, composites processing, traction machine, etc.)
- Automation laboratory (PLC programming to automate an electro-pneumatic mini-factory, Matlab-Simulink, control and regulation of dynamic systems, flow/displacement/pressure/level/temperature sensors, etc.)
- Industrial electricity laboratory (transformers, alternators, asynchronous machines, choppers and inverters, DC motors, frequency inverters, etc.)

Shell Eco-Marathon

HVAC installation

Machining

Computer-aided design

Welding

Characterization of materials

Power electronics

24h 2CV Spa-Francorchamps