SCHAUMBURG – The Technology & Manufacturing Association once again hosted a Precision Machining Competition to area high schools for the purpose of encouraging high school students to learn about and consider careers in manufacturing, specifically precision machining.
Nineteen instructors from 18 different Chicago area high schools encouraged their students to develop their machining skills as they completed challenging precision machining projects. After completion, the students’ machining projects were judged by skilled craftsmen in the industry.
The judged projects included industry basics such as tap wrenches, punch sets, U-Blocks, drill press vises, bench blocks, small grinding vises, and offset V-Blocks. Computerized Numerical Control (CNC) projects, using a computerized manufacturing process that uses pre-programmed software and code, included CNC Milling, CNC Turning, CNC Programming on Milling and Turning, tape dispensers, and jack cubes.
19 High Schools Participating in TMA’s 2023 PMC
The high schools and instructors that participated in TMA’s 2023 Precision Machining Competition were:
- Cary Grove High School – Chris West
- East Leyden High School – Mike Matticks
- Glenbard East High School – Steven Bair
- Hampshire High School – Mike Jakubowski
- Harvard High School – Steve Glasder
- Homewood-Flossmoor High School – Bill Merchantz
- Jefferson High School – Dutch Hinck
- Lake Park High School – Matt Sullivan
- Maine West High School – Joe Pederson & Victor Fuentes
- McHenry High School – Tyler Storlie
- Niles West High School – Robert Foster
- Palatine High School – Mark Hibner
- Rolling Meadows High School – Anthony Genovese
- Schaumburg High School – Steven Kuipers
- South Elgin High School – Matt Erbach
- Streamwood High School – Matt Erbach
- West Leyden High School – Lindsay Longstreth
- Wheeling High School – Michael Geist & Eric Race
The high schools winning the most 2023 awards were Maine West High School with nine student projects placing in the top honors, and Streamwood High School, also with nine projects placing in first, second or third place.
Lake Park High School had five placeholders, and Maine West had four.
Altogether, over two hundred high schoolers participated in this year’s competition, with one lucky student winning a valuable, fully-stocked tool chest for use in precision machining.
For more information on next year’s TMA PMC, write info@tmaillinois.org.
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