Perresha Sweeting presses a button on a controller. The Tormach 15L Slant-PRO lathe whirs to life, hewing out of aluminum bar stock the intricate design that had been, until now, just a design on Sweeting’s laptop.
Sweeting, a native of the Bahamas, is a student in Niagara College’s Mechanical Engineering Technology program, which is training the next generation of workers to power the advanced manufacturing sector here in Niagara and across the country. She and her fellow students are benefitting from half a million dollars in new CNC lathes, mills and other equipment, recently installed in the college’s Mechanical Engineering Lab, located in room TC36 in the Rankin Technology Centre at the Welland Campus.
Thanks to the funding, received through the Ministry of Colleges and Universities’ Skills Catalyst Fund and augmented by capital investments from the college, the lab has been updated to include three new Tormach 440 PCNC Benchtop CNC mills, three new Tormach 15L Slant-PRO lathes, four new 3D printers, and new Programmable Logic Controller training stations. They replaced mills and lathes dating from the 1980s which were at the end of their service life.
With the new equipment installed, the lab offers students an unparalleled learning experience, recreating down to the smallest detail, a real-world, industrial Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM) line, giving students a chance to learn and experiment in real-time, on real industry-standard equipment. It also allows for future flexibility to adapt to future needs of industry and local employers.
Perresha Sweeting works on a Tormach 15L Slant-PRO lathe
“It’s awesome to be able to get a hands on approach to different practices,” says Sweeting, who one day hopes to get into the design aspect of the advanced manufacturing industry. “You learn real, practical theory/skills that you will need to work in the real world in this field,” concurs fellow student Eric Matkowski. “My favorite part of the program is the more practical projects programming robots, CNC machines, programming PLC’s, rapid prototyping parts and assemblies, etc.”
The new lathes, mills and printers are a huge boon to students working on those practical projects. “Using new equipment in the lab prepares us for modern industry. To be able to cut parts in TC36 within tolerance gives confidence when heading out into a workplace,” says student James Cosco, who has his sights set on the industrial maintenance field. “This program has given me the tools I need to start a career and become successful.”
Avery Edge agrees: “The program gives you the fundamentals on just about everything making it easy to start at any related workforce,” says Edge, who hopes to go on to pursue a career as an engineering technologist.
Grads from Niagara College’s Mechanical Engineering program, as well as from the Industrial Automation Graduate Certificate program, are a common sight at leading manufacturing companies across Niagara, including THK Rhythm Automotive, Girotti Machine, General Motors and FBT Inc. Chris Forstinger, general manager at FBT, has hosted 5 co-ops, and has hired two students from the program. “The top students are excellent because they are smart and the program prepares them well for industry,” says Forstinger.
The program prepares students for a rewarding career in one of Ontario’s fastest-growing fields. The program equips students with a broad range of knowledge and skills that open a variety of career opportunities to them. Foundational skills include programmable logic controls, additive and subtractive manufacturing, robotics, mechanical design, quality improvement and systems integration , say professors Aaron Shatkosky and Joseph Otta. “We give students exposure to all different facets of the industry and allow students to focus their passions on where they want to go.”
The new lathes and mills are not only proving popular among NC students, but are also becoming a key outreach tool in the college’s efforts to promote careers in the advanced manufacturing sector to young people. One each of the lathes and mills have been modified to be portable, and have already traveled to several Niagara high schools, providing students with a hands-on look at some of the cutting-edge technology that awaits them if they pursue an education and career in the field.
“When you compare what we have in our program, our industry standard equipment in a fully integrated system , knowledgeable and experienced faculty, and students that are driven to succeed, you can’t find a program more industry-ready than ours,” says Otta.
