MSC Southeast CNC Machine Tool students win Project MFG Advanced Manufacturing championship, bring home $100,000 prize
View Facebook photo galleries:
Project MFG Competition Behind the Scenes
Campus Celebration
Winona, MN (July 13, 2023) - Following months of preparation and three days of intense competition in Greenville, SC, the Minnesota State College Southeast CNC Machine Tool Team edged out the competition in the Project MFG Advanced Manufacturing Championship to take home the national title and a $100,000 prize.
The competition took place in May, but the results were not announced until the July 10 premiere of Season 3 of the reality web series, Clash of Trades. Having made it through a qualifying round in Minnesota and a regional round in Wichita, KS, MSC Southeast was one of top four teams in the country. The college was represented by Bradley Bishop, Ellery Kiesel, Ivey Wadman Vehrenkamp, and Austyn Warren.
"MSC Southeast is very proud to have these students represent the college and the CNC Machine Tool program," said Alex Howell, Dean of Academic Innovation. "The teamwork needed to prepare for this competition embodies the spirt of Southeast."
In the competition, the team was faced with real-world scenarios and pressure tested to demonstrate the critical skills needed to succeed in modern advanced manufacturing. They also had to deal with the pressure of being filmed for Clash of Trades and participating in on-camera interviews.
The theme of the national championship round was medical manufacturing. The students were challenged to fabricate various metal parts that are used in a total hip replacement and weld a pressure vessel, in this case a small version of an autoclave, which is used to sterilize medical equipment.
The competitors demonstrated CNC and manual machining, programming, welding, and metrology as well as team work, problem solving, time management, and cost tracking.
From underdogs to champions
The team from Minnesota State College Southeast came in as underdogs. For starters, the competition called for skills using a 5-axis CNC machine, but the college doesn't have one in its Advanced Manufacturing Lab. Team advisor Rick Hengel was able to locate a 5-axis machine at nearby Rushford Manufacturing. The company not only allowed the college students to train on their equipment, but also provided employees to work with them on more than one occasion.
Another challenge was the need for TIG (Tungsten Inert Gas) welding skills. One of the CNC Machine Tool Students, Ellery Kiesel, happened to have experience in TIG welding, and was able to successfully fabricate the pressure vessel in the competition.
At the end of the competition, the judges evaluated the parts produced, considering surface finish, damage, and unfinished features among other factors. Similar to a real-world scenario, precise inspections relied on automated equipment using a coordinated measurement machine.
When Minnesota State College Southeast was announced as the winner, the team was astonished, delighted, and truly surprised. There was a lot of fist-bumping, hugs, and exclamations of "I can't believe we got this far!"
"We just looked at each other, and when they pulled out the check, we were like - oh, wait, that's us!" said Ivey Wadman Vehrenkamp.
"There were a lot of sleepless nights leading up to this, with hours of preparation, but I wouldn't have wanted to do this with any other group of people," said Austyn Warren.
College share will help with adding a 5-axis machine to Advanced Manufacturing Lab
The prize money will be shared 50-50 between the students and the college. The college is planning to its use its $50,000 as seed money to add a 5-axis machine to the Advanced Manufacturing Lab.
"I am so proud of this team and their entrepreneurial spirit. Every time the team encountered an obstacle, they just looked for and found a solution," said Dr. Marsha Danielson, President of Minnesota State College Southeast. "I look forward to watching these students make a difference in the advanced manufacturing industry."
"Project MFG strives to promote the trades and people like you really elevate what a trade professional is and highlight the importance these amazing people have in our communities," Project MFG Founder Ray Dick told the MSC Southeast Team. "You as a team came together, took the challenge, stepped into the game, and made a difference. You exemplify what Project MFG is aiming to achieve."
