Automated Manufacturing & Machining Articles

The foundation for a global manufacturer is recognizing Pennsylvania College of Technology’s commitment to the skilled workforce with an endowed scholarship at the school. The Herman O. West Foundation awarded a $100,000 grant to Penn College to establish the scholarship.

Eight students from the widest variety of academic majors ever to represent Pennsylvania College of Technology at the National Leadership and Skills Conference returned home with medals – including first-time successes in three competitive areas.

Team members standing in front of a massive Caterpillar D11 bulldozer manufactured nearby are (from left) Mark A. Turek, Travis Scholtz, Darian P. Trego, Shujaa AlQahtani, Trevor M. Clouser, Logan B. Goodhart, Nathan M. Eckstein, Johnathan T. Capps, John D. Kleinfelter, Matthew J. Nyman and Clinton R. Bettner. Not pictured are Michael A. Oldroyd-Costello and faculty adviser John G. Upcraft.

A determined group of Pennsylvania College of Technology students overcame the elements and 100-plus other schools for a strong showing in the marquee event of a renowned international competition. Penn College placed fifth out of 107 teams in the four-hour endurance race at Baja SAE Kansas.

Evan M. Woods (left) and Kyle H. Fox receive their diplomas Sunday from President Davie Jane Gilmour. Two Penn College baseball players, unable to attend commencement due to North Eastern Athletic Conference playoffs in Lewisburg, were awarded their diplomas prior to Sunday's championship game.

Five students in manufacturing-related majors are the beneficiaries of a $20,000 grant from the Gene Haas Foundation to Pennsylvania College of Technology. The foundation, established in 1999 by the owner of Haas Automation Inc., furnishes scholarship grants to institutions that provide education and training in CNC (computer-numeric controlled) machining.

While most of their classmates were celebrating the end of finals, a dedicated group of Pennsylvania College of Technology students remained ensconced in a machining lab, laboring on a project begun last summer. Their “exam” will be 1,100 miles from campus in late May.

All 25 members of Pennsylvania College of Technology’s SkillsUSA team, including more than half moving on to national competition June 19-23 in Louisville, Kentucky, were medalists during the Pennsylvania Leadership and Skills Conference held late last month in Hershey.

A campus with one of the nation's oldest continuing automotive programs was a fitting venue for a pair of events: a Saturday car show sponsored by the Classic Cruisers Club and the Penn College Motorsports Association, followed by a Sunday visit from members of the Hershey Chapter of the Antique Automobile Club of America. – Photos by Tom Wilson, writer/editor-PCToday

A manufacturing-related major promoting versatile, recession-proof skills is being added to Pennsylvania College of Technology’s academic portfolio this fall. The new metal fabrication technology associate degree will furnish students with well-rounded skills in welding, machining and sheet metal fabrication.