Out of 32 teams across the nation, Calhoun Community College’s student manufacturing team places 2nd at the 2022 Project MFG National Championship in Wichita, Kansas.
According to Tad Montgomery, Calhoun machine tool technology instructor, the two-day integrated manufacturing competition tests the skill sets of students from across the country in welding, programming, and machining. “This is one of our most exciting competitions,” says Montgomery. “Not only are our manufacturing students able to showcase what they learn daily through our course curriculum, but they are also gaining real-world experience when they compete on such a level with other students,” he adds.
Each team is presented with a tight budget as well as a challenge to create a product that is to be built using the required specifications. Just as in today’s manufacturing industry, they are charged hourly rates against their budgets. “Competitions such as these are what sets Calhoun’s manufacturing training apart from other institutions,” commented John Holley, Calhoun’s dean of technologies. “We try our best to provide our students with as many real-world hands-on training opportunities as possible that place them in situations to think and solve problems strategically. When we hear from area industry leaders, they tell us those are the skills desired in conjunction with our manufacturing training,” added Holley.
Calhoun’s team consisted of members who possessed skills in CNC 5-axis programming, welding, metrology, and CNC 5-axis machining. Those competencies were necessary as judges scored the projects based on programming and production time, tooling and material costs, as well as overall quality. All machining components were inspected for dimensional size and geometric tolerances. The welding portion of the competition consisted of aluminum and steel tanks that had to withstand pressure testing, as well as adhere to a weld procedure standard.
Only four teams were chosen as national champions, and Calhoun was one, finishing in 2nd place, and also making it the team’s second national championship win in this annual competition. The event was recorded and will be aired this fall as was the previous year’s competition on “Clash of the Trades”. “Calhoun’s performance in Project MFG exemplifies the quality of training the college provides students in advanced manufacturing,” says Montgomery. “The Department of Defense is working diligently to highlight these types of programs as well as the critical shortage for such skilled manufacturing workers. Such individuals are desperately needed to drive our economy and produce the systems used to protect our nation,” Montgomery added.
Calhoun boasts close to 100% job placement for its manufacturing degree programs. To learn more about Calhoun’s technology programs, visit www.calhoun.edu/technologies.
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