PHILADELPHIA--The American Competitiveness Institute (ACI) has created a factory that will teach manufacturers about the technologies for assembling power electronic devices at high volumes.

In particular, the ACI's Power Electronics Teaching Factory will focus on producing the power electronic building block (PEBB), a universal power processor that can convert a wide range of electrical power input into any desired form of voltage, current or frequency output.

The factory will offer both classroom and hands-on training with an automated assembly line. It will also be used to evaluate new designs, materials and manufacturing methods for power electronic devices.