On Thursday, 30th April, Horner Automation was proud to participate in the ATU Engineering Exhibition and Competition 2026 held at the Atlantic Technological University (ATU) Galway City Campus.
The annual engineering exhibition brought together students from Agricultural, Biomedical, Energy, Manufacturing, Mechanical, Automation and Robotics disciplines, where they presented a wide variety of innovative projects, poster displays, and practical engineering solutions developed throughout the academic year to industry representatives and visitors attending the event.

As one of the sponsors of the competition, Horner Automation also participated in the judging panels alongside several other industry partners. Specifically in Panel 5, focused on Integrated Projects from Year 1, Year 2, and Year 3 non-award students, company representatives evaluated projects based on innovation, technical implementation, functionality, and presentation.

One of the standout projects selected during the judging process was an Injection Molding Machine developed using the Horner XL7 Prime Controller. The machine produced a medical device designed to organize guidewires used during cardiovascular surgery, demonstrating a practical application combining manufacturing automation and biomedical engineering. The material used during the process was polypropylene.
The project also highlighted the advantages of the Horner XL7 Prime Model 6 controller within industrial automation applications. The controller was selected due to its integrated all-in-one architecture, combining a built-in logic engine, operator interface, networking capabilities, and onboard I/O in a single device. This allowed the students to simplify the machine design while maintaining effective control, visualization, and communication throughout the system.

The winning team members were Ben Ronan, Ronan O’Neill, Gabriel Castor, David Dineen, Róisín Denning, and Stephen Rattigan.
David Dineen, part of the winning team will complete a 3-month internship at Horner Automation, where he will gain hands-on experience in industrial automation, including Horner PLCs, I/O systems, and software, while also contributing to small-scale engineering projects.
The event highlighted the strong collaboration between industry and education, providing students with valuable exposure to engineering professionals while allowing companies to engage directly with emerging engineering talent and innovative ideas.