At Lima, tomorrow’s engineers learn at a Ford plant

When Tony Shoup’s class recently toured a local factory, students were captivated by robotic arms assembling hydraulic cylinder components with pinpoint precision. Shoup, senior lecturer and lead faculty for Ohio State Lima’s engineering technology program, made one thing clear: “Each of you can set up these procedures. You can already do these programs.”

It wasn’t just a pep talk—it was the truth. Ohio State Lima’s engineering technology students spend their college careers inside a cutting-edge training ground: the Engineering Education and Manufacturing Center (EEMC).

The EEMC is a 40,000-square-foot facility connected to the Ford Motor Co.’s Lima Engine Plant on the north side of the city. Previously a Ford training facility, it features state-of-the-art technology within labs, classrooms, breakout rooms and a 300-seat auditorium, designed to mesh book learning and practical experience.

Lima Engine Plant manager Lamar Jones says this unique partnership serves as a model for 21st century engineering education, providing students with skills to step in immediately and be effective at Ford and other Ohio manufacturers. In addition, Jones and Ohio State Lima leaders are exploring new ways to integrate students into the plant, such as additional factory tours and sponsoring senior capstone projects. “The possibilities are endless,” he says.

Gage Myers ’25, who started a job as a manufacturing equipment engineer at the Honda plant in Anna, Ohio, after graduation, says the EEMC exemplifies the program’s hands-on curriculum, and it was integral to his Ohio State experience. “Getting to train on big stations with actual equipment bridged the gap between theory and real experiences and scenarios,” he says. “It’s a very cool setup to have all those classes attached to a real Ford plant.”

Picture high-tech classrooms with individual desktop computers. Large-screen televisions adorn walls and podium projectors are set up for presentations. Students walk into labs with robotic arms or pullies and chains, metal lathes, milling machines, 3D printers and microscopes to understand welding structures.

By the time they leave, Ohio State Lima’s engineering technology graduates are well-versed in everything from materials science to automation, electronics and industrial systems.

The highlight of the facility: a Smart Manufacturing Lab, where seniors study a connected smart manufacturing production line. In the first half of the semester, they learn how the line produces engraved tokens. In the second half of the class, they design their own product (and have to pitch their idea to win buyin). One team built a custom engraving system for aluminum business cards. Another created a process to etch Yeti tumblers with Buckeye designs.

“The whole process is a great experience,” Shoup says. “They learn automation, the process design, all of it. This whole program really makes for well-rounded students.”