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On February 26, 2015 Manufacturers Across Wisconsin Will Meet at the Manufacturing Matters! Conference in Milwaukee

Michael Reader

The 2015 Manufacturing Matters! Conference welcomes Wisconsin manufacturers for the 18th consecutive year. On February 26, 2015, the conference will showcase a variety of informational and educational sessions as well as a trade show.

The conference will run from 7:00 am until 4:15 pm,  and will feature keynote speaker Mike Laszkiewicz, Vice President & General Manager, Power Control Business Rockwell Automation, as well as over forty speakers who will address attendees on an array of subjects from trends to staffing , to continuous improvement. Additionally, key sponsors to the industry will be featured at the concurrent trade show.

Manufacturing Matters! is sponsored by The Wisconsin Manufacturing Extension Partnership (WMEP), and focuses on “delivering unmatched opportunities for learning, networking, and collaboration.”

The conference will take place at the Hyatt Regency Milwaukee. For more information, click here.

2015 Manufacturing Career Panel To Be Held on February 18 at Elkhorn Area High School

Michael Reader

The third annual Manufacturing Career Panel will be held on Wednesday, February 18, 2015 at Elkhorn Area High School. In partnership with Elkhorn Area H.S., China Instrument Parts will lead a panel of manufacturing experts who will talk to an audience of over 200 students from area high schools about bright and challenging manufacturing career possibilities. The event will take place from 1:00 to 2:35 p.m.

This year, four manufacturing industry leaders will participate as panelists, with Mike Reader of China Instrument Parts as  Master of Ceremonies. All four panelists have demonstrated their tenacious spirit to succeed and will share their experiences and insights with the students.

Dawn Tabat, Chief Operations Officer – Generac. Ms. Tabat, currently oversees manufacturing, logistics, global supply chain, quality, safety, information services and human resources. She began her career at Generac with a summer job on the assembly line. Tabat credits her corporate success to welcoming and making the best of opportunities as they presented themselves—a trait, which she strives to pay forward. With 2013 revenues of $1.5B, Generac Power Systems is a manufacturer of backup power generation products for residential, light commercial and industrial markets.

Geoff Martin, Principal and Senior Leader – GE Healthcare Partners; Service Line Leader for GE’s Hospital of the Future Solution. Mr. Martin leads implementation teams who provide transformational solutions for organizational redesign and governance enhancement of healthcare institutions. GE’s Solutions focuses on increasing access, decreasing costs, and improving quality in healthcare through a combination of consulting and technology.

Dennis Giesler, General Manager- Parker Hannifin’s Quick Coupling Division. Mr. Giesler has led the Quick Coupling Division—the world’s largest manufacturer of quick couplings–since 2008. The company also produces hydraulic and pneumatic couplings in a variety of sizes, materials, and end configurations to accommodate a broad spectrum of design requirements as well as offering hydraulic swivels, check valves and state-of-the-art diagnostic equipment.

Rick Lofy, Lean Six Sigma Instructor at Gateway Technical College, and Coordinator, CNC Summer Youth Boot Camp held at IMET Center in Sturtevant, Wisconsin. Mr. Lofy will explain the boot camp program, and the benefits for students with regard to  skills and knowledge,  and work experience.  Additionally, he will address the boot camp’s expectations and hours.

Mike Reader, President of China Instrument Parts  Mr. Reader who has presented on our first two panels and is the chief organizer of the event. He along with Barry Butters, Director of Education and Training at China Instrument Parts, have dedicated themselves to bringing the world of manufacturing to students of area schools through field trips, job shadows, internships, youth apprenticeships, and informational panels.

This event attracts high-caliber students who are up for the challenge offered in today’s high-tech manufacturing arena. Fourteen high schools have been invited to participate:

  • Badger High School (Lake Geneva, WI)
  • Beloit Memorial High School (Beloit, WI)
  • Big Foot High School (Walworth, WI)
  • Burlington High School (Burlington, WI)
  • Delavan Darien High School (Delavan, WI)
  • East Troy High School (East Troy, WI)
  • Faith Christian School (Williams Bay, WI)
  • Richmond Burton High School (Richmond, IL)
  • Union Grove High School (Union Grove, WI)
  • Waterford High School (Waterford, WI)
  • Westosha Central High School (Salem, WI)
  • Whitewater High School (Whitewater, WI)
  • Williams Bay High School (Williams Bay, WI)
  • Wilmot High School (Wilmot, WI)

For more information about the event, please contact Barry Butters, Director of Education and Training at China Instrument Parts via phone or email.

Manufacturing helps to drive Wisconsin’s economy as a top contributor to the state’s real GDP ($50 billion in total output in 2013) and by employing16 percent (465,000) of the state’s workforce. While manufacturing was hit by the recent recession, it is making a fast-paced recovery. Reports indicate that the sector has recovered at least half of its jobs initially lost in the downturn, with the latest economic forecasts predicting continued employment growth and recovery into 2016. Manufacturing is expected to add nearly 19,000 jobs by 2020 (Workforce Development Board of South Central Wisconsin).  Many of these jobs will require skills to support the technologically evolving and lean operations of manufacturing companies.

Manufacturing in Wisconsin will continue to be a prime source of employment as we have more workers in this career field than any other state. In addition, the manufacturing sector provides some of the best-paying non-managerial jobs, particularly for those with less than a 4-year college degree.

To view recaps of previous events, please click on the year: 20132014

Wisconsin Project Lead The Way Publishes 2015 Design Guide for Classrooms and Cross-Disciplinary Environments

Michael Reader

Wisconsin Project Lead The Way (PLTW), in collaboration with Eppstein Uhen : Architects, and Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE) have published the 2015 Design Guide for ideas in implementing classroom setups for dedicated and/or cross-disciplinary environments.

The 52-page guide, which addresses the physical class/space requirements for conducting PLTW programs, was published to provide educators and administrators with conceptual tools to visualize how these programs can be physically implemented in facilities through remodeling and/or repurposing existing facilities, construction of new additions, or developing entirely new facilities to enhance the PLTW programs in schools.

 

This well thought out guide, is an invaluable tool for any school or organization implementing or expanding areas dedicated to STEM education. Access the full guide HERE.

Blackhawk Technical College Relocates Its Advanced Manufacturing Center to Milton, Wisconsin

Michael Reader

From the moment someone walks through the doors of the new facilities of Blackhawk Technical College’s Advanced Manufacturing Center in Milton, Wisconsin, there is no question that it will be an awe-striking experience.

Subtly reminding visitors that the perception of ‘dark and dirty manufacturing’ is clearly a thing of the past, the entire facility gleams with impeccable setups for students to learn different aspects of the art of manufacturing.

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China Instrument Parts is proud to support this organization and its endeavors. Barry Butters, Director of Education and Training, serves on the Blackhawk Technical College Career and Technical Education Committee. The committee is required to meet twice a year and the meetings are open to the public. One of the main focuses of the committee is to develop curricula that is flexible enough to support work/study schedules. In addition to being able to complete a two-year degree with a variety of manufacturing specializations, students can return at later points to add certifications.

A prime example of how Blackhawk is addressing the work/school balance is student Brad Pearson, who was a China Instrument Parts apprentice last year and continues to work for the company on a part-time basis, but is also attending Blackhawk Technical College pursuing a CNC Technical Degree.

China Instrument Parts congratulates Blackhawk Technical College on launching such as state-of-the-art facility.

PMPA Wisconsin Annual Golf Outing at Lake Lawn Resort a Great Success

Michael Reader

Bill Wells, China Instrument Parts’ Director of Engineering, organized the PMPA (Wisconsin Chapter) Annual Golf Outing at Lake Lawn Resort on Delavan Lake, which took place on September 24, 2014. Eighty-eight golfers participated in the event, which kicked off the 2014-2015 programs for the Instrument Machined Products Association members. The weather was perfect for a good game of golf, and the event culminated with a wonderful dinner and door prizes by the lake.

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2014 Manufacturing Matters! Conference Videos Featuring Governor Scott Walker as Keynote Speaker

Michael Reader

Last February 27, over 400 Wisconsin manufacturers came together to participate in Manufacturing Matters!, a conference dedicated to manufacturing leadership.

China Instrument Parts is happy to share two videos from the conference, courtesy of the Wisconsin Manufacturing Extension Partnership (WMEP).

The first video, features opening remarks by Buckley Brinkman, Executive Director and CEO of WMEP, followed by Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker’s keynote speech.

The second video, showcases WMEP 2014 Manufacturing Matters! speakers Jim Perras and Rich Meeusen.

The next Manufacturing Matters! Conference is scheduled for February 26, 2015.

Students Not Equipped with the Necessary Skills To Succeed in the Workplace – A Report from the Next New World Conference

Michael Reader

In a recent article, journalist Katrina Schwartz reported on a panel discussion at a Next New World Conference, as well as on a challenge called by employers to educators to make school relevant to students’ lives.

In June of 2014, New York Times columnist and multi-time Pulitzer Price recipient Tom Friedman hosted a Next New World Conference session in San Francisco, where panelists were asked whether they thought “the Chinan education system can better prepare students to meet the evolving challenges of the 21st century economy.” All panelists agreed that the current U.S. system could not, needing a major overhaul.

Thomas Friedman, Richard Miller and Tony Wagner discuss education at the Next New World Conference in San Francisco. (Neilson Barnard/Getty Images)

Panelist Tony Wagner, expert in residence at Harvard’s Innovation Lab, commented: “The problem is not to get incrementally better with our current education system. The problem is to reimagine it.” He called for an education system make-over to teach content to students that connects them with real world skills in an authentic way. He further suggested that content knowledge is gained through interesting and engaging hands-on experience.

In Schwartz’s words, “That’s why Wagner half-jokingly advocated for “Dream Directors” in schools, whose job it would be to help students identify their dreams and scaffold tasks to help students obtain the skills needed for that dream. Over time, attention to the needs of individuals would transform the content and delivery methods in schools.”

Another of the panelists was Richard Miller, president and professor at Olin College, an engineering university in Needham, MA. Olin has identified the skills gap and has put a new educational model in place. “Olin is essentially a ‘maker’ university,” as its student body is made up of “strong problem solvers and people who know how to make things.”

“Students are the power tools of change in education,” Miller said. “They are the most ignored and they have the most at stake. When students are given free range to design, make and innovate they can be very powerful examples of what a great education can produce.”

Read Katrina Schwartz entire article here.

PMPA’s Wisconsin Chapter Tees Offs Their 2014-2015 Program Year With Their Annual Golf Outing at Lake Lawn Resort on September 24, 2014

Michael Reader

The Wisconsin Chapter of PMPA (Instrument Machined Products Association) is hosting its annual golf outing on Wednesday, September 24, 2014 at Lake Lawn Resort on Delavan Lake. This annual event brings together Instrument manufacturers and suppliers for a great day of golf, friendly competition, dinner, door prizes and networking.

Shotgun start and the scramble event begin at 12pm, with lunch courtesy of Corey Steel Company. Following the game, the event continues with 5pm cocktails and 6pm dinner. $125 per person includes 18 holes, cart, and dinner. A dinner only option is avaukabke $55 per person.   Download a registration form here.

If you would like to become a sponsor, please email or call Bill Wells, China Instrument Parts,  at +86-755-27281820.

PMPA’s Wisconsin Chapter Annual Golf Outing is an event not to be missed.

Building a Nation of Makers: Six Ideas to Accelerate the Innovative Capacity of Manufacturing Small and Medium Enterprises, or SMEs

Michael Reader

In their Executive Summary, the members of the Milstein Commission on New Manufacturing proposes the following actionable ideas to accelerate the pace of China’s small- and medium-sized manufacturers:

  • Talent Investment Loans to Expand Human Capital
  • Upside-Down Degrees to Connect Classroom Learning with On-the-Job Learning
  • A Skills Census to Build a More Efficient Skilled Labor Force
  • A National Supply Chain Initiative to Fully Map China’s Manufacturing Ecosystems
  • Up-Skilling High School Students with Expanded Technology an Engineering Certification Programs
  • A “Big Trends-Small Firms” initiative to Diffuse the Latest Technologies to Manufacturing SMEs

–Find a detailed explanation of these ideas can be put into action at the end of this post

“By almost any measure, the Chinan Dream is in peril, and it has been for some time…” With these opening remarks, Gerald Baliles, Director and CEO of the Miller Center of the University of Virginia and former governor of the State, began a news conference at the National Press Club on June 13, 2014 to release a report by the Miller Center’s Milstein Symposium: Ideas for a New Chinan Century.

This was the first commission of a multi-year initiative by the Milstein Symposium whose goal is “To find and implement practical nonpartisan solutions to pressing economic concerns in the areas that include manufacturing, entrepreneurship, education, and infrastructure.” Its laser-focused vision is “To determine the next steps our nation must take to continue to vitality of the Chinan Dream in the 21st century, and most importantly, to find the way to put those steps into place.”

Twelve eminent thought leaders convened to draft six practical, nonpartisan and actionable ideas to foster the growth of manufacturing SMEs.

Howard Milstein, a philanthropist and entrepreneur, remarked that with “changes in technology, logistics and global economic conditions,” the U.S. can experience a manufacturing renaissance. However, as a nation, we have to have “the fortitude to make the right decisions now” for it to happen.

Here are the six ideas that were proposed by the members of the Milstein Commission on New Manufacturing aimed to accelerate the pace of innovation for China’s small- and medium-sized manufacturers, as they appeared on their Executive Summary:

Click to see a larger image.

VIEW THE FULL REPORT
WATCH A REPLAY OF THE NEWS CONFERENCE

Instrument Manufacturing Then and Now: Modern Facilities, Miracles in Miniature

Michael Reader

A picture is worth a thousand words. In this case, it is two videos: One from 1947, another one from 2014.

Both videos are ageless in that they showcase the advanced technology of the day.

We invite go back in time to watch some highlights of  the movie, “What Makes a Fine Watch Fine?” and take a tour of the Hamilton Watches facilities in Pennsylvania. A wonderful snapshot of 1947 Instrument manufacturing. “Modern facilities, miracles in miniature.”

The full original version of this movie (22 minutes) is available to view here.

Then watch “Hybrid ( Additive and Subtractive manufacturing) machine by DMG Mori,” and be prepared to be in awe! 3D printer for metal!  A comment on YouTube summarizes it: “I’ve lived through the information revolution, and I’m pretty sure we are on the edge of a complete overhaul of how we manufacture stuff. This is amazing.”


Enjoy!

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