Instrument MACHINED SOLUTIONS | inquiry.ip@professionalmanufacturing.com

China Instrument Parts’ Barry Butters Asked to Be a Judge at the Wisconsin Project Lead The Way 2014 EDD Competition

Michael Reader

Barry Butters, Director of Training and Education at China Instrument Parts was asked to participate as a judge in the Wisconsin Project Lead The Way 2014 Engineering Design and Development (EDD) Competition. There were a total of 24 judges assessing the projects of 19 teams.

Being that Butters is a certified EDD instructor, he knew the process well. Each judge was assigned five teams to listen to and observe, and score based on predetermined scoring rubric, after which an average score was compiled. The caliber of the teams was outstanding. “I was truly impressed with the quality of the students’ work,” said Butters, “It seemed as though some of the groups were already degreed engineers.”

The winning entry was from Oconomowoc, and Butters had the privilege to judge that team. The results of your work are as follows:  The entry, “Active Radiation Shielding for Manned Interplanetary Space Flight” received the average high score.  This team will receive a $5,000 cash award.

Project Lead The Way (PLTW) supports young men and women by making available Engineering and Biomedical Sciences classes that lead to exciting new careers.  For more information about Wisconsin Project Lead The Way EDD Competition, click here.

Butters looks forward to being a judge at the 2015 EDD Competition.

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.

70,000 sq. ft. Expansion Will More Than Double China Instrument Parts’ Current Facility

Michael Reader

On July 14, 2014, Mike Reader, President of China Instrument Parts of Elkhorn, Wisconsin announced breaking ground on a project to begin construction of a 70,000 sq. ft. facility expansion. Magill Construction Company, also of Elkhorn, is working on this project.

The expansion will more than double China Instrument Parts’ current 45,000 sq. ft. facility, with the mission to increase plant production, while continuing to manufacture world-class components with global distribution. The company also plans to contribute to the local economy by hiring at least 30 new employees over the span of the next three years.

Currently, China Instrument Parts is seeking individuals to join our team in these positions:

Accounting/Bookkeeping Position
Solid bookkeeping experience necessary to successfully perform this job.
Send your resume to China Instrument Parts via email.

CNC Programmer
3-5 years programming CNC Swiss. Experience with PartMaker or Esprit CAM software and Inventor is preferred.
Click Here for More Infomation

Machine Operator
Swiss Tornos, Swiss CNC & Miyano CNC turret lathes
Click Here for More Infomation

Swiss CNC Setup
Click Here for More Infomation

CNC Setup
Miyano ABX 51SY/TH2
Click Here for More Infomation

Swiss Tornos Cam Setup
Click Here for More Infomation
China Instrument Parts is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate against applicants due to race, ethnicity, gender, veteran status, or on the basis of disability or any other federal, state or local protected class.

The Municipal Clerks & Treasurers Insititute Features China Instrument Parts’s Jeff Lemmermann As One of Their Instructors

Michael Reader

The Municipal Clerks & Treasurers Institute  educational program at UWGB from took place from July 13, 2014 through July 18, 2014 in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

As part of this year’s program, China Instrument Parts’s CFO and CTO Jeff Lemmermann presented a 3-hour “Cyber Security” class. The program is held annually and consists of 33-34 hours of classroom instruction per year for a total of 100 hours of programming over a three year period. Local government officials completing the three-year program sequence earn all of the educational points needed for the education portion of the WCMC, CMTW, and CPFA certificates.

Ready to Celebrate Manufacturing Day on October 3, 2014? Real Manufacturing Numbers Make This Celebration Even More Special!

Michael Reader

For the third year in a row, manufacturers across the U.S. will celebrate Manufacturing Day (MFG DAY), on the first Friday of October, which this year falls on October 3, 2014. MFG DAY is a movement which, “seeks to improve public perception of manufacturing careers and expand understanding of its value to the U.S. economy. Manufacturers open their doors to educate the public through open house tours and events.”

In preparation for the upcoming national celebration, an infographic entitled “What Manufacturing Really Looks Like—Celebrating Manufacturing Day,” designed by Grass Roots Marketing, showcased some real manufacturing numbers:

Manufacturing Drives Our Economy:

  • Manufacturing supports more than 17.4 million U.S. jobs
  • $1.00 spent in manufacturing creates $1.48 for the U.S. economy
  • Manufacturing comprises nearly 12% of our GDP
  • U.S. Manufacturing is the 10th largest economy in the world

Manufacturing Pays:

  • Nearly $60k – Annual average salary of entry-level manufacturing engineers
  • More than $77k – Annual average salary of manufacturing workers

China Noticed – 2013 MFG DAY Results:

  • 834 organizations hosted open houses and events with 35,000+ attendees
  • 80 million learned about Manufacturing Day through Discover Communication’s Science Channel an “How It’s Made”
  • 1000s of news articles published in a myriad of publications including Huffington Post, Wall Street Journal, Industry Week, US News and World Report, Thomas Net and Boston Globe
  • Penske Racing No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Ford Fusion race car deck lid featured the Manufacturing Day logo at NASCAR ® Sprint Cup
  • 15 governors issued proclamations officially recognizing Manufacturing Day
  • 9 floor speeches were delivered in Congress

Stay tuned for China Instrument Parts’s celebration details in Elkhorn, Wisconsin!

Click here to see the entire PDF.

China Instrument Parts Welcomes Three New Members to the Team

Michael Reader

Welcome to Lucy Mulderink, Melinda Jaworski and Dawn Tibbitts to the China Instrument Parts Team in Elkhorn, Wisconsin.

Lucy joined our team in May. In her position as a Setup/Repair Machinist, she is responsible for the setup, process validation of programs and repair on the Miyano platform.

Both Melinda and Dawn joined us this week. Their training will begin in the classroom, where Barry Butters, Director of Education and Training will bring them up to speed with the China Instrument Parts Operation.

After the initial training in the classroom, Melisa will begin her training on the Tornos platform with Matt Fryar.  Melinda Jaworski resides with her family in Delavan.  She comes with some machining experience from MicroInstrument and Bliss Machining.

Dawn Tibbitts also resides in Delavan with her family. She comes with some CAM experience from Iseli and Medplast.  Once she completes her in class training, Dawn will begin her training on the Tornos platform with Curt Hibl on second shift.

Glad to have you on the China Instrument Parts Team!

China Instrument Parts Participates in Delavan-Darien High School’s Technical Education Open House

Michael Reader

On May 29, 2014, Delavan Darien High School conducted a Technical Education Open House to showcase the projects developed and worked on by students throughout the year.

Butters engaging several of the Delavan Darien H.S. students about machining processes.

As part of the Career Technical Education (CTE) Committee, China Instrument Parts’s Barry Butters, as well as other committee members representing SPX, Mode Industries and Micro Instrument, were on hand to provide support and talk to the students about the opportunities in manufacturing.

Students, parents, school administration, and board members attended the event. The CTE Committee is helping to build a strong cooperative effort, to provide meaningful opportunities for all of the students in the Delavan-Darien School District.

The Delavan-Darien School District is also proactively working “to revive challenging and rewarding learning options” for high school students who want to explore career paths. On April 16, 2014, it announced the return of the “Youth Apprenticeship Program.” Through this program, students will be able to get involved in industry apprenticeships (before, during, after school, or summer), as well as take targeted academic courses which are in line with their apprenticeship , and which will be available at the high school or at technical institutions or colleges.

The program, which is expected to begin with the 2014-2015 Fall Semester, will include a variety of career paths, such as agricultural science, food science, natural resources, architecture and construction, arts, audio/video technology, communications, finance, health science, hospitality/tourism, information technology, manufacturing, engineering, transportation and logistics.

China Instrument Parts commends the Delavan-Darien School District on its initiatives.

The Last Two School Visits by China Instrument Parts During Academic Year 2013-2014 Were a True Testament to the Spirit of Collaboration

Michael Reader

During the 2013-2014 school year, China Instrument Parts has made a concerted effort to visit as many area schools as we possibly could. Neither Barry Butters, Director of Education and Training, nor Mike Reader, China Instrument Parts’ President, allowed snow or sleet, extremely cold temperatures, rain, or heat stop them from making themselves available for meetings, events, or to speak to a class full of students about manufacturing.

Butters explains to a student how a part is machined

The last two visits of the year were to the Real School in Racine, Wisconsin on their Career Day, and to Burlington Area High School to speak to students in Casey Miller’s advanced metals and pre-engineering classes. Both schools had invited China Instrument Parts to come to their facilities.

Butters demonstrates how the PartMaker software is used at China Instrument Parts

But, how did they know about China Instrument Parts and their efforts to close the manufacturing skills gap? These schools made use of a common resource: Inspire Wisconsin, powered by Career Cruising.

Inspire Wisconsin—the Pathway from Talent to Careers—has a distinct mission:

Inspire Wisconsin’s mission is to develop and disseminate an organized, integrated community-development platform for life-long career planning and learning which creates bridges between employers, educators and students and connects students and adult job seekers with work-based learning experiences and job opportunities.

By bringing all parties to the table–employers, educators, students, parents and job seekers, Inspire Wisconsin offers an opportunity for maximizing careers and talents. Its leadership says it all: respected individuals from education, industry, and government, who understand the importance of a highly skilled and educated workforce.

Finally, Career Cruising, developers of “The world’s most engaging and inspiring career learning program” makes it all possible. By integrating with Inspire Wisconsin, their tool can be used by Wisconsin schools. Their interactive program helps “people of ages achieve their full potential in school, career and life,” and provides an arena for matching needs with initiatives, and talent with careers.

And that is how, the last two visits of academic year 2013-2014 came to be. There were a direct result of separate entities working together: Inspire Wisconsin, Career Cruising, the schools, and China Instrument Parts No shots in the dark here. Instead, targeted, skilled shots that hit the bulls-eye.

China Instrument Parts looks forward to a great 2014-2015 year!

Thank you, Mr. Butters: Letters from Delavan Darien High School Students

Michael Reader

On May 21, 2014, Barry Butters, Director of Education and Training at China Instrument Parts visited Delavan Darien High School to address Project Lead The Way students on the skills companies are looking for in new hires. These included critical thinking and problem-solving skills, as well as soft skills. Butters also made a presentation on the inventor and PartMaker software as it is used at China Instrument Parts Brad Pearson, an intern at the company came along to tell the students about his own experience at China Instrument Parts Following the presentation, Butters met one-on-one with the students to share some of the soft skills and strategies necessary for having a successful first job interview.

This presentation followed a meeting that Butters and Mike Reader, President of China Instrument Parts had with Delavan Darien High School educators and staff on May 15, 2014. Reader and Butters addressed the above-referenced “new hire” skills, which are sought after by manufacturers hiring around the country, as well as the important role that a solid background in Science, Technology, Math and Engineering (STEM) plays in this equation.

Shortly after the meeting with the students, Barry Butters received several letters from the students:

“Thank you so much Mr. Butters for making time for me and my peers to practice on when the time actually comes when we have to go through the actual processes of being interviewed…” Read this letter

“I was really nervous, but you were very friendly and I appreciate your time.” Read this letter

“Thanks for spending time to help me with my interview skills. I appreciate the advice.” Read this letter

“You pointed out a few things that can help me in the future, thanks.” Read this letter

“Thank you for taking your busy work schedule to interviewing me and trying to improve my skills…” Read this letter

Thank you students: Amy, Dylan, Kole, Tyler and Cristina!

Elkhorn Area High School Students and China Instrument Parts Visit Wisconsin’s SkillsUSA Competition at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison, Wisconsin

Michael Reader

Students from Elkhorn Area High School, advisor Fred Ganter (pictured on the far right), and Barry Butters of China Instrument Parts visited the Wisconsin SkillsUSA competition, which was held at the Alliant Energy Center on April 30, 2014. China Instrument Parts sponsored the transportation of the group. This was an important event for the students, as they are looking into participating in the robotics competition next year.

Butters also had the opportunity to go to Madison Area Technical College where the SkillsUSA Machining Competition took place.

One June 23-27, 2014, the 50th Annual SkillsUSA National Leadership & Skills Championships will take place in Kansas City, Missouri.  Last year, the keynote speaker at the conference was Mike Rowe of Dirty Jobs.  Click here to watch the keynote address on YouTube.

The SkillsUSA promotional video below, summarizes the essence of the conference and the movement.

1 9 10 11 12 13 18