Officials from Pennsylvania College of Technology, Bruderer Machinery Inc. and TE Connectivity surround a mechanical stamping press in the college’s Gene Haas Center for Innovative Manufacturing. Bruderer Machinery, with assistance from TE Connectivity, donated the adjustable stroke press system. Nearly 100 manufacturing students have access to the equipment. From left: Bradley M. Webb, dean of engineering technologies; Tim Koppenhaver, stamping supervisor (TE Connectivity); Howard W. Troup, assistant professor and co-department head of automated manufacturing & machining; Shanin L. Dougherty, senior corporate relations officer; Tom Sheridan, technical sales engineer (Bruderer Machinery); Jason A. Yorks, maintenance mechanic/millwright specialist; and from TE Connectivity: Matt Whitcomb, engineering manager; Korey Harris, tool and die maker; Isaac Gonder, tool and die maker apprentice; and Bill Lavery, stamping manufacturing engineer (retired).
Nearly 100 Pennsylvania College of Technology students have access to a new addition to the Gene Haas Center for Innovative Manufacturing – a 20-ton mechanical stamping press.
Bruderer Machinery Inc., with assistance from TE Connectivity, donated the adjustable stroke press system and accessories, including two stamping dies. Students seeking degrees in machine tool technology, automated manufacturing technology and manufacturing engineering technology receive hands-on experience operating the machine.
“It’s like a 20-ton cookie cutter. It feeds coiled stock into the machine and then stamps and forms the metal into finished parts,” said Howard W. Troup, assistant professor and co-department head of automated manufacturing & machining. “In the past, we would show videos of how these machines work. Now, we can show students firsthand how a press system works. We can disassemble the dies to show the inner workings of the dies, and in the future, we plan to build our own dies.”
Troup’s contacts at TE Connectivity, a world leader in connectors and sensors, facilitated the press system donation from Bruderer Machinery, known internationally as a pacesetter in high-quality punching technology.
“We are excited to partner with Penn College and believe it is imperative for students to have hands-on experience in manufacturing to secure a workforce for the future,” said Alois J. Rupp, Bruderer’s president.
“Our collaboration with Pennsylvania College of Technology to build a comprehensive, hands-on stamping program will help to create a clear pathway of talent into TE Connectivity and other local companies to support the future of manufacturing in Pennsylvania,” said Matt Whitcomb, engineering manager at TE’s site in Lickdale.
Both Bruderer Machinery and TE Connectivity are members of the Visionary Society ($100,000-$499,999) on the college’s Donor Wall.
“We are grateful to Bruderer Machinery Inc. and TE Connectivity for this generous donation,” said Shanin L. Dougherty, senior corporate relations officer. “It is corporate partnerships like this that allow for industry-leading technologies to be made available to our students to broaden their education and make them competitive in the workplace.”
For information on Penn College’s manufacturing degrees and other majors offered by the School of Engineering Technologies, call 570-327-4520.
For information about Penn College, a national leader in applied technology education, email Admissions or call toll-free 800-367-9222.
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