Alumni facilitate machine donation for Penn College students

The recent efforts of two Pennsylvania College of Technology alumni and the generosity of their employer will impact the next generation of manufacturing and machining students. The duo of Clinton Bettner and Kyle Baker helped facilitate the donation of a die-sinking EDM machine from the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory to the college.

“We are very grateful for the proactive support of our alumni and APL to supply the college with the used die-sinking machine. The technology will be a tremendous complement to our four wire-EDM machines, providing another opportunity for students to develop advanced hands-on skills to make them real-world ready,” said Bradley M. Webb, dean of engineering technologies.

During electrical discharge machining, controlled electrical sparks cut or shape electrically conductive materials submerged in deionized water. The process produces intricate and durable components for critical industries. A wire EDM relies on a thin wire, about twice the thickness of a human hair, to cut through metal to create 2D profiles. A die-sinking EDM uses a custom-shaped electrode, usually made of graphite or copper, that is pressed into a workpiece, eroding the metal to form cavities or molds.

“The die-sinking EDM will be incorporated into our electrical discharge machining class, which is a required course for manufacturing and machining students,” Webb said. “I imagine our Baja SAE team also will be using the machine to produce parts. They can make radial and helical gears for their car with it.”

Baja SAE is a collegiate competition that requires schools to design, manufacture and assemble a single-seat, all-terrain vehicle to survive various performance tests.

Bettner, a 2017 applied technology studies graduate and former captain of the Penn College Baja SAE team, is a manufacturing engineer at APL, a not-for-profit university-affiliated research center that solves complex research, engineering and analytical problems to address critical challenges facing the United States. When Bettner learned that APL planned to retire the machine as part of an equipment modernization effort, he advocated for donating the die-sinking EDM system to his alma mater.

“Good equipment should continue creating value for as long as it can,” Bettner said. “When I found out APL was modernizing our equipment, I saw an opportunity to put the EDM system in the hands of students who could learn on the same type of technology used in industry. If it helps even a few students build the skills and confidence to launch a career in manufacturing, then it’s found the right next home.”

“Without Clinton, the die-sinking EDM would not be at Penn College,” Webb said. “He alerted us to its possible availability and then sent the machine’s specifications to ensure we could accommodate its weight and its power-supply demands. We appreciate that he thought of us and encouraged APL to donate the machine.”

Transporting the 6-ton machine from Laurel, Maryland, to Penn College’s main campus proved to be the next challenge. Hiring a company to load the die-sinking EDM and truck it to Williamsport was cost prohibitive, so Webb sent Kyle E. Betts, electronics service specialist, and Jason A. Yorks, maintenance mechanic/millwright specialist, to disassemble the machine and load the parts for transport.

Thanks to Baker, a 2012 construction management graduate from Penn College, a total disassembly proved unnecessary. In his role as a facilities and safety project manager for APL, Baker found a date when he could have riggers load the intact machine onto the college’s lowboy at no cost.

“That was a critical component in finalizing the donation,” Webb said. “Once again, a proud Penn College alumnus stepped up for the institution.”

Instead of taking the entire die-sinking EDM apart, Betts and York just had to remove its fluid and control panel to reduce the weight for the eventual trip to campus. That occurred about two weeks later when Ken Bashista and Andrew P. Keister, laboratory technicians for diesel equipment technology, transported the machine to campus.

A crew from Allison Crane & Rigging placed the die-sinking EDM in the Larry A. Ward Machining Technologies Center. Since then, Betts has rewired the control panel, and Yorks has restored the fluid for the machine, which is valued at $10,000.

“Once we hook up the main power and have the machine’s fire suppression system serviced, it will be ready to go for the fall semester,” Webb said. “It’s truly been a team effort. It’s a wonderful example of alumni, a well-respected entity like APL and the college coming together to benefit tomorrow’s students.”

For information about Penn College’s manufacturing and machining programs 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.