Advanced Technical Training Upgrades Unveiled

New advanced technology equipment at Kalamazoo Valley Community College has instructors pinching themselves. “It’s like Christmas all year for us,” said Dave Brock, a faculty member in the Engineering, Design, Manufacturing and Technology department. “I can’t wait to share it with my students.”

The new equipment, which will be used by students in the CNC, drafting and design, welding, maintenance mechanics, mechatronics, engineering design, and advanced electrical programs, was funded by a $4.8 million Community College Skilled Trades Equipment Program (CCSTEP) grant. CCSTEP funding is meant to enable community colleges to purchase state-of-the-art equipment to enhance educational programs in high-wage, high-skill, and high-demand occupations. Kalamazoo Valley was one of 18 community colleges to receive a CCSTEP grant last winter. Funds from the CCSTEP grant were used to upgrade and expand training labs with state-of-the-art technology at the Texas Township and Groves Campus facilities.

Bill Kring, of Kalamazoo Valley’s Engineering Design Manufacturing and Technology Department said he thinks the new equipment “moves Kalamazoo Valley to the head of the class” and gives the college new opportunities for partnerships with vendors and area employers. “These machines are going to help our students blend into local manufacturing. They’ll be able to go directly to work with the experience they gain in our labs,” Kring said. At the Texas Township Campus, the new equipment includes 3-D printers with the capability to create products with 14 types of materials, a three-axis CNC machine, a four-axis lathe, a five-axis CNC machine, a wire EDM machine, injection molding equipment, grinder polishers and a high powered microscope for the metallurgy lab, state-of-the-art welding trainers and CAD/CAM lab upgrades.

“The new equipment in our college labs and the increased flexibility in scheduling will give our faculty the opportunity to restructure course offerings around formalized skills-based competencies,” said Tom Buszek, Dean of Instruction for Business and Industrial Trades at Kalamazoo Valley. “These competencies will be grouped as stackable credentials so students can gain the skills necessary to obtain a job and a formal workplace-recognized credentials, and then later return to college and efficiently complete a certificate or degree. The bottom line is that we’ll be better able to connect students with jobs as a result of this expanded effort.” At the Groves Campus, upgrades include the addition of FANUC Robodrill 5-axis mills, HAAS CNC lathes with Y-axis and bar stock feeder, a production 3-dimensional printer that prints in 12 materials from plastics to metals and produces parts that are ready to install; CAD/CAM lab with the latest 3-D CAD modeling software; 3-D scanner equipment which converts a scan of an object directly into 3 dimensional CAD software, information technology equipment to support wi-fi systems, fiber optics and structured cable system installation and maintenance.

“All of this equipment enhances our abilities to support local manufacturers with specific training and workforce development,” said Thomas Sutton, Director of Wind Energy and Technical Services at The Groves. “We are also able to deliver skills assessments to help employers better identify skill training gaps not only in operations, but also in maintenance and repair of these advanced machines.”

The additional equipment also adds capacity to Kalamazoo Valley for support of the MAT2 programs and the increasing interest in advanced manufacturing technologies. Kalamazoo Valley is one of eight Michigan Community Colleges to offer the Michigan Advanced Technician Training (MAT2) program. MAT2 is a training program that combines classroom instruction with paid work experience in a three-year, no-cost program in the CNC Machinist field. Local employers include Flowserve, Humphrey Products, R & H Machine Products, XL Machine Co Inc., and the Benteler Automotive Corporation. MAT2 is designed to meet industry needs for skilled technicians who understand a wide range of technologies and processes by giving high school seniors an attractive option that will provide training in a high-demand field and a paid-for education.

Students at Vicksburg High School are also benefitting from the upgrades. While making room for the new equipment, the college was also able to donate several pieces of equipment to Vicksburg High School for use in the school’s Computerized Manufacturing program. The donated equipment list includes: a CNC wire EDM machine, two lathes, a mini mill, two CNC machines, and a vertical mill and a CNC mill. Greg Mills, Vicksburg High School industrial arts teacher said the equipment is a boon to his program. “Our students will be able to become aware of what’s being used in industry,” he said. “They’ll have basic experience and training to allow them to move into jobs at local companies and in to classes at Kalamazoo Valley,” Mills said.

Kalamazoo Valley has a rich history in developing innovative training solutions to address regional employer and student demands. This has been exhibited through a broad spectrum of program offerings that include credit, certificate, non-credit, academy and corporate training options for students. In all of these programs, the overarching objective is to provide targeted education which is continuously improved through tracked outcomes and assessments.