Trade Up: FSCJ’s large, fully automated semiconductor lab is first of its kind in Florida

A new lab at Florida State College at Jacksonville is giving students a chance to learn advanced manufacturing on a scale and with a level of automation that make it the first of its kind in Florida.Click here for more Trade Up stories.The lab’s size and fully automated setup set it apart, said Chris Lee, FSCJ’s associate dean of engineering and industry. Students can practice with the kinds of technology and processes used in semiconductor manufacturing — learning from mistakes in a training environment before stepping onto a factory floor.“Here, they learn about electricity. They learn about pneumatics. They learn quality control, AI inspection,” Lee said. Training also includes programmable logic controllers, human-machine interfaces, robotics, mechatronics, and autonomous vehicles.Semiconductors are made from silicon, a material found in sand, and are used to make computer chips. Those chips are in everyday products including phones, cars and televisions.Lee said the goal is to hel