Ohio TechNet Grant funding was a critical piece in bringing Stark State College’s new manufacturing lab to fruition, said Dr. Para M. Jones, the College’s president.
“Thanks to the U.S. Department of Labor TAACCCT funding received under the Ohio TechNet Grant, Stark State was able to leverage follow-up funding from the Timken Foundation to equip our new world-class WR Timken Advanced Manufacturing Lab,” Jones said.
The lab boosts training capability for several of Stark State’s manufacturing partnerships, including one with Ariel Corporation, the world’s largest manufacturer of separable reciprocating gas compressors. The lab also is used by students in apprenticeship programs for Kyocera SGS Tool, as well as the corporate training program for Timken Research prototype technicians.
The new machinery includes:
- Four HAAS CNC lathes
- Four HAAS CNC mills
- HAAS CNC mill (5 axis capability)
- Six numerical control / manual lathes
- Five numerical control / manual mills
- Surface grinder
- Mitutoyo Coordinate Measuring Machine
- Complete simulation lab with 14 HAAS simulation trainers
- Dimensional metrology lab
- Variety of layout and tooling
The Lab also includes an additive manufacturing cell with:
- Stratasys Fortus 450 MC 3D printer
- Stratasys Objet 500 Connex3 3D printer
The Department of Labor contributed $524,288 via the TAACCCT grant and $321,585 was leveraged through other sources. Equipment has allowed Stark State College to expand training capabilities in advanced techniques desired by manufacturing companies. In response to industry demand, the lab is currently in use around the clock.
In the 2016 Fall Semester, Stark State was able to offer four NIMS credentialing exams which resulted in the awarding of more than 50 NIMS certificates. It is projected that the number of NIMS credentials awarded will increase in future semesters. As this program continues to expand, Stark State is utilizing a $20,000 Gene Haas Foundation grant to provide scholarship funding to students in need of tuition assistance.
