For Immediate Release
Contact: Kim Schmelz, Foundation Director
Phone: 608.822.2379
Mail: 1800 Bronson Blvd., Fennimore, WI 53809
Date of Release: August 21, 2019
Students Introduced to Manufacturing at Southwest Tech Camp
Fennimore -Fennimore –
Students from across Southwest Wisconsin recently learned how things are made while attending Southwest Tech’s Mastercam Mill 2D camp, a two-week day camp in Richland Center July 29 – Aug. 9.
Participants of the camp worked with Southwest Tech instructor, Jason Robbins to use software to create and machine pockets, slots, bosses, holes and engraved details in Computer Numerical Control (CNC) milled parts the first week of the camp. The first week also included a tour of S&S Cycle in Viola, Wisconsin. S&S Cycle manufactures v-twin engine parts and ships them throughout the world. On the tour, employees of S&S Cycle showed students what is involved to take a concept from design into a finished product.
During the second week of the camp, participants in the course were able to machine the parts they had designed. To emphasize how the skills they learned are applied in the work world, students were hosted to a tour at Vortex Optics in Barneveld, Wisconsin. In addition to seeing how Vortex hunting scopes and binoculars are manufactured, the students were able to ask questions and see the design process in action as they met with the Vortex product design team.
The camp was funded by the Wisconsin Technical College System, with the goal of inspiring high school youth to pursue careers in manufacturing. The Southwest Tech Foundation also collaborated with several local manufacturers to sponsor the camp and leave no financial burden for students to attend. Sponsors of the camp included Die Makes Manufacturing in Hazel Green, River Town Ironworks in Prairie du Chien, S&S Cycle, Seats Inc. in Reedsburg and Skyway Precision Inc. in Platteville.
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Captions:
1. Jason Robbins, program instructor, worked with students in the lab to create their design
2. S&S Cycle hosted a tour of their facility for the group of participants
3. Participants were able to use hands-on equipment to create the finished product
4. One participant holds his finished product