Input from industry leaders is essential to the ILF concept and the curriculum it supports. Professor Jens E. Jorgensen has been a key member of MEEP since its inception in 1994. The ILF was officially opened for instructional use during the 1996-97 academic year. Associate Professor Dale Calkins , the first ILF Technical Director, led a team of graduate students that was responsible for the facility's success. The ILF consists of five components.
Distance conferencing software enables collaboration between students and clients.
A laser printer and a plotter are also provided. The Vectra PC workstations were provided by Hewlett-Packard, one of many industrial sponsors whose input and support were essential to taking the ILF from concept to reality. The Product Dissection Lab provides the tools and workspace where six groups of up to four students each disassemble products and reassemble them. In the five Factory Floor Work Cells students gain experience using manufacturing equipment. The Robotic Assembly Work Cell houses a Seiko industrial robot, donated by Hewlett-Packard, which is interfaced with a PC controller.