The manufacturing industry is facing an oncoming crisis. If current trends continue, there will soon be a lack of engineers with the skills needed to meet the demands of a growing economy. Manor Tool is committed to working towards finding solutions that help close this engineering skills gap. As part of our ongoing efforts, we recently joined forces with the University of Illinois (UI) at Urbana-Champaign.
We partnered with UI students in the Senior Engineering Project program, which is a graduation requirement for engineering majors. The program presents scenarios that students are likely to run into during their careers. By collaborating with industry leaders like Manor Tool and Manufacturing, students gain essential knowledge that prepares them for what lies ahead in their professional work.
Learning in a Real World Classroom
The Senior Engineering Project brings together students and industry leaders with real-world experience. A group of students, working with a faculty advisor, are connected with people who work at a local business. These teams then join to collaborate on actual manufacturing challenges found on the shop floor. By presenting real-world challenges that manufacturing businesses face, students can learn how to tackle problems they won’t find in a textbook.
Once a week, the student team members have a conference call with their contacts at their partnered business. They discuss the issues they’ve been working on and any developments that have come up. It’s an excellent opportunity for the students to apply the concepts they’ve been studying in actual applications. This prepares them to start their careers, while also teaching them concepts that will benefit the companies they work for.
Manor Tool Gets Involved
In 2016 Harry Wildblood, the coordinator of the Senior Engineering Project, gave a presentation about the program during a visit to Chicago. In the audience was Tom Simeone, President of Manor Tool. He was intrigued by the potential of the project and eager to support it. Manor Tool connected with Wildblood to become involved in the Senior Engineering Project and share experiences, resources, and industry knowledge with the students in the program.
In 2019, we were paired with a team from UI that included students Anthony Alvizu, Nicola Dama, and Zechen Sun. The goal of the project we tackled was to improve space utilization, so we could balance production with customer requirements. We were looking for ways to make production more efficient, which would help us respond to the demands of a large project. The team analyzed the facility and how space was used, then presented ideas to expedite production.
The Manor Tool team was glad to have the experience of working with the students from UI. We value the opportunity to support and guide the next generation of engineers, as well as share the expertise and industry knowledge we’ve gained through the years.
An Enriching Experience for Engineering Students and Manor Tool
The manufacturing industry is facing a serious shortfall of engineers with necessary skills. Manor Tool is glad to have the opportunity to work with students from the University of Illinois to bridge that skills gap. Our experience of collaborating with a team in the Senior Engineering Project was fruitful and encouraging, and we are pleased to glimpse the future of engineering in these students!
Manor Tool has grown throughout the years to become a superior quality metal stamping company. Our skilled and experienced staff will work with you from design through completion, regardless of the size of your project. We use state-of-the-art technology and processes to achieve the efficiency and precision you need.
For more information about what we do or to learn about past projects, check out our resource library.
