SUMMER 2017 VOLUME 8, ISSUE 3

DATES TO REMEMBER: Details available at: www.pghntma.org

NTMF 21st Annual Golf Outing August 28, 2017

Westmoreland Country Club

NTMA Fall Conference October 24-27, 2017

San Antonio, TX

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

Overcoming Manufacturing Challenges: Shop Efficiencies

and Cost Reductions

pg. 2

Three-pete for Josh Sanner pg. 3

Benefits of Apprentice Program

pg. 8

Those Who Make the Apprentice Program Possible

pg. 10

The Manufacturing Open pg. 15

NTMA Fall Conference pg. 16

Since 1976, the

Pittsburgh Chapter

NTMA has provided

regional manufacturers

with a proven

apprenticeship training

program for individuals

seeking metalworking

educational opportunities

with standards focused on

world-class tooling and

machining. The purpose

was then what it still is

and by the late 1990s,

NTMA was operating eight

sites with approximately

400 students. At that time,

there was very little

administrative function

other than the chapter

executive role, which was

not as engaged as it is now.

The program carried the

NTMA flag, but was

opearated independently at

(Continued on page 8)

PITTSBURGH APPRENTICES GRADUATE:

THEY ARE KEY TO WHAT’S NEXT By Ed Sikora, JATCO Machine and Tool

career was probably not on

their horizon. Apple CEO

Steve Jobs had just

unveiled the device and the

response was less than

enthusiastic. One notable

blogger wrote, “Apparently

none of you guys realize

how bad of an idea a

(Continued on page 6)

SWPA BOTSIQ: A YEAR IN REVIEW We have a lot to be proud of this year!

By Bill Padnos, BotsIQ executive director

today— TRAINING.

Initially the program was

led by William Truxall,

founder of Penn State Tool

& Die, and manufacturing

educator, Jim Gilmore.

The chapter, at the time,

was in desperate need of

well-trained machinists to

meet the demand.

The program grew and

developed over the years,

In early 2007 the tech

world was offering initial

feedback on a new Apple

product. It was named the

iPhone. Most of our 2017

graduates were still in

middle school—and let’s

be honest—the idea of a

machining and tool & die

MANUFACTURING AMERICA’S FUTURE

40 YEARS OF PITTSBURGH NTMA APPRENTICE TRAINING: THE IMPORTANTCE OF ADAPTATION AND PARTNERSHIP

By Kevin Hartford, Alle-Kiski Industries, NTMA board member and past president

Thanks for being a part of our 2017 competition

season! We could not have done it without you.

Looking back at this year, we have a lot to be proud of!

We engaged more than 1,000 students and 60 high

schools this year— a record turn-out! BotsIQ and

alumni teams made up 60 percent of the National

(Continued on page 4)

MANUFACTURING CHALLENGES:

SHOP EFFICIENCIES AND COST REDUCTIONS A message from Chapter President Chuck DeVentura, Kurt J. Lesker Company

Page 2 PRECISION PITTSBURGH

As most of us know there are many challenges to

running a manufacturing business. Perhaps more

so than many other types of businesses. I thought

I’d write a series of articles with the intent to spark

some thought on ways to overcome some of these

challenges and at least let people know they are not

alone in trying to overcome certain issues. It’s also

important to mention that I will only scratch the

surface on most of these subjects from a standpoint

of a person who has to deal with them every day.

There are countless books and other sources of

information that can provide much granularity on

all of these subjects.

In the second article I discussed on-time delivery

and the challenges of making that happen. In this

third and final article I want to touch on shop

efficiency and cost reductions.

Unless you happen to have an exclusive, protected

product or technique you have competition. Aside

from quality and on-time delivery, price is the other big

factor in winning orders. In order to quote an

attractive price and still make money it’s important to

pay close attention to your operating costs and the

efficiency of the workforce.

Let’s start with operating costs. For this section I’d like

to focus more on facility & equipment costs and “daily”

expense items. I’ve listed below a number of key

items / areas for you to think about as it pertains to how

you manage operating costs:

(Continued on page 12)

Page 3

Every year the Pittsburgh Chapter

holds a competition to identify the

top apprentice— this year’s contest

was held at the New Century

Careers Training and Innovation

Center. Seven apprentices brought

their best work to test their mettle

against the best of the best. The

daylong contest consists of a lathe

project, a mill project and a written

exam. Contestants are scored on

the accuracy of their parts, time

saved and the written test score.

A lot of hard work and planning

goes into the event. Thank you to

Neil Ashbaugh, the New Century

Career’s staff and the employees

from Schroeder Industries for their

outstanding job preparing for the

competition. Thank you also to

the members of the Steering

Committee who volunteered as

proctors the day of the event.

A special thank you also goes out to

Nate Thomas from

JATCO for

inspecting the lathe

parts, Gary Higgins

from Kurt J. Lesker

Company for

inspecting the

milled parts and Liz

Blashock for

auditing and

compiling the

results.

This year’s

competition was

sponsored by MSC

IT’S A THREE-PETE FOR HAMILL MANUFACTURING’S JOSH SANNER!

Industrial Supply— a longtime

and unwavering supporter. The

competition requires thousands

of dollars of tooling, inspection

tools and shop supplies. Once

(Continued on page 13)

Page 4 PRECISION PITTSBURGH

Remake Learning Days kick-off event.

• Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald at the

National Robotics League Competition with the

Clairton High School LadyBugs— our very first all-

girl robotics team!

• Hempfield takes Grand Championship at both

BotsIQ and NRL! The Hempfield Area HS

Robospartans and their bot, ELI, swept the

competition this year! They took home six awards

between both the BotsIQ Final and National

Competition this season.

• We welcomed two new schools this year. Bishop

Canevin High School finished out their first year of

BotsIQ by earning the 2017 Best Rookie Team

Award! Mon Valley CTC finished out their first year

of BotsIQ by earning the Coolest Bot Award with

their bot, Alpha Wolf!

• Frazier High School utilized kevlar and carbon fibers

on their bot, Hazard, this year. A material we've

never seen used in our competitions. It's lightweight,

yet super strong.

(Continued on page 5)

www.allekiskiind.com

531 Hyde Park Road, Leechburg, PA 15656

(Allegheny Twp. - Congressional District #12)

Phone: 724-845-2799 fax: 724-845-2797

Kevin Hartford, President

Ed Newell, Vice President

MACHINING, FABRICATION AND

ASSEMBLY

Pittsburgh Business Times 2011 Manufacturer of the Year

Robotics League teams. We were represented

well at nationals, not only in battling, but also in

sportsmanship, documentation, spirit, and

overall skill and creativity. Out of 10 total awards

given out at nationals, eight of them were

awarded to our very own BotsIQ teams and

alumni teams!

Here are some of the amazing highlights from

this season:

• Clairton Robotics and BotsIQ made an

appearance on KDKA during the 2016

Maker Faire— the "biggest show and tell on

earth!" Check out the video at http://

pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2016/10/12/

kidsburgh-maker-faire-to-showcase-

innovation-in-pittsburgh/.

• Mayor Bill Peduto drives the Greene County

Homeschooler's Bot, TRIM 2.0, at the

BotsIQ (Cont.)

Page 5

• The winner of our Pittsburgh Chapter NTMF Scholarship is Hempfield

Area High School's Colin Phillips. "My career goal is to become not only a

Technology Education Teacher, but also to sponsor my own BotsIQ

team."

• BotsIQ Programs are Expanding Their Workspaces. Central Valley

Educational Fund (CVEF) has been instrumental in supporting the CV

team through teacher grants and EITC funds for the past 10 years. The

CNC mill was one of several things they were able to acquire through their

support to enhance the educational experience for their students. They

also helped to fund the purchase of a laser engraver/cutter and to establish

robotics K-12 in the district so that students can get an early start on

STEM thinking so that when they move up to the High School they will

be better prepared for programs such as BotsIQ. Schroeder Industries,

CV's industry sponsor, also played a vital role in the purchase of the mill.

They have continued to support them through their 10 years of BotsIQ

involvement.

(Continued from page 4)

(Continued on page 14)

Page 6

touchscreen is on a phone. I foresee some pretty

obvious and pretty major problems here.” At the

same time, competitors were hardly quaking in

their boots. “I can’t believe the hype being given

to the iPhone. I just have to wonder who will

want one of these things…I predict they will not

sell anywhere near the 10 million that Apple is

forecasting for 2008,” a spokesperson for

Microsoft said.

By 2009, Apple had sold more than 45 million

iPhones. One of the most popular features? The

touchscreen.

Innovation continues to shape our world, from

the technology in our pockets to the machines

that we operate on our shop floors to the cars on

our roads.

Machining and manufacturing is the key to

innovation.

Years before he launched the iPhone, Steve Jobs

wrote, “Manufacturing demands just as much

thought and strategy as the product. If you don’t

pay attention to your manufacturing, it will limit

the kind of product you can build and engineer. Some

companies view manufacturing as a necessary evil…

but at Apple, we view it as a tremendous opportunity.

An opportunity to gain a competitive advantage.”

Steve Jobs got it. When you work in our machining

and manufacturing companies you work at the

forefront of the future. You set the pace; you chart the

course; sometimes you will have to face down the

critics and the naysayers; but ultimately you shape the

future. No product can exist without your

imagination and without your skills. The Pittsburgh

Chapter NTMA is pleased to have prepared 39 new

graduates for the journey ahead.

This year’s apprentice program graduates have

completed 144 hours of rigorous classroom training

while they are already working in the industry. Their

employers provide 8,000 hours of on-the-job training

to earn the title: Journeyman.

The Pittsburgh chapter was established based on the

need for training. And our commitment to training by

this organization has never wavered. The Pittsburgh

(Continued on page 7)

PITTSBURGH APPRENTICES GRADUATE (CONT.)

Page 7

NTMA has a board of directors and

is led by our board president, Chuck

Deventura. Chuck is vice president

of Global Engineered Solutions with

Kurt. J. Lesker Company. Our

apprentice steering committee

maintains and updates the

curriculum for this program. This

committee is made up of

representatives from our industry and

chaired by Phyllis Miller from Hamill

Manufacturing. The steering

committee, with oversight from the

board, provides direction for the

program. (please see page 10). This

is an incredible team of dedicated

individuals who meet almost every

month.

It is important to note that all of our

curriculum would not amount to

anything without the tireless

instructors. (please see page 10).

These ladies and gentleman have

an unmatched passion and

enthusiasm for our industry. Most

are working full time jobs, but still

give up their evenings to share their

skills and knowledge.

The NTMA also would like to

recognize New Century Careers,

our training partner. They work

behind the scenes to provide the

administration of our apprentice

training program. Paul along with

Liz Blashock and the entire NCC

staff oversee the day-to-day

operation of the program and

handle everything from

recruitment, registration, text book

orders, NIMS testing and data

entry.

Beyond the classroom, it is the

employers who participate in this

program and provide the other

half of what our graduates need

to succeed. It is undeniable that

workforce development is a key

component of growth in the

American manufacturing

industry. But some companies

are going above and beyond,

taking that responsibility on in

their own facilities. They invest

in our apprentices with both time

and resources, helping our

graduates and our industry.

Ten years ago, it was the iPhone.

What will be next? Our

graduates this year will help

decide. Congratulations— you

have completed this important

step toward your future. Our

industry will be in good hands.

Page 8 PRECISION PITTSBURGH

40 YEARS (Cont.)

each site. Back then, the text books were not even the

same between sites. Bob Kettering, who also was

actively involved with another successful regional

workforce development organizations—

Manufacturing 2000, which would later evolve into

New Century Careers, and World Class Industrial

Network (WIN)— stepped up to be the committee

chairman for the Pittsburgh chapter’s newly developed

apprentice program steering committee.

“One of the common complaints by manufacturers

during this period was that the journeyman status did

not carry a level of measurement that had value, said

Kettering. “The old-line example apprentice

development programs of U.S. Steel and

Westinghouse which fed the smaller manufacturers for

many, many years had gone away and the new

journeyman were coming out of smaller

manufacturers without a full path of skill

development. A machinist or toolmaker was no longer

as well versed and cross trained as they once were.

The journeyperson status was losing its value as a

measurement of skill which was the driver behind the

early steering committee initiatives.”

One of the goals the newly started steering committee

was to bring a common system to all of our training

sites. Early on, many of the program site

administrators sat on the committee along with

manufacturing representatives in a highly collaborative

effort. An intense review and break down of the

curriculum developed from this. The end result was a

common path for classroom instructional plans.

There were growing pains as the Pittsburgh Chapter

worked to get a grip on programs running

independently at multiple sites, especially during this

changing economic time as manufacturing faced a

downturn in employment and enrollment in 2000.

Kettering saw an opportunity to bring the regional

workforce development initiatives (Pittsburgh Chapter

NTMA and New Century Careers) together. The

Pittsburgh Chapter could focus on educational efforts

as New Century Careers (NCC), an organization that

understood manufacturing workforce development,

could help manage the administrative functions of the

program.

“I had some thought that perhaps we could partner

and brought the two groups together at an NTMA

board meeting without the prelude of introduction,”

said Kettering. “I would have to say it was met

(Continued from page 1)

(Continued on page 9)

BENEFITS OF THE

PITTSBURGH CHAPTER NTMA

APPRENTICE PROGRAM

• Apprentices typically earn pay-for-skills

promotions during their apprenticeship

training. Entry-level apprentices earn an

average of $20,000 in wages and benefits in

their first year of training. Apprentices who

have completed the program typically earn

between $30,000 and $40,000 per year.

• The NTMA offers the training component to

complement the on-the-job training necessary

to achieve

Journeyperson certification. Apprentices can

also earn NIMS (National Institute for

Metalworking Skills) credentials in specialty

areas.

• The NTMA Apprenticeship program is an

affordable solution for both employers and

students. Companies can combine the

NTMA Apprenticeship program with structured

OJT hours and avoid the cost and time of

managing self-run apprenticeship instruction

courses.

• Many of our students are sponsored by their

companies. Special financing opportunities are

available for students paying for the

apprenticeship program out of their own

pocket, including those who have been laid-

off.

• Classes are offered at convenient locations in

Allegheny and Westmoreland county.

Page 9

Manufacturing Programs for NTMA

• More than $1.6 million in workers compensation premiums for NTMA allows us

to pass an aggressive rate structure plus available credit to ALL participating

members.

• More than 60 members currently access the NTMA Group Workers

Compensation program.

• Workers Compensation options through Key Risk ( A+ ”Excellent” ) and

Lackawanna Casualty (A “Excellent”).

• A commercial package program through EHD’s Specialty Business Unit that provides a competitively priced product with enhanced coverage integrated into

a specialized service platform designed for the manufacturing industry.

• EHD has a local, full-service Pittsburgh office in Cranberry Township, PA.

• EHD has four (4) branch offices throughout PA: Pittsburgh, Lancaster,

Wyomissing and Exton.

• EHD has serviced clients since 1896. We have serviced NTMA group programs since 1980 and manage MORE THAN $280 million in premiums for

our clients.

• A dedicated EHD NTMA service team that includes account management (Leah Myers), Claims (Tom Getz, Vice President of Claims) and Risk Control

(Jeff Phillippi).

Mark M. Zukowski ▪ 724-779-7200 x205 ▪ www.ehd-ins.com

pay-for-skills promotions during their

apprenticeship training. Entry-level

apprentices earn an average of

$27,000 in wages and benefits in their

first year of training. Apprentices who

have completed the program typically

earn between $35,000 and $40,000

per year.

• The NTMA offers the training

component to complement the on-

the-job training necessary to

achieve

journeyperson certification. Appre

ntices can also earn NIMS

(National Institute for

Metalworking Skills) credentials in

(Continued on page 11)

40 YEARS (Cont.)

initially with a cold reception by

some board members who felt

offended that these two outsiders

were invited into our forum

unannounced. However, it did

not take long for most to see the

value of the partnership from not

only the initial program

administrative potential, but also

from the perspective of program

awareness in the manufacturing-

driven economic development

initiatives at the state and federal

levels.”

As the relationship between

NTMA and NCC blossomed,

the Pittsburgh Chapter NTMA

apprentice training also gained

recognition on the national level

as a premier program.

Additionally, the NTMA has

enjoyed the benefits of the grant

writing opportunities brought in

by WIN and NCC. NTMA with

NCC became a local

manufacturing spotlight bringing

a wider range of manufacturers

together and bringing several

national apprentice competitions

to Pittsburgh initially held at

Penn United Light Center and

at the NCC training site.

The basic concepts are still in

place with our training.

Apprentices complete 144 hours

of classroom training and 2,000

hours of hands-on application

at his or her job site

annually. While the instruction

is open to anyone who would

like to register for the program,

apprentices who want to earn

their journeyman’s papers must

also be registered with his or her

employer’s qualified

Pennsylvania apprenticeship

program for on-the-job training.

BENEFITS:

• Apprentices typically earn

(Continued from page 8)

Page 10

THANK YOU TO THE INDIVIDUALS

THAT MAKE OUR APPRENTICE PROGRAM POSSIBLE It is only through this very dedicated group of volunteers and instructors that the Pittsburgh Chapter is

able to offer world-class training to regional apprentices. We thank you.

Paul Anselmo* New Century Careers

Neil Ashbaugh*+ New Century Careers

Matt Aubele*+ Versa-Fab, Inc

Mike Dentzel*+ Oberg Industries

Jeff Detar*+ Haas Factory Outlet

Dan DiFonso*+ Hamill Manufacturing Company

John Dransart*+ Penn State Tool and Die Corp.

Chuck Hancock*+ Kurt J. Lesker Company

Larry Hayhurst*+ Carnegie Mellon University

Patricia Johnson* PBM Valve Solutions

Bill Kemerer*+ L&S Machine Co., LLC

Dennis Lowrie*+ Cygnus Manufacturing

Phyllis Miller* Hamill Manufacturing Company

Ryan Mulraney* Accurate Marking and Mfg.

Pat Smith*+ L&S Machine Co., LLC

Jim Wick*+ Schroeder Industries

Carl Wiedenhofer*+ Jennison Manufacturing Group

Leo Wozniak+ Hamill Manufacturing Company

*Indicates Steering Committee +Indicates NIMS MET-TEC committee

Matt Aubele

Mike Dentzel

Corey Drebot

Kathy Evkovich

Jody Fazekas

Joel Hixenbaugh

Justin Holtz

Doug Krnosky

Shane Lantz

Gary Linsenbigler

Dave Mitchell

Terri Murphy

Lou Pavsek

Gene Perkins

Tom Rusu

Stanley Sieczkowski

Pat Smith

Bruce Thompson

Jason Zaperach

Central Westmoreland CTC

Northern Westmoreland CTC

Northern Westmoreland CTC

Central Westmoreland CTC

Northern Westmoreland CTC & NCC TIC

Central Westmoreland CTC

Forbes Road CTC

Central Westmoreland CTC

Northern Westmoreland CTC

Central Westmoreland CTC

NCC Training Innovation Center

Central Westmoreland CTC

NCC Training Innovation Center

Central Westmoreland CTC

NCC Training Innovation Center

Central Westmoreland CTC

Central Westmoreland CTC

NCC Training Innovation Center

Central Westmoreland CTC & TIC

NTMA STEERING COMMITTEE & MET-TEC COMMITTEE NTMA APPRENTICE INSTRUCTORS

Page 11

Central Westmoreland Training Center

NCC Training Innovation Center

Northern Westmoreland Training Center

specialty areas.

• The NTMA Apprenticeship program is an

affordable solution for both employers and

students. Companies can combine the

NTMA Apprenticeship program with structured

OJT hours and avoid the cost and time of

managing self-run apprenticeship instruction

courses.

• Many of our students are sponsored by their

companies. Special financing opportunities are

available for students paying for the

apprenticeship program out of their own pocket,

including those who have been laid-off.

Classes are offered at convenient locations in

Allegheny and Westmoreland counties.

(Continued from page 9)

As Kettering noted, no program runs itself. We continue to

have a dedicated, hands-on steering committee led by

Phyllis Miller, manager of HR at Hamill Manufacturing

Company. Phyllis has done a remarkable job over the past

10-15 years. Not only does the committee oversee the

curriculum, but its members also now observe and

supervise the instructors, direct four training centers

throughout the Pittsburgh area and meet with the

apprentices to ensure their educational needs are being

met. Phyllis and her committee have been invaluable to

our apprenticeship program. Additionally, Paul Anselmo

and his team at NCC have been instrumental in the

administration and implementation of the committee’s

intent. It truly is a workforce development partnership. In

2017, 154 apprentices were enrolled in the program. This

past spring, the Pittsburgh Chapter NTMA graduated 39

new journeymen from our apprentice training.

Personally speaking, Alle-Kiski Industries has graduated

five apprentices over the past four years. These young men

who began, literally on the ground floor, are now making

the average industry wage and have become a key part of

our company’s success.

For more information, visit: http://pghntma.com/programs/apprenticeship-program/

40 YEARS (Cont.)

• Electric – Are you shopping for the best electric

supplier? Not all supplier have the same rates.

There are also third-party service providers

available to help with this.

• Workers Compensation Insurance – Are you using

the NTMA program? I’m not just plugging the

program, this has saved companies some real

money ($thousands$). Don’t forget to shop your

other insurances from time to time also.

• Tooling – As most of us know, this stuff is

expensive. Are you sure you’re using the right

tooling for the job? Technology is always changing

on this front. Using a tool that lasts longer and

needs replaced less frequently can add up to real

savings. Are you spending enough time talking to

the various manufacturers to ensure you’re using

the best product? Also, are you negotiating the

best prices? I suspect over the course of a year

most people spend a lot so know your amount and

use that as leverage when buying. These suppliers

all want more business; use your volumes to get

better pricing by committing to annual spending

amounts.

• Tooling #2 – Are you using tooling to the end of its

life? How do you manage tool usage on the shop

floor? Do you have certain tools re-ground instead

of buying new?

• General Shop Supplies – Take advantage of the

NTMA Grainger relationship for good discounts.

Like with tooling, take advantage of your yearly

spend and negotiate annual deals / prices.

• Equipment – Do you take the time to do

preventative maintenance (PM) or do you wait for

things to break? Do the PMs. It will save you

money in the long run…

• Equipment purchases – Make sure to work with

your accountant to depreciate purchases as quickly

as possible to save on taxes in the current year.

Check into accelerated depreciation options.

Regarding shop efficiency, most measures come down

to what percent of direct labor is being used for true

value added tasks. Another measure is what

percentage of the day (or shift) are your machines

actually running and removing metal. Much like above

here are some areas to think about regarding ways to

maximize these measures:

• Setup – Can you perform off-line setup while a

given machine is still in-cut on a current

job? This can sometimes be done by

utilizing multiple angle plates, vices,

fixtures or tombstones. The concept is to

lift the current “setup” off the machine as

soon as the job is done and lift the new

setup onto the machine and get back into

cut quickly. Often with the proper use of

pins, locating the various setups goes very

fast. Once the machine is back in-cut then

the old setup can be disassembled and the

next job prepared.

• When running CNC machines, do the

machinists or operators utilize the “in-cut”

time to do other functions such as

inspection, de-burring, preparing for the

next job, etc?

• When and who writes the CNC programs?

If done by the machinist at the machine,

does it happen while a current job is in-cut

or is the machine stopped while

programming?

• Are the information and drawings given to

the machinist clear enough to produce the

job or do they have to spend time finding

additional details?

• General shop floor philosophy – Based on

the idea that the person doing a certain job

should know best how to do it well, is that

person empowered and encouraged to

make improvements? Do you have a

program or contest where awards are given

monthly or quarterly for the best

improvements? Gift cards or paid time off

work very well.

• Corrective Action Programs – Does your

shop have a formalized program that helps

identify the root cause of re-work or poor

performing jobs? Ensuring you have

determined the actual root cause is critical

to future improvement.

The concepts of operating cost reduction and

shop efficiencies are both large subjects on their

own that require much detail and planning

however I wanted to mention them to generate

some though.

As always I hope you’ve found this helpful and

all the best until next time.

MANUFACTURING CHALLENGES (Cont.)

Page 12

Page 13

JOSH SANNER (cont.)

things the easiest and simplest way and still make good,

accurate parts,” said Sanner.

Sanner graduated from the Pittsburgh Chapter

NTMA’s apprentice training this year. In his own

words, “ I’ve learned a ton! I went from running saws

and doing benchwork, then onto manual mills and

lathes, and finally to CNC machines and DMG 5-zxis

machining center.” He advises new apprentices to,

“Pay attention to details. Never stop learning because

there is a high demand for machinists.”

DiFonso just asked, “Where can we find five more

young people just like Josh?”

Perhaps he’ll find one among future graduates.

Enrollment in apprentice training will begin again in

September, and the contest will be held again in the

spring— the number one spot will be up for grabs!

again, this year, . everything was again donated

by MSC.

After the scores were tallied, the competition was

very close, but Hamill Manufacturing’s Josh

Sanner walked away as the three-time event

winner.

“We weren’t surprised. Josh was an excellent

apprentice and deserved to win all three years,”

said Dan DiFonso, Josh’s supervisor at Hamill

Manufacturing Company. “Josh has a natural

ability to read blueprints and understand how to

manufacture parts efficiently and accurately.”

Sanner said to prepare for the competition, he

just tried to continue learning and improving at

work everyday. He just wanted to do his best. His

biggest take-away from the competition? “Doing

the competition helps you look at how you are

going to make a part differently. Trying to do

Page 14

BotsIQ (Cont.)

• "Although the mill has

allowed us to machine most

parts in our own shop, we

still rely on Schroeder and

their exceptional machinists

for difficult materials like

titanium and hard steels,"

Bill Fiedler, teacher advisor

for Central Valley High

School.

• Josh Romesburg, Central

Valley, working on the

school's new Tormach

CNC mill funded by the

Central Valley Education

Foundation (CVEF).

• BotsIQ Students "Closing

the Loop." Thomas

McFadden, Fox Chapel, is

planning to attend New

Century Careers'

MANUFACTURING

2000 Machinist Training

Program as post-secondary

plans. Jonas Cramer, Belle

Vernon, plans to start his

career at Ductmate

Industries, Inc. after

graduation as a machinist.

BotsIQ Final Competition

Winners:

Spirit Award: Punxsutawney

Area HS

Coolest Bots: Clairton HS—

Noisy Boy & Mon Valley

CTC—Alpha Wolf

Best Sportsmanship: Admiral

Peary AVTS— Crusader &

Clairton HS— Noisy Boy

Best Engineering Documentation: Hempfield

Area HS— ELI

Best Engineered Bot: Hempfield Area HS— ELI

(Continued from page 5)

King of the Ring: The Greene

County Homeschoolers— TRIM

2.0

2nd Place: Admiral Peary AVTS—

Nightmare

1st Place: Admiral Peary AVTS—

Crusader

Grand Champion: Hempfield

Area HS— ELI

NRL 2017 National Competition

Craftsman Rumble: Admiral Peary

AVTS— Crusader

Coolest Bot: Beaumont School—

Stobor II

Best Sportsmanship: Punxsutawney Area HS— Galacto

Best Engineering Documentation: Hempfield Area HS— ELI

Best Engineered Bot: Pine-

Richland HS— RAMbo

3D Printing Award: Admiral Peary

AVTS— Crusader

3rd Place: Cochranton Jr./Sr. HS—

Reaper

2nd Place: Carnegie Mellon

University— Disko

1st Place & Grand Champion: Hempfield Area HS— ELI

QMS certified to API Q1, ISO/TS 29001, and ISO 9001:2008

Be a Part of the Action in 2017-

18!

Contact Bill Padnos at 412-258

-6629 /

padnos@ncsquared.com

Southwestern Pennsylvania

BotsIQ is a manufacturing

workforce development

program of the Pittsburgh

Chapter National Tooling &

Machining Foundation, a non-

profit 501(c)3 organization.

The program is affiliated with

the National Robotics League

and is managed by New

Century Careers.

Visit www.botsiqpa.org for

more information.

Page 15

MOTHER NATURE FORCED US TO POSTPONE…

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OUR RAIN DATE AND REGISTER NOW FOR THE

21st Annual NTMF GOLF OUTING:

MANUFACTURING OPEN

August 28, 2017 Westmoreland Country Club

Rich in history and

focused on the

future, the Pittsburgh

Chapter NTMF is

committed to the

success of our

industry. When you

participate in an

NTMF event, you

have the satisfaction of

knowing your dollars

are an investment in our next generation of American

machinists and tool & die makers. Money raised

supports educational programs like BotsIQ and

apprentice training.

YOUR $175 ENTRY FEE INCLUDES:

• Greens Fee ·

• Cart Fee ·

• Practice Range ·

• Putting Green ·

• Bag Drop ·

• Locker Room Facility

• Boxed Lunch

• Unlimited water, beer & Gatorade on the course

• Cookout Dinner

• Awards

Enjoy a day on the links with your manufacturing

colleagues and those who support the manufacturing

industry in the Pittsburgh region.

This is a great opportunity for your company to see

and be seen.

Registration is now open and sponsorships are

available. For more information, we encourage you to

visit our website www.PGHNTMA.org and watch

your e-mail inbox. You may also contact Chapter

Executive Ed Sikora at office@pghntma.org or

724.601.6008.

SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES Support the Manufacturers’ Open.

Support the future of manufacturing.

RED LEVEL $3,000 Exclusive Event Name Rights ▪ Logo on

Banner ▪ Listed on PGHNTMA.org ▪ Listed in Precision Pittsburgh ▪ Tee Box Sign

WHITE LEVEL $750 Logo on Banner ▪ Listed on

PGHNTMA.org ▪ Listed in Precision Pittsburgh ▪ Tee Box Sign

BLUE LEVEL $225 Tee Box Sign

To secure your sponsorship, visit our events tab at:

WWW.PGHNTMA.org

or contact Ed Sikora at office@pghntma.org or

724.601.6008.

107 Freedom Court

Moon Township, PA 15108

Phone: (724) 601-6008

e-mail: office@pghntma.org

PRST STD U.S. POSTAGE

PAID PERMIT NO. 130

GREENSBURG, PA

REGISTRATION IS

NOW OPEN FOR

THE 2017

NTMA

FALL CONFERENCE

IN

SAN ANTONIO, TX

FOR MORE

INFORMATION:

WWW.NTMA.ORG

OR CALL:

216.264.2845