Students in a Fixture Design and Fabrication course at Pennsylvania College of Technology gained hands-on experience by producing an oversized "bead roller" that will, in turn, help provide hands-on experience in a new automotive restoration major.
The students custom made the bead roller, which creates a groove or "bead" in sheet metal. A groove can serve two purposes: cosmetic and added strength. But unlike the more common bench-top bead rollers, the student-made equipment is big enough to shape very large car parts.
The students also outfitted the bead roller with a motor that is activated by a foot pedal rather than the traditional hand-crank to allow the operator to use both hands to maneuver larger pieces.
Working together, the students fabricated the bead roller from the ground up, including the rollers, shaft collars and gears. The post and sidewall had been produced by a student in a prior class.
"It seems it is going to work quite well," said Keith H. English, instructor of machine tool technology/automated manufacturing. English teaches the Fixture Design and Fabrication course and mentored the students in the project.
Dimensions for the oversized bead roller came from Roy H. Klinger, instructor of collision repair, who plans to use it in a new associate degree major that will begin enrolling students for Fall 2012.
The automotive restoration technology major, found only in a handful of colleges in the nation, will teach students the advanced skills needed to restore unique and rare vehicles to their former glory days.
The 11 students who produced the bead roller are pursuing degrees in manufacturing engineering technology, automated manufacturing technology or machine tool technology. They are: Travis J. Barto, of Hughesville; Kevin T. Biscoe, of Middleport; Nicholas P. Campbell, of Red Lion; Andrew M. Charcalla, of North Bend; Calvin D. Ferrin, of Mount Airy, Md.; Cody T. Fitzgerald, of Taneytown, Md.; Isaac L. Harris, of Mehoopany; Kirby W. Haskell, of Nescopeck; Steven M. Kearney, of Lebanon; Joshua J. Kingsbury, of Benton; and John P. Kuklinski, of Landenberg.
To learn more about manufacturing engineering technology and other academic programs in the School of Industrial and Engineering Technologies at Penn College, call 570-327-4520.
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