An $876,000 investment in one of Kettering University's state-of-the-art labs will provide software and training to further secure the University's status as one of the top automotive, mechanical and manufacturing specialty programs in the country.

GibbsCAM of Moorpark, Calif., and its local supplier CAMLogic of Oxford, Mich., are collaborating with Kettering faculty to grant 50 seats of the GibbsCAM software suite to the mechanical and manufacturing curriculum. Additionally, the grant will provide hands-on training for Kettering University students, faculty, staff members and area business people.

"This grant represents a significant investment in the education of future engineers in the areas of design and manufacturing," said President James E. A. John. "We look forward in sharing this technological capability with our community and business partners."

The investment by GibbsCAM complements Kettering University's General Motors e-Design & e-Manufacturing Studio, which was created last year by an $88 million commitment from General Motors Corporation, Sun Microsystems and EDS PLM Solutions of computer-aided design, manufacturing, and engineering (CAD/CAM/CAE) software, hardware and training.

"The GibbsCAM software suite is the next step in providing the connection between the virtual simulation of manufacturing processes to the actual production of a physical object," said Dr. Paul Zang, professor of Mechanical Engineering and PACE Program Administrator. "The General Motors e-Design & e-Manufacturing Studio got Kettering started with the use of the same advanced math-based engineering software tools in the design studio that GM engineers used to design their standard platforms and concept vehicles. In this Kettering University studio, with the addition of the GibbsCAM software, we will complete the production cycle from ideation to design to analysis to manufacturing by creating a physical model that students can hold in their hands. It is this step which will allow our students to take a virtual design and simulation and create it using metals and materials into a physical product."

GibbsCAM was the first company with a graphical user interface, fully associative tool paths, integrated cut-part rendering, and integrated solid modeling for the direct machining of solid models.

Zang said it is an important opportunity for small manufacturing shops, too. "There are a number of 'Mom and Pop' shops in Michigan that can do things faster and can be more time flexible than the big shops with large overhead. This grant will provide Kettering University faculty, staff and students the kind of training to help our smaller industrial partners take this step with us."

Kettering University and CAMLogic will offer a free public training session for GibbsCAM on Wednesday, Jan. 22, from 1 - 4p.m. at Kettering University. For information regarding the free technology training class, please contact either Dr. Zang at pzang@kettering.edu or Jim Carlisle at CAMLogic at jim@camlogic.com.

Written by Pat Mroczek
(810) 762-9533
pmroczek@kettering.edu