Gurun, 20 May 2026 -  Students from the School of Mechanical Engineering, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) participated in an industrial visit to Petronas Chemicals Fertiliser Kedah Sdn. Bhd. (PCFK), hosted and represented by Mr. Zakuan Ahmad, Mr. Aimin Norman, Ms. Nurul Aniqah Saiful Adli, and Ms. Siti Nur Aisyah Mokhtar. The visit, arranged by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Yu Kok Hwa, as part of the Industrial in Classroom (IIC) activity for the Heat Transfer course, to exposure students on the thermal management applications in industrial practices. It is also serve as part of the School's efforts to strengthen industry–academia engagement and bridge the gap between engineering theory and industrial application. During the visit, the students were introduced to the operation and maintenance of key mechanical systems and equipment, including pumps, compressors, turbines, heat exchangers, pressure vessels, piping systems, valves, and other rotating and static equipment.

Technical sharing by Mr. Zakuan Ahmad

The exposure provided students with a better understanding of equipment performance, preventive and predictive maintenance, condition monitoring, troubleshooting, and plant reliability. Their sharing of technical knowledge, professional experience, and insights into plant operations provided the students with a valuable perspective on the roles and responsibilities of engineers in the fertilizer and chemical processing industry. The industrial exposure directly supports several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 4 – Quality Education, through experiential and industry-based learning, and SDG 7 – Affordable and Clean Energy, through exposure to energy efficiency and optimization.

Group photo with USM mechanical engineering students