WEST LAFAYETTE — Purdue University has expanded its partnership with Rittal and Eplan with the opening of two new engineering technology labs designed to give students hands-on experience with technologies used in modern manufacturing.
Purdue and the two companies celebrated the opening Tuesday, Sept. 15, in Dudley Hall.
The Eplan Electrical Engineering Technology Projects Lab and the Rittal Technology Manufacturing Lab are part of a five-year collaboration between Purdue and the companies, which are sister companies within Germany-based Friedhelm Loh Group.
The partnership was announced in October 2025 and is focused on workforce development, smart manufacturing, and preparing students for careers in advanced manufacturing and engineering technology.
The new labs will give students access to digital engineering, electrical design, physical infrastructure and automation technologies used in industry.
Students will be able to work with connected systems that demonstrate the process from engineering design and documentation through system configuration, assembly, and production.
Daniel Castro, dean of Purdue Polytechnic Institute, said the labs will provide students with practical experience that can prepare them for careers across a variety of industries.
“The Rittal and Eplan labs present a unique environment where Purdue students can develop hands-on experience with tools and processes that are critical to a vast array of tech-focused industries,” Castro said.
He said incorporating the companies’ technologies into Purdue’s curriculum will help students understand the connection between design and production.
The labs are part of Purdue’s School of Engineering Technology and are intended to reflect the way modern manufacturers increasingly connect digital engineering with physical infrastructure and automated production.
Sebastian Seitz, CEO of Eplan, said students need to understand how different parts of engineering and manufacturing work together.
“Giving students the opportunity to learn in an environment that reflects the realities of modern industry will help them enter the workforce ready to contribute, innovate, and lead,” Seitz said.
The partnership extends beyond the two new laboratories.
As part of the five-year collaboration, Purdue is serving as the primary U.S. academic research partner within the Rittal + Eplan Partner Network.
The partnership also includes plans for scholarships, internships, workforce development opportunities, and joint research and development projects.
University officials said the collaboration is intended to help create a pipeline of workers with skills needed in industries such as automotive, aerospace, and manufacturing.
