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K-State Salina Students Design Industry Solutions

by Tracy Crockett (SALINA, Kan.)

Sometimes an education is more than sitting in a classroom.  That's exactly what a group of Mechanical Engineering Technology students at K-State Salina are learning.  Some real companies have agreed to let them in their doors and design devices for them. To solve both real-life problems, and give students real-life experience.

Most companies are always looking for ways to make things better, and Geoprobe is not any different.  Mike Carlin, Project Engineer GeoProbe says, "These are real projects and they're born from real needs from the organization."  The company was looking for a way to load parts into a blaster at once.  Michael Drach, Senior Mechanical Engineering Technology student says,"They wanted to have something that they could cut a lot of time out of and not have to do that by hand."

After a semester of researching, designing, and building, the student's hard work is still being used.  Dratch says, "It's nice to see it working a year later."

And they're not the only ones.  Solomon Corporation also agreed to let students design for them.  Paul Bijonowski, Junior Mechanical Engineering Technology student says,  "Solomon Corporation needed a solution for winding copper sheeting onto transformer coils, the method they were using was not adequate to keep constant tension on the sheeting."

So the students came up with this.  Bijonowski says, "When that's tightening down and this plate is pushed against the copper sheeting the brake is applied and that keeps the tension on the sheet as they wind it." Dana Dulohery, Manager Transformer Shop, Solomon Corporation says, "It gives us a method for winding our coils in a way that we haven't done it before."

A win win for both the company.  Dulohery says, "Which improves the quality, reduces the material cost, and just makes the process go faster."

And the students.  Bijonowski says, "Sitting in the classroom and designing it on the computer using CAD software is one thing but there's a lot of things you don't see until you don't actually start building it."  Dratch says, "This project will be something great to look back on not just for a resume but just for experience."

Other students designed a project to help speed up the production line at Philips Lighting.

Professors at K-State Salina say the experience helps prepare students for the working world, and is a very important part of a well rounded education.