Page 7 - TTWISpring2021

Manufacturing
electronic edition: www.manufacturingtodaywi.com Manufacturing today Wi | spring 2021, Volume 1 | page 7

High-tech ed:
ltC-plymouth science & technology Center trains future engineers, Manufacturers

cutter, a CNC lathe, two CNC simulators, a laser engraver
3-D printer, a welding training facility, engi-
neering/CAD Labs, and an industry-standard A Plymouth-based foods manufacturer
automotive lab. donated $20,000 to purchase a laser engraver,
The purchase was made possible in part which was installed in October 2018 and is
thanks to a $25,000 Fab Lab grant from the used by students in the Graphics and Woods
Wisconsin Economic Development Corpora- Processes classes. It also benefits members of
tion. the PHS Tech Club.
The Universal Laser 6.6 has an 18-by-
industrial robot 30-inch workspace and can engrave and cut
A nearby manufacturer donated $65,000 signs, designs or photos into a variety of dif-
to launch a robotics and automation program ferent materials (including wood, acrylic,
at Plymouth High School, the centerpiece of glass, and ceramic).
which is a small industrial robot. “The new laser has a duplicate feature to
The Fanuc LR Mate robot represents set up many programs at one time,” Mr. Gritt
an entire automation system — providing said. “Students can design personal projects
opportunities for such diverse positions as that they create.”
robot programmer, controls engineer, parts Wood sawmill
designer, and more. It has a 2D camera and
scanning capabilities. It is on wheels and can PHS purchased a Wood Mizer LT35
be folded up to be moved. sawmill in 2020, using Career & Technical
Jamie Piontkowski More than half of the initial cost of Education incentive money.
Plymouth School District the $1.2 million project was covered by a PHS utilizes the robot in various classes, It is being used in the Woods and Con-
Communications Coordinator grant from the U.S. Economic Development including its Computer Integrated Manufac- struction classes, where students traditionally
turing class, part of the school’s Project Lead
Plymouth Comprehensive High School Administration. The city of Plymouth pro- the Way sequence. have made projects using purchased lumber.
students and community members are better vided an additional $250,000 in economic “Students learn how to set up different “Now they can experience the complete cycle
prepared for a number of engineering and development funds; LTC and the school work planes, and set up tool planes for the of cutting a tree down, rough cutting it on the
technical careers, thanks to the LTC-Plym- district contributed $280,000 in in-kind different tools,” Mr. Gritt said. “They learn sawmill, drying the rough cuts, and producing
outh Science & Technology Center. donations. In addition, two local companies the controls of the robot, different joints and a product using the wood,” Mr. Gritt said.
The $1.2 million facility gives high- donated a high-speed packaging machine, movements it can and cannot perform. In the
school students experience with all phases and provided $45,000 in improvements to end, they’re able to program it to perform a
of the design process, taking projects from the automotive lab. task.”
conception to completion. Students design The facility continues to add compo- The donation is the third in a series of www.plymouth.k12.wi.us
projects using industry-standard CAD nents and relevancy for today’s students, initiatives resulting from a partnership with (920) 892-2661
programs, then create three-dimensional with four major equipment additions in the manufacturer, which approached PHS
models, and finally produce and finish proj- recent years — each of which came about in 2016 looking for ways to help introduce
ects using high-tech mills, lathes, and other thanks to a partnership. students to manufacturing careers. The first
machines. They also can learn robotics using CnC router collaboration was lending an engineer to
an industrial robot and metal fabrication in a demonstrate problem-solving methodol-
professional welding training facility. A new Computer Numerical Control ogy to the PHS capstone engineering class.
Engineering classes are taught by router is able to create signs, jigs, fixtures, They also collaborated with the PHS Tech
science and technology education teach- and furniture using CNC technology. Club, supplying an engine for the Panthers’
ers, all of whom are certified by Project The Forest Scientific 10-by-5-foot Formula High School car and testing the
Lead the Way. Students in Project Lead the Automatic Tool Changer Vacuum Table engine in its dyno lab.
Way classes can earn college credits from can use up to eight different tools to cut or
the Milwaukee School of Engineering, and engrave wood or aluminum. It was installed
several vocational programs carry credits in December 2018 and students began
from facility partner Lakeshore Technical working with it in early 2019.
College. The router can be used by a variety
Plymouth Comprehensive High School of classes — including Woods, Furniture
places high value on educating all students Making, Construction, CNC Programming,
– after all, Comprehensive is its middle and Computer Integrated Manufacturing —
name. Plymouth offers rigorous core classes as well as by the PHS Technology Education
and extensive electives to prepare all gradu- & Engineering Club.
ates to pursue the next stage of their lives “We have the ability to make large
– whether they are bound for college, tech- signs, furniture layout, face mill large logs,
nical school, the military, or the workforce. use Autodesk Inventor for design, use Mas-
terCAM for programming, use EnRoute
Community Collaboration for artistic design,” said PHS technology
The LTC-Plymouth Science & Tech- department leader Greg Gritt. “We are able
nology Center came about thanks to a to design in 3-D and make 3-D text and ren-
partnership involving Lakeshore Technical derings.”
College, the Plymouth School District, the The router puts the PHS woods/con-
City of Plymouth, and area businesses. Work struction curriculum on par with other
began in the fall of 2010, and the facility technology and engineering programs in the
largely was completed in time for the begin- Science & Technology Center, which already
ning of the 2011-12 school year. featured two CNC mills, a CNC plasma