Automated Manufacturing & Machining Articles

A global machine tool builder has donated machinery to benefit the Baja SAE team and academic programs at Pennsylvania College of Technology. Hardinge Inc. recently provided the college with an XR 1000 high-performance vertical machining center. Valued at $144,900, the milling machine is equipped with the latest spindle technology and configured for 4-axis machining.

Sen. Tracy Pennycuick, chair of the state Senate Communications & Technology Committee, was among those visiting on Wednesday, impressed by a variety of instructional areas alongside Penn College administrators, state Sen. Gene Yaw and legislative colleagues.

Pennsylvania College of Technology manufacturing students will benefit from a new machine provided at a discounted rate by a worldwide leader in tool measuring, inspection and management technology. Approximately 100 students per year seeking two- and four-year manufacturing-related degrees will use the ZOLLER smile Pilot 4.0 presetter, provided by ZOLLER Inc. Valued at $44,482.50, the company sold the equipment – including a software upgrade and full options package – to the college for $15,850.

Pennsylvania College of Technology students added a new chapter to their history of success at Baja SAE with a recent top-10 finish in the competition’s premier event. At Baja SAE Ohio, Penn College placed ninth in the four-hour endurance race, considered the toughest test at the international showcase. Schools are required to design, manufacture and build a single-seat, all-terrain, four-wheel-drive vehicle to survive various challenges.

Pennsylvania College of Technology students eyeing manufacturing-related careers will benefit from a machine entrustment valued at $625,000. The Bihler 4 Slide-NC is a high-tech metal stamping and forming center entrusted to the college for two years by Otto Bihler Maschinenfabrik and Bihler of America Inc.

As part of a PAsmart “Advancing K-12 Computer Science & STEM Education” grant received by Pennsylvania College of Technology from the Pennsylvania Department of Education, 24 middle school educators recently convened on campus for a weeklong hands-on externship.

The founder and president of a Troy-based manufacturer with global reach is honoring his roots through an enduring commitment to Pennsylvania College of Technology. From scholarships to internships, John M. Estep has created a strong bond between E-Tech Industrial Corp. and his alma mater. Estep is a 1974 mechanical drafting alumnus of Penn College predecessor institution Williamsport Area Community College.

During the past decade, Pennsylvania College of Technology’s Baja SAE team members have journeyed more than 20,000 miles to test their talent. Next year, they will travel less than 10 from main campus to do that. Penn College will host a Baja SAE competition May 16-19 at its Schneebeli Earth Science Center near Montgomery and Allenwood. Dubbed Baja SAE Williamsport, the international event is expected to attract 80-plus teams and about 800 competitors.

Pennsylvania College of Technology students received nearly a third of all scholarships from a national foundation devoted to skilled manufacturing careers. Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs – the foundation of the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association International – awarded the $1,500-$2,500 scholarships to full-time undergraduate students enrolled in a certificate or degree program leading to a manufacturing career.

Two representatives of Beijing Prepare Education Technology Co., a China-based education consultancy that supports those wishing to complete their university degrees overseas, visited Penn College on Tuesday.