A graduate from the Technological University of the Shannon (TUS) has been recognised for excellence in automation engineering.
Building on previous success, Leanne Tormey, from Killucan, Co. Westmeath, has won the Honour’s Degree Award 2025 from the International Society of Automation (ISA) Irish Branch for her outstanding final-year project in instrumentation and control.
She was also named winner of Best Automation and Robotics Poster at the Engineering Expo 2025 hosted at TUS.
Leanne is now working with Mexx Engineering, an automation company based in Australia, an outcome that reflects TUS’s strong focus on graduate employability. The University achieved the highest graduate employment rate in Ireland for three consecutive years, according to the HEA Graduate Outcomes Survey, with 85.5% of its honours degree graduates employed or in further study within nine months.
The Honour’s Degree Award is presented annually by the International Society of Automation (ISA) Irish Branch to the top final-year degree student in Ireland specialising in instrumentation and control. Leanne, who studied Automation and Robotics at TUS, was nominated by Programme Co-ordinator Cian Bregazzi-Nevin and supervised by lecturer Padraig Cooke at TUS.
Her award-winning project focused on developing an accurate, repeatable and reliable target adjustment and calibration system for robotic milling operations using a six-axis ABB robot. Completed in collaboration with PEM Automation in Mullingar, County Westmeath, the project aimed to simplify milling target adjustments by using calibration sensor feedback to automatically adjust cutter length.
The solution combined a custom-built user interface, a non-touch human–machine interface approach and a fibre-optic sensor-based calibration method.
Extensive virtual testing using ABB RobotStudio supported early planning and simulation-based error detection, while physical testing confirmed the system’s precision, reliability and improved milling target repeatability.
Breda Lynch, Head of Department, Polymer & Mechanical Engineering, TUS, said:
“This award highlights the value of strong industry engagement and the opportunities it creates for our students. Given the opportunity to work with the company on her final-year project, Leanne excelled and delivered. It is a testament to the guidance and support of her programme co-ordinator, Cian Bregazzi-Nevin, and her project supervisor, Padraig Cooke.”
Speaking about the achievement, Leanne said: “Thanks to PEM for the opportunity to complete the project with them and for the support of TUS throughout my course. This positioned me for securing a job with a leading automation company in Australia, Mexx Engineering.”
The award reflects the strong industry collaboration embedded within TUS programmes and highlights the applied learning and innovation developed by graduates in the Automation and Robotics discipline.