Partnership engineering training (FIP) can be undertaken with an apprenticeship contract (students aged under 30) or on the continuing education track (age over 30). Engineers are awarded the INSA Strasbourg diploma, specialization mechatronics-DeutschINSA in partnership with ITTI Alsace (Institute of industrial engineering techniques Alsace). The CFAI Alsace (industrial apprentices’ training center) is responsible for running and administering the course.

aims

To train hands-on engineers who are versatile and directly operational in the fields of mechanics, data processing and electronics in a Franco-German context.

Mechatronics is a combination of mechanical and electrical engineering, automatic controls and data processing. This multidisciplinary approach makes it possible to design and implement complex systems (transport, robotics, production, etc.). Mechatronics now feature in all technical products and at all stages of their life cycle.

The mechatronics sandwich course is recognized under the student status created in 1991.

Training that looks towards the factory of the future

Mechatronics engineers trained on a sandwich course are well prepared for the factory of the future and are therefore able to work in both design and production:

  • in designing connected machinery and products
    • parametric design based on PLM (Product Life Management) logic
    • rapid prototyping/additive manufacturing
    • sensor integration and signal processing
    • design and modeling of control systems
  • in production, they are capable of intervening at workstation level to integrate a process on a piece of connected equipment:
    • management of product diversity on the production line
    • workstation monitoring
    • integration of robots/cobots into a production line
    • management of HMIs
    • integration of field bus or IP network issues

Within the company, they are capable of collaborating with colleagues in different skills areas to integrate constraints such as energy efficiency and computer network security.

Franco-German context

This course takes place in a Franco-German context:

  • Franco-German environment in the company (customers, suppliers, documentation, etc.)
  • some technical teaching at INSA in German and a semester of training in German at the end of Year 2 (technical German lessons are given at INSA for three semesters to prepare for this semester in Germany).

It is possible to do the practical part in a German company, within the framework of the cross-border apprenticeship program (legislative texts are in the process of evolution, it is necessary to get information and to anticipate if you wish to benefit from this program).

Course program

The course runs over 3 years and includes academic training, mainly provided by INSA Strasbourg, and on-the-job training.

During the three-year course, each student is supervised by two tutors: a company tutor and an academic tutor. Their task is to support the student in his or her studies in a number of ways:

  • completing tracking sheets, assessed at the end of each in-company period,
  • dual tutoring on the key projects in the course
  • participating in different class panels,

In Year 1, students alternate between school and company every two weeks (2 weeks at INSA, 2 weeks in the company).

The on-the-job training is overseen by an apprentice supervisor and a tutor who is a member of the academic staff at INSA.
In Year 2, the first semester is spent mainly in the company and gives rise to a project enabling the student to hone his or skills and gain in autonomy. The second semester is devoted to academic training in Germany.
In Year 3, the apprentices study different areas in greater depth and prepare their final course project (PFE) in the company.

On-the-job training

The host company’s job is to support the student in his or her development, to move on from a technician’s role to an engineer’s role.

Training objectives are set for each year of the course: awareness of companies and their environment and participation in the performance of technical assignments in Year 1, implementation of projects on a larger and larger scale in Year 2, practical application of knowledge acquired through the autonomous conducting of a “complex” project in Year 3.

Cooperation between IUT Louis Pasteur in Schiltigheim and INSA Strasbourg: German Module

A cooperation between the two higher education institutions enables the students of the IUT Louis Pasteur to improve their German language skills and to benefit from a special regulation for admission to the Franco-German sandwich course at the INSA.

The German Module is aimed at students enrolled in a DUT génie industriel et maintenance or a DUT mesures physiques with sufficient German language skills (at least B1 = 2nd foreign language at school).

More information (in French) here.

Skills of the mechatronics engineer

Mechatronics involves seeing the product as a whole and the mechatronics engineer needs to have a good general grounding in engineering sciences, which can be developed further as required.

General skills of an INSA Strasbourg-trained mechatronics engineer:

  • mechanical design of systems (product development methodology, computer-assisted design, dimensioning)
  • selecting and integrating actuators, pre-actuators and sensors
  • carrying out simple programming in embedded systems
  • designing and producing simple PCBs
  • setting up production on a numerically controlled machine tool, using computer-assisted manufacturing techniques
  • setting up a test bed
  • designing an automated industrial system taking account of the different parts (mechanical, electrical, automatic, etc.) and putting it into operation (“Industry 4.0” component)

Openings

Design offices: product or process design or improvement manager

Research & development: engineer in charge of innovation projects

Engineering consultancy: organization studies, technical projects

Other technical and business functions

Contacts

Head of department: Marc Vedrines

In charge of the Franco-German double diploma : Lotta Resch

Training assistant: Françoise Bischoff

This course is organized in partnership with ITII Alsace : Micaèle Gelhausen