by Performance Feeders Supports Workforce Training Program
With our continued efforts to support the work force. PFI donated a Flex Feeding system with a Robot to St. Petersburg College’s (EMBA) department. PMMI, who is committed to its members and the industry, generously matched our donation!
St. Petersburg College’s Engineering, Manufacturing and Building Arts (EMBA) department is a strong provider of skilled workers to local businesses, and that means that the College must keep up with the latest and greatest technologies in order to keep graduates up-to-date on emerging equipment in a world of fast-changing technology.
One of the latest additions to the EMBA labs is the new Vari-Flex Feeder, a programmable state-of-the-art system that uses a recirculating turntable to present parts for vision and robotic selection. Dr. Sid Martin, Program Director of Engineering Technology at SPC, said the Vari-Flex will be used by both Workforce and EMBA programs in Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) I and II, as well as in robotics courses.
“It’s a good way for our students to get PLC experience,” Martin said. “They get the hands-on opportunity here, and the local industry people can’t wait to hire them – they just eat them up like they were candy.”
The Vari-Flex parts feeding system is ideal for complex parts and families of dis-similar parts. It features a programmable user interface and modular tooling ring for easy programming and fast changeover.
The new machine is a gift from its maker, Performance Feeders, Inc., a manufacturing facility in Oldsmar, Fla. that provides custom parts for a variety of automation industries, including automotive and medical manufacturing.
Marilyn Browne, SPC’s Business Relationship Manager, said the College is extremely grateful to Performance Feeders.
“I can’t say thank you enough to Gregory Pflum (Chief Executive Officer and President, Performance Feeders) for the generous equipment donation,” Browne said. “In order for SPC to achieve our goals, we work closely with local businesses like Performance Feeders to ensure that our students not only earn a degree, but they are also gaining training, certifications and experiences that make them ready to fill jobs in our local industries.”
Reprinted from https://blog.spcollege.edu/engineering-manufacturing-building-arts-educational-information/big-gift-for-emba-lab/
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