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Externship Summary - 2005

RCNGM Leader: Richard Weber, Ph.D. Asst. Professor and Coordinator
Automated Manufacturing Engineering Technology
Naugatuck Valley Community College

Externship: Branson Ultrasonics

Lessons Learned

The most useful learning component of my externship at Branson Ultrasonics was the opportunity to learn the fundamentals of ultrasonic welding technology from technical experts. It was also a significant learning experience to understand how innovative equipment can still be manufactured in the US and sold in a worldwide market. In addition, I learned how a successful company utilizes worldwide component suppliers and still protect their core proprietary technology.

There were two challenging components of the externship. The first challenging component of the externship at Branson Ultrasonics was selecting a project from the many available at the company that could be useful to develop new curriculum at Naugatuck Valley Community College (NVCC). The second challenge was having to extend the externship into the Fall school semester because tooling and equipment needed to be prepared for the company project. This actually turned out to be an advantage because the company donated new ultrasonic equipment for the NVCC manufacturing processes laboratory.

Impact on Student Learning

The implementation of my curriculum plan at NVCC went smoothly since the initial project was purposely selected to facilitate developing curriculum content. The project relates to the testing of tooling coatings for a fundamental use in ultrasonic welding equipment. The new curriculum, therefore focused on the ultrasonic welding fundamentals and the tooling used in the welding process.

The students have learned significant fundamental aspects of ultrasonic plastic welding technology used in manufacturing worldwide. The students also learned that Connecticut manufacturing companies can compete successfully in a global economy. Both these learning experiences gave the students the motivation to understand a high technology process.

Externship Sustainability

Branson has supplied excellent technical support who facilitated the donation of ultrasonic welding equipment to the NVCC manufacturing processes laboratory. In addition, the manger of Branson’s ultrasonic welding technology continues to work with the Automated Manufacturing Engineering Technology program and he will also make presentations to the students in the Manufacturing Processes course.

The curriculum is now being shared with other instructors teaching the Manufacturing Processes course and the Introduction of technology course at NVCC.

The equipment donated by Branson to NVCC will continue to be used for demonstrating ultrasonic welding equipment and processes to students. The equipment will also be used for a testing program sponsored by Branson Ultrasonics. The faculty are also interested in obtaining other externships.

 

 

 

 

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The Regional Center for Next Generation Manufacturing is funded through a grant from the National Science Foundation Advanced Technology Education program. Copyright 2005. All rights reserved.