Category: Events

AeroDef Manufacturing Event Rich in Additive Manufacturing and Materials Science

AeroDef Manufacturing, produced by SME, is the leading exposition and technical conference for the aerospace and defense manufacturing industry. It is a veritable who’s who of additive manufacturing and materials science experts and companies.

If you are a student looking for an internship or job, this looks like a great place to network and get ideas for companies you might want to explore. Students get a 50 percent discount. Also, if you are one of the 18,000 people who has been trained by the Abaris Training company, you can get a 20 percent discount (the same as an SME Member) as well. Abaris Training helped to guide the very successful Composites 101 Workshop done here at the National Resource Center for Materials Technology Education (MatEdU) in Edmonds, Washington. Read about it on the SME AdditiveManufacturing.org site: Pilot Composites Workshop Wows Students.

AeroDef is putting a big focus on mixed reality, a combination of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) this year. Attendees have a chance to be a part of live, participative demonstrations of augmented and virtual reality technologies in the Mixed Reality Solution Center.

TEAMM and AM News have been covering manufacturing and materials science advances utilizing virtual reality. You can read about Dr. Magesh Chandramouli, from Purdue University Northwest, who gave a keynote at last year’s M-STEM event about how VR can be incorporated into the student learning experience. Also, the Edmonds Community College makerspace, The FACILITY, is working on a virtual reality framework for digital manufacturing instruction with its VR Lab.

Starting from design engineering all the way through maintenance and repair, participants can test capabilities and see firsthand the benefits of these technologies. In addition, attendees are encouraged to join the Mixed Reality in Manufacturing panel discussion on Tuesday, March 28 to learn how leading companies are applying the technologies throughout the supply chain.

According to the website: “AeroDef showcases the industry’s most advanced technologies across an innovative floor plan designed to facilitate interaction and business relationships between exhibitors and buyers looking for integrated solutions. Our keynote speakers and panelists come from the highest level of government and business. They come to share their vision of the potential of technology, collaboration and public policy to transform manufacturing – concepts that attendees can actually experience on the exposition floor and in our in-depth conference sessions. It’s the one event that brings together high-concept, integrated solutions and real-world applications.”

Explore innovative advances in processes and materials:

  • Digital Manufacturing
  • Additive Manufacturing & 3D Technologies
  • Composites
  • Precision Machining
  • Automation & Robotics
  • Quality, Measurement & Inspection
  • Simulation
  • Finishing & Coatings
  • Advanced Materials

You can learn more about SME’s AeroDef Manufacturing conference that starts March 26, 2018 here.

 

M-STEM 2017 Materials And Beyond!

Thomas Nelson Community College (TNCC) hosted the 30th annual Materials in STEM (M-STEM) Workshop 2017 in Hampton, Virginia on November 6 and 7.  107 participants enjoyed two full days of active engagement in materials science. They came from community colleges, universities, teachers of grades 8-12, government, students and industry; all gathering at TNCC for professional development.

On the first day, there were hands-on sessions that included lab work in ceramics and glass, composite sandwich panels, water rockets, nanoscience and thermosets.

On the second day, participants chose one of three tracks for a six hour, hands-on workshop about 3D Printing, Solids – the Science of Stuff, or Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS).

  • In the UAS track, participants built a drone from a kit, practiced flying it through an obstacle course and gathered data they could analyze at the same time. The UAS Intensive was presented by the Virginia Space Grant Consortium.
Image by Eliana Pesola
  • In 3D printing track, participants were introduced to the concepts needed to design, model and print a prototype or production item.
  • The Solids-the Science of Stuff track presented great ways to incorporate chemistry that were authentic, low cost and relevant.
Image by Eliana Pesola

The entire two-day M-STEM event is designed for practical application to ensure that teachers can replicate the experiments or projects in a classroom.

Details on the Keynotes:

Dr. Darrel R. Tenney, former Director of Aerospace Vehicle Systems Technology at NASA Langley, who showcased some of the research on materials that has taken place during this 100 year anniversary period.

Dr. Magesh Chandramouli shared the second keynote presentation on virtual reality for active learning that was innovative, as he explained how low cost methods can be used to incorporate VR into the student learning experience. A great example of that was setting up a clean room virtually to teach safety strategies and protocols. Students then don’t have to worry about making a mistake or having to sneeze and requiring they reset the whole environment; they just keep going.

Tom Singer, Principal Investigator for the Guitar Building Project, was the lunch keynote.  He gave an overview of the program and an explanation of the STEM components in the curriculum.  He also shared several examples of students who have achieved better results in STEM classes as a result of their participation.

Materials In Stem November Workshop in Virginia

For over 30 years, M-STEM, also known as The Materials in STEM Workshop, has been bringing together students, faculty, and industry to show how materials science serves as a way to explore and understand STEM education methods.

Next month, at Thomas Nelson Community College in Hampton, Virginia, M-STEM will share a wide range of hands-on experiments, demonstrations, in addition to keynotes from a NASA scientist and the founder of a successful STEM guitar building program, during its two day professional development workshop on November 6 and 7, 2017.

If you have attended other workshops where the program is mostly presenters talking at you, M-STEM promises that the hands-on sessions are not your average program. Here are a few of the unique sessions meant to jumpstart your STEM classes back home:

  • The Toothpick Factory
  • Teachers with Torches
  • Engineering Water Rockets

Sponsored by The National Resource Center for Materials Science Technology Education (MatEdU), Thomas Nelson Community College and Edmonds Community College, M-STEM strives to help faculty to create ways to engage students so that they understand Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) principles, especially relating to materials science. The program is ideal for secondary and post secondary faculty.

Intensives are a unique opportunity to accomplish a new skill through a more comprehensive full-day training format.  Pick one intensive and stay with it throughout the day:

  • Solids: The Science of Stuff
  • Additive Manufacturing (aka 3D Printing)
  • Unmanned Aircraft Systems

You can register here on the MaterialsInStem.org website.

Sponsors:  MatEdU National Resource Center, Thomas Nelson Community College, Nano-Link Center for Nanotechnology Education, Critical Materials Institute, Virginia Space Grant Consortium, Edmonds Community College, NSF, GeoTEd-UAS, and SpaceTEC.

LIFT Is Leading The Nation In Lightweight Technology

Lightweight Innovations for Tomorrow, or LIFT, is a Detroit-based, public-private partnership committed to the development and deployment of advanced lightweight metal manufacturing technologies.

This post is both an event announcement and an update on what LIFT is doing to improve and inspire STEM education. At the upcoming Manufacturing Day 2017, Friday, October 6, LIFT and IACMI – The Composites Institute will unveil a state-of-the-art Lightweighting research and development laboratory in Detroit’s historic Corktown neighborhood.

The $50 million facility will bring together two Manufacturing USA institutes focusing on cutting edge lightweighting applied research and development in metals and composite materials. This facility will bring together advance manufacturing experts from around the country to conduct innovative research and advanced lightweight manufacturing. More info on the event at the end of this post.

LIFT is driven by implementing education and training initiatives to better prepare the workforce today and in the future. LIFT is one of the founding institutes of Manufacturing USA, and is funded in part by the Department of Defense with management through the Office of Naval Research. LIFT is also part of The National Resource Center for Materials Technology Education (MatEdU), headquartered at Edmonds Community College (home of TEAMM AM News). You can learn more about their lightweighting technology work on the LIFT YouTube channel.

See the full story about Finley in the link at end of post.

Earlier this year, LIFT, along with Tennessee Tech University iCube, the Tennessee STEM Innovation Network, the Kentucky Association of Manufacturers and the Foundation for Kentucky Industry announced the winning schools of the 2016-2017 MakerMinded competition. Eight schools in Tennessee and Kentucky were recognized for excellence in advanced manufacturing and STEM learning through their participation in MakerMinded, a new online STEM learning and competition platform.

MakerMinded was launched at the start of the 2016 school year to impassion students about advanced manufacturing and provide them with transformational learning experiences that set them on track towards 21st century manufacturing careers. The platform provides access to a diverse range of national and local STEM and advanced manufacturing programs, including manufacturing facility tours, gaming activities, project-based learning, and competitions.

Tennessee schools were awarded in May at the Tennessee STEM Innovation Summit in Murfreesboro:

  • STEM School Chattanooga – Hamilton County Department of Ed (Chattanooga, TN)
  • Heritage High School – Blount County Schools (Maryville, TN)
  • Cookeville High School – Putnam County School District (Cookeville, TN)
  • White Station Middle School – Shelby County Schools (Memphis, TN)
  • Rose Park Middle School – Metro Nashville Public Schools (Nashville, TN)
  • Maxine Smith STEAM Academy – Shelby County Schools (Memphis, TN)

Kentucky Schools celebrated at a special ceremony at the Kentucky Association of Manufacturers Innovation Summit on June 1, 2017.

  • Trigg County High School—Trigg County Public Schools (Cadiz, KY)
  • Turkey Foot Middle School—Kenton County Schools (Edgewood, KY)

* * * * *

The 2017-2018 MakerMinded competition began in August in Kentucky and Tennessee. In addition, a partnership with Battelle and the Ohio STEM Learning Network, enabled LIFT to launch MakerMinded in Ohio at the same time. You can learn more about it here at MakerMinded.com.

RSVP to join the Manufacturing Day 2017 Open House for the new LIFT and IACMI facility here.

Learn more about Finley the Fabricator — the contest to create a new mascot for the LIFT MakerMinded STEM initiative. Collin Garrison is the young man who built a mascot model from old car parts.

Mark Your Calendar: Additive Aerospace Conference Scheduled

In its fifth year, the Additive Aerospace conference is scheduled for October 18 through 20, 2017 in downtown Los Angeles. With a major lineup of speakers from industry and government: NASA, FAA, Northrop Grumman, Boeing, GE, US Navy, US Air Force, and others will share their expertise about how additive manufacturing is advancing within the aerospace and aviation industries.

As an organization that supports materials science and additive manufacturing (and standards around both), the TEAMM Network is pleased to report that two of its members will be presenting on one of the event panels. Carl Dekker, owner of Met-L-Flo and the ASTM F42 Committee chairman and Pat A. Picariello, Director, Developmental Operations of ASTM International.

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