Electromechanics AUTUMN

Exchange courses in Electromechanics

A programme for international Exchange students who achieved at least 120 ECTS in electromechanics, on bachelor level.

Courses with Dutch as official teaching language have tutoring and course material in English.

AUTUMN 2025

*Tutoring and course material available in English.

**Students can only register for this course in one semester, Autumn or Spring

*** Students that register for Technical Project (autumn semester) can’t register for Project Mechatronics (spring semester).

Language courses 

Course content 

For official course catalogue information check the course catalogue: 

Course Catalogue 2025-2026 (available from june 2025).

Below you can find a description of the course contents.

International Bachelor Project

Students do a bachelor project in the field of climatization, maintenance or electromechanics genaraly and incoming students are usually enrolled in a research project of our own research group. 

An important objective is that a student learns to work individually and to solve a problem. The student has to analyse the problem, search for different solutions and work out a plan. The student needs to collect knowledge in different ways, bring this knowledge and the results of the practical work together and needs to make a report/paper in which the entire project is described.In this bachelor project, practical work is always combined with a theoretical background of the subject.

On the one hand, the aim of the bachelor's thesis is to establish contact between future professional bachelors and business reality with a view to future professional life. On the other hand, the activities during the Bachelor's thesis will make an important contribution to the final year's thesis. We try to achieve this by having the student realize a project within a business environment and under professional guidance. The description, definition and planning of the project are done in consultation with the promoter of the study program. The bachelor's thesis consists of a theoretical and / or practical approach to a technological problem in one of the specializations of the chosen specialization. 

Entrepreneural project 

Students create the blueprint of a (fictitious) technical company, developing a well-considered business plan for a specific product of service. Doing so, they learn the basics of business management, market research, technical development and financial management.

Global engagement

For this course students need to work independently and do assignments of their own choice.  This course tests the following competences:

• Intercultural competences
• International competences
• Sustainable competences

Robotics

The student learns how to program  industrial robots. Various offline simulation and programming systems and different robot configurations are used for this.

The first lab sessions are devoted to a general introduction and an overview of the various lab tests. From the 2nd lab week, the students work in groups of 2 to 3 students.

For a number of weeks, each group is given the assignment to specialize in one of the lab assignments, by supplementing or adjusting the available lab text, learning to work with the 3D simulation and offline programming system, looking for additional information and making a new lab assignment for this system. All this is written down in a  report.

Then the 'specialists' become the clients for the other groups and the implementers evaluate the execution of the lab assignment. The implementers in turn make a report of the lab assignment and evaluate the 'specialists'. In addition, each group is asked to search for information on topics that are used or related to robot setups, such as conveyor belts, grippers, ... Students must collect this information and write it out clearly in a report, after which a presentation is also given about the subject.

Project skills 1

This course teaches English communication skills combined with project skills.

Technical project 

During the lessons of Technical project all research competences are discussed, in particular: orienting (1), aiming (2), planning and design (3), collecting and saving (4), processing (5), concluding (6) and reporting and presenting (7) and evaluating (8).

The students are taught the research competences by applying them in a project. They are presented with a topic, have to formulate a problem definition, look up and collect information, process this information into a structured whole, formulate conclusions and report and finally evaluate them. The instruction language and working language for this project is English.

The student can apply the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a project.

The communication lessons and the technical guidance will be provided in English

Reverse Engineering & Product Lifecycle Management

The student learns to do a simple sustainability analysis of a 3D assembly. The student can explain the impact of design choises

The student can integrate Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) in the design.

Prior knowledge of 3D modelling is used to create bigger and more complex assemblies.

The student learns to convert real life objects to 3D-files through 3D-scanning. These scan results are repaired and joined to a usable result in a 3D application (reverse engineering). Different reverse engineering techniques from different CAD applications will be used.

In the basics of Finite Elements Analysis (FEA) the student learns to set parameters and learns to interprete the results. The FEA calculations are limited to force calculations and fatigue.

Reverse engineering & Finite Elements Analysis

The student can design big 3D-assemblies by using smart components (self made or available in libraries).

The student can make a 3D-scan and convert this via reverse engineering to a workable result in a 3D-CAD application.

Learning content

Prior knowledge of 3D modelling is used to create bigger and more complex assemblies.

The student learns to convert real life objects to 3D-files through 3D-scanning. These scan results are repaired and joined to a usable result in a 3D application (reverse engineering). Different reverse engineering techniques from different CAD applications will be used.

In the basics of Finite Elements Analysis (FEA) the student learns to set parameters and learns to interprete the results. In the FEA calculations Force calculatiosn, fatigue, motion and flow are covered.

Ventilation techniques and air treatment 1

In the course Ventilation techniques and air treatment, the student learns the importance of ventilation in homes, offices and industry. To this end, the student learns to combine the Belgian standard NBN D50-001 with the EPB legislation on ventilation, the STS ventilation and the Technical Information of the BBRI. Various exercises are made about flow calculations. In addition to the ventilation losses, the operation of different types of installations, an overview of the different types of installations in relation to the E-level, the principle of heat exchangers and heat recovery systems is also discussed. The types of controls and the reduction factors of demand-driven ventilation are discussed in the lab in the practical setups. Measurement tasks for pressures, flow rates, power, relative humidity and temperature are among the standard tests that are carried out. In addition to home ventilation, the student is familiarized with the problems and calculation method with and of humid air. Through various extensive exercises, the student learns to size a ventilation installation for the summer and winter regime. Finally, the student is introduced (partly in the lab) to the main components of residential and non-residential ventilation installations (valves, grilles, filters, fans, air heaters and air coolers and humidification equipment). The rules of good craftsmanship for the installation of systems are also taught.

Ventilation techniques and air treatment 2

Maintenance of a ventilation system is taught on the basis of the description of the need for maintenance, but also the practical implementation of maintenance of systems and appliances is discussed. Based on the acquired knowledge, rules of good practice are applied in a number of examples that also include the systems within the university of applied sciences itself. Some special systems such as systems for hospitals and cleanrooms are viewed as more complex practical examples. A design of a ventilation system is made according to the standard NBN EN 13779 (supplemented by the EPB legislation) for non-residential ventilation. This exercise starts simply with the ventilation of a room and progresses to an air treatment system for an entire building. For this, mainly in the lab, documentation from the industry is used. A complete system is being developed. During the design, a complete pressure loss calculation must also be performed on the installation in order to be able to select the correct fan. In the lab, tests are carried out on maintenance on systems and ducts (including reporting) and leak measurements are done on installed systems.

HVAC - Acoustic and Thermal Comfort

The student knows the concepts human thermoregulation, energy balance and thermal energy exchange to environment.

The student can describe the impact of comfort on the task performance.

The student can calculate the impact of clothing and human activity.

The student can interprete the numbers for PMV and PPD to make a prediction of the comfort level.

The student can calulate sound levels in a HVAC system, in buildings and surroundings. The student can also give solutions for acoustic problems in these systems.

Learning content

Describing comfort objectively is difficult tos ome. In this course the basic comfort subjects are:

human thermoregulation, energy balance, thermal energy exchange with the environment, comfort on task performance, clothing, human acitivity, PMV and PPD, prediction of comfort level.

Sound and sound reduction in an HVAC system becomes an important comfort parameter. The student learns to make akoustic calculations for systems, buildings and surrounding. Practical solutions and measurements give the student the tools for advising and implementing good acoustic practises in the future.

Summer School English

An intensive English language course (held before the start of the other courses) for incoming and outgoing PXL students (45 hours divided over 7 days, not on Saturday and Sunday).

In order to determine your level you'll have to complete a written intake and an oral intake interview before the start of the Summer School on 10/9 on campus in Hasselt. 

Using authentic material, this course gives you the best possible chance of making the most of your educational opportunities and it provides help in developing essential skills for your career. You'll also make a field trip to get to know Hasselt and your fellow students.

With the focus on general English you will be given the opportunity to practice on:

• Writing reports, essays …
• Giving presentations, seminar discussions …
• Taking notes on the main points of a lectures …
• Understanding main ideas in paragraphs and longer texts …
• Brief recapitulation of the main grammar items…

Survival Dutch

You will learn the basics of the Dutch language so you will be able to take the bus/train, find your way in Hasselt or order a pint in a pub.There is a strong focus on communication, listening to conversations by native speakers and understanding the (basic) contents. 

Subjects:

• Meeting and greeting, on the road
• In town: shopping - eating – drinking – washing clothes
• The alphabet, pronunciation
• Numbers, time, dates
• Going out, making an appointment
• Health, going to the doctor and pharmacy.

The lectures will take place during 9 weeks (sept-dec), this with a frequency of 3 hours (evening) a week. 

English for eXchange

In this course, students learn how to communicate in an international (professional) context. Students work on their general language skills as well as improve their language competences so that they can function in an international working environment.

This course is designed to practice the four communicative skills: reading, writing, listening and speaking by e.g.:

• reading newspaper articles and short stories and understanding the (basic) contents;
• deriving the meaning of selected vocabulary items from a text;
• writing formal/neutral (professional) and informal emails or letters;
• listening to conversations by native speakers and understanding the (basic) contents;
• watching short movie fragments and understanding the (basic) contents;
• expressing one's opinion about topics of general or professional interest;
• having everyday (professional) conversations/performing role plays.

The exact contents of the course is subject to change and is open to suggestions by students. Students extend their vocabulary by reading real life texts, listening to conversations by native speakers and by having conversations and playing role plays.

They study grammar items by doing exercises and will have to put these grammatical items into practice in conversations and in writing.

The lectures will take place during 9 weeks (sept-dec), this with a frequency of 3 hours (evening) a week.