Project MFG: Preparing the next Generation of Machinists!

Project MFG Behind the Scenes! WSU Tech in Wichita, Kansas is the epitome of a state-of-the-art manufacturing and engineering education facility. Project MFG is a reality tv competition where teams from the top 4 trade schools in the country compete for a 100k prize. This project also encompasses everything we're passionate about at Saunders Machine Works: promoting manufacturing education, trades, skills, and technological capabilities!

First we'll meet some incredible people (co-judges) that are paving the way for the new generation of machinists, we'll talk with a few of the teams, and we'll also see WALL-E, a saber duel between Johnny 5 robot arms, and of course, a Boston Dynamics dog (creepy). Lastly, we'll get to see a mobile CNC shop that was built to inspire students all around the country, especially in areas that don't have access to these machines!

I want to give a special thanks to Project MFG for inviting me to be a judge on the show!

00:00 Project MFG Competition to Promote Manufacturing Trades, Skills, and Tech
01:37 WSU Tech Engineering Design Technology Lab
02:26 Weld Like a Girl with Project MFG Judge Shanen L. Aranmór
04:29 Manufacturing Saved My Life: Project MFG with MC Drew
09:31 BWX Technologies, Inc. with Project MFG Judge Jim Overberg
10:44 Explaining Project MFG Competition & Judging Criteria
12:09 Team from Suncoast Technical College
14:38 Team from Yuba College Manufacturing
15:36 Team from Southwestern Illinois College
18:41 Team from Calhoun Community College
19:43 WSU Tech Aviation
20:36 A Message to Teachers and Parents: HELP US SPREAD THE WORD!
22:16 Security Clearance & DMG Mori LaserTech 65 3D
22:48 MIG and TIG Welding with Tony Williams
24:58 Pressure Testing the Projects
26:18 INCREDIBLE MOBILE CNC SHOP
30:18 Final Thoughts

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Links for this video

Project MFG Site

Project MFG Trailer

Weld Like a Girl

Surviving an Economic Recession

Apollo 11 Project

DMG Mori LaserTech 65

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Reach us / CNC Info:

[calebgullion]

It was great to meet you, I really appreciate all of the feedback you gave us. We need more people like you who are willing to give back.

[EdgePrecision]

You are correct about the lack of understanding about manufacturing. Over the many years I have worked as a machinist. People would ask me what I did for a living. I would say I'm a machinist. Almost without exception they would reply, O you work on cars. (Not that working on cars is not good and necessary) I would have to correct them and explain. No not cars in the manufacturing of parts for Petro chem, aerospace, semiconductor and medical to name a few industries. I would also tell them as a career this could for anyone be a alternate, or even better way than going thru the whole collage thing. Often you can work get paid and trained all at the same time, (and not have a big collage debt) So you can move up the scale while earning a living. So if you apply yourself and get to top pay quickly, in your lifetime you can earn more than many professional people do. Both my sister (A medical doctor) and brother (Electrical engineer and degree in Physics) are proof. I have made more money in my life than them being a Machinist/business owner. When I was young in school people use to tell you. In order to amount to something you need to go to collage and get a degree. But fortunately my father (Instrument engineer) recognized there is another path. So he let me pursue my path. I guess we found out during the pandemic what jobs were really necessary didn't we. There was no lockdown for manufacturing jobs here in Texas anyway.

[meandmycnc]

This is BEYOND awesome! I help out with our middle school Lego program as well as the Highschool robots, and this is a video they are gonna watch this year...show them what is beyond the lego relm. I also have a Highschool and middle school boy that have 'man crushes' on the "BOM and the Johns" (Saunders and Grimsmo). We are in northern Illinois, and can't thank you enough...and the folk at SWIC enough...for opening my boys eyes....Thank YOU

[ianagos]

Nice anothe video

Glad you are putting more out now

[MrAndrewClaycomb]

I was one of the camera operators on the show, and I just wanted to say that you were a joy to work with.

[lvxleather]

Machining and manufacturing saved my life too man, it's a rewarding trade.

[rayeaglenz]

Brilliant, a super brilliant interesting inspiring video, thank you 👍😊

[connorb]

It was awesome to compete in the competition and talk to/meet great people such as yourself and @Caleb Gullion with the warhawks who I seen commented in here already, I’m ready to see what the competition has to throw at us next year, SWIC will be ready to win!

[ryandinkelman]

Awesome video. I am a Industrial Ed teacher in Southern Illinois an I have had the opportunity to have Mark and SWIC visit our school and I must say the trailer is awesome and the instructors that come out with it are extremely passionate about what they do. Hopefully with our new tormach 440 we can inspire a new group of machinist.

[groushkolb]

Wish I had known you were in town, would have bought you a steak. You have been a great influence on me, I'm 76 and have an 1100 Tormach and a WSU grad. We have a drag race car that we show to schools to encourage trade school knowledge to students. Thanks again!!!

[jacobfalk]

I see my Langmuir systems fixture plate in the background :D

[elllllo]

Hi John, you should really check out some formula sae / formula student teams. Manufacturing is a big part of those projects but they also have to design, validate, build and run their self-developed racecar. Competitions are held all around the world. Scoring does not only include the cars performance but also the engineering, manufacturing, cost, buissness plan and the cars reliability. You will be amazed about the love, effort and hard work those students put into their education :)

[boostedmach]

Shout out to those Red Shirts! Did I hear SWICC say they did that 2 piece fan 4 other times?

[blackseabrew]

The utmost respect for the gentleman from St. Louis. I hate that city. Lived there 9 years. For him to resist the culture that does not aspire to greatness was a very difficult challenge.

[life.is.to.short]

Wish there was more job place that allow more apprentice than button pusher. Let's make America great again.

[bj_]

Wichita isn't the secret aviation capitol of the world, it's just the forgotten aviation capitol

[davidknowles]

HI I LOVE TO WHICH YOUR VIDEOS THAY KEEP ME MOTIVATED ON THE MACHINING WORLD WHICH IS ONE OF THE THING I LIKE TO DO AND I LIKE TO WORK ON CARS AS WILL YOU ARE GAVE THE KNOWLEDGE I NEED TO START MY OWN BUSINESS USEING MACHINING AND CAR REPARE TOGETHER THANK YOU AND KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK

[cyrilhudak]

After watching this my only question would be, who made the decision to remove and dismantle vocational arts (shop) classes from high school in the first place? And what was their rational?

[dodgev]

Swic is about 20 mins from me. I went to ranken which is also in st louis.

[ClanChapmanrRS]

This is just awesome! The shame of this is that our country has allowed a vacuum to develop in this and other industries. The reality is the US is not the leader in some of these fields. I'm glad that programs like this are slowly coming into fruition.