Bright Minds Mentor Program Will Take Place During RAPID 2010
and 3D IMAGING Conference & Exposition
DEARBORN, Mich., February 2, 2010 — While there has been a
significant loss of repetitive manufacturing jobs, workers with
engineering and high-tech skills remain in demand and are vital to
keeping manufacturing and the economy going.
A recent survey conducted by Deloitte, Oracle and the
Manufacturing Institute revealed that more than half of U.S.
manufacturers reported significant shortages of "high-skilled
workers." But who will fill these high-skilled jobs when according
to The Manufacturing Institute "half of the manufacturing workforce
will turn over in the next decade as Baby Boomers retire?" Who will
be there to innovate job-creating products?
Doug Mitchell, development engineer at Ford Motor Company Design
and a member of the Rapid Technologies & Additive Manufacturing
Community (RTAM) of SME is concerned about the future.
"Not enough engineers are being trained in the U.S. That’s
one reason work is being outsourced," he says.
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And he believes that this shortage may have something to do with
the perception that "manufacturing engineering is not considered a
glamorous profession like law or medicine."
But Mitchell is working to change this by introducing young
people to one of manufacturing’s "cool factors": rapid or
additive manufacturing, or the process of using 3D imaging and
layered manufacturing to create physical objects.
Mitchell should know. His work relies on this process to develop
such auto components as instrument panels, grills and other auto
design features.
Outside of the office, he serves as a mentor in the Bright Minds
Mentor Program, a program developed by the RTAM Education &
Information Exchange Tech Group within the Society of Manufacturing
Engineers.
In its seventh year, Bright Minds pairs additive manufacturing
industry mentors with high school students. This year, the program
is being sponsored by The Boeing Company and OBJET Geometries.
Bright Minds will take place as a part of SME’s RAPID 2010
and 3D IMAGING Conference and Exposition, May 18-20 at the
Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim, Calif.
"Bright Minds is a good opportunity to get an idea of what
engineers are doing," Mitchell says.
Local students from Cypress, Kennedy, El Toro, Tustin and
Trabuco Hills high schools will be introduced to prototyping,
tooling and additive manufacturing industries as prospective career
choices.
"I enjoy seeing the light bulb go on in students as they see
some of what can be done with 3D imaging and additive
manufacturing," notes Mitchell. "Last year, we had kids see how the
technology can be used to create a physical model of a World of
Warcraft figure. They could also see how it can be used on the
medical side."
Beyond Bright Minds, the RAPID 2010 and 3D IMAGING Conference
and Exposition also engage young people through the Design for DDM
Student Design Competition. DDM is a manufacturing process which
relies on building parts from 3D computer-aided design (CAD) files
or data often used in rapid manufacturing.
Now through April 6, 2010, Bright Minds students, Bright Minds
alumnus, as well as entrants from various high schools and
universities are invited to submit computer-aided design
"inventions" based on the theme of "eco-friendly household
products." Previous competitions have encouraged students to submit
innovations based on computer and automotive design.
Winners of this year’s competition will be announced at
the RAPID 2010 and 3D IMAGING Conference.
For the more information about the Bright Minds Program, visit
www.sme.org/brightminds.
For more information about the DDM Design Competition, entry
requirements and submission form, please visit www.sme.org/ddmcompetition.
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About RAPID 2010 and 3D IMAGING Conference &
Exposition:
RAPID is North America's
Definitive Additive Manufacturing Event and is co-located with the
3D IMAGING Conference and Tradeshow. It attracts innovative leaders
that are advancing manufacturing processes and providing tools to
bring product to market faster. The combination of informative
technical sessions, workshops and the industry's premier tradeshow
brings buyers, sellers and end-users of design, prototyping,
tooling, direct manufacturing and 3D imaging technologies together
in an environment that facilitates networking and business.
About SME:
Founded in 1932, the
Society of Manufacturing
Engineers is the premier source for manufacturing knowledge,
education and networking. Through its many programs, events and
activities, SME connects manufacturing practitioners to each other,
to the latest technology and the most up-to-date processes spanning
all manufacturing industries and disciplines, plus the key areas of
aerospace and defense, medical device, motor vehicles, including
motorsports, oil and gas and alternative energy. A 501(c)3
organization, SME has members around the world and is supported by
a network of technical communities and chapters worldwide.
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If you have any questions or comments, please contact SME
Public Relations by phone (313) 271-1500, e-mail communications@sme.org,
or Fax: (313) 425-3403
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