AET Labs team had the pleasure of supporting the Mechatronics & Additive Manufacturing student competitions last Friday, held at Blackstone Regional Technical School. We are always impressed with the exemplary level of student determination, innovation and ingenuity displayed by our local student chapter of SkillsUSA, and this year was no exception.
AET’s Dave Kempskie oversaw the Festo sponsored Mechatronics competition where students were tasked with completing two labs. In this timed event, teams of two were required to build a Mechatronic system according to a mock-up scenario of actual industrial application using a schematic and supplied specifications. Each system consisted of mechanical, pneumatics, electrical and electronic components which needed to be assembled, plumbed, wired, adjusted and tested for proper system operation. Once the two individual systems were completed the students were required to integrate them together. Contestants were judged for accuracy and neatness, as well as their knowledge of the application of the technologies and how they interact in an integrated system.
At the other end of the school a lively additive manufacturing competition was held with Technical Advisors Jeff Burchard & Jim Carmilia, along with Ryan Hayford, Partner Executive for Education for Stratasys, acting as the judging panel and overseers of the event.
Students had been previously been given a challenge where they were supplied with specifications to design a Pinewood Derby car. The difference from the namesake event? Instead of building with pine, students supplied AET Labs with a file to be 3D printed on a Stratasys UPrint SE. The morning of the event, students competed racing the 3D printed cars on an actual Pinewood Derby track. For phase two, their challenge was to redesign their original design and make it slower than their first phase design. Student teams presented their redesigns and results to the judging panel as part of their overall grade.
As always, amidst this intense competition, it was fantastic to see the camaraderie and connections between kids from competing schools. It was evident how much heart & hard work these Massachusetts students put into developing life & work-ready skills.
CONGRATS TO THE 2017 STUDENT WINNERS!!
Additive Manufacturing:
Gold Medal – Team #1 Matthew Marinelli & Cameron McLaughlin, Assabet Valley RTHS
Silver Medal – Team #9 Skyler Colwell & Jacob Hazerjian, Blackstone Valley RTHS
Bronze Medal – Team #6 Cody Campbell & Ashton Gnoza, South Shore RTHS
Mechatronics
Gold Medal – Team #2 – Zavier Alicea & Brandon Torres, Putnam Vocational Technical Academy
Silver Medal – Team #4 – Emmanuel Georgoudis & Marcus Doucette, Minuteman High School
Bronze Medal – Team #3 – Jonathan Meister & Davis Kahmann, Minuteman High School
For a full listing of Massachusetts Skills Champions visit: https://www.maskillsusa.org/
