High School Machining Program Receives Unique Donation

BIG KAISER Precision Tooling Inc. (Hoffman Estates, IL) recently donated a one-of-a-kind Speroni tool management system to the Precision Machining program at Plymouth Community Schools in Plymouth, IN. The Speroni MAGIS tool presetting and measuring system was donated to the program after it was replaced with newer equipment at Andretti Autosport in Indianapolis. The machine was embellished with the race team logo and signed by racing legend Michael Andretti, as well as current team drivers Marco Andretti and Ryan Hunter-Reay.

“We are a strong supporter of manufacturing education and workforce development, and we needed a home for this presetter,” explains Doug Sumner, product manager for TMS (Tool Measuring Systems) at BIG KAISER. “It was great that we could donate the machine in Indiana, support the kids at Plymouth High School, and get the team branding from our partners at Andretti Autosport.”

The Plymouth Community Schools program is the result of a public-private consortium supported by ITAMCO (Indiana Technology and Manufacturing Company), Ivy Tech Community College, NCAVC (North Central Area Vocational Cooperative) and Plymouth Community Schools. The group’s mission is to better prepare students for the demands of today’s technology-driven jobs.

The program mirrors a curriculum at Ivy Tech South Bend called The Machine Tool Institute, which is designed to instruct students in shop safety, industrial terminology, hand tools, machine tooling, and measurement and layout in a real-world shop setting. Students start with laboratory exercises on manual turning and milling operations, and progress to more sophisticated CNC equipment. As a NIMS (National Institute of Metalworking Skills) certified program, they earn dual credits for high school and at Ivy Tech, where many students decide to continue their education.

“Every student leaves the program with a minimum skill set of manual mill and lathe setup experience, blueprint reading including GD&T, and precision measurement use,” says Scott Kaser, an instructor at Plymouth Community School. “The addition of this Speroni TMS gives the student a well-rounded skill level of all the possible ways tools could be setup in a CNC production environment,” said Kaser.

BIG KAISER is a worldwide leader in high-precision tooling systems and solutions for the metalcutting industry that guarantee extreme accuracy and repeatability. As a member of the BIG DAISHOWA Group (Osaka, Japan), the company has grown into a well-recognized global tooling provider with manufacturing facilities in North America, Europe and Asia.

www.us.bigkaiser.com