January 26, 1998

 

Contact: Pamela Becker, (619) 594-7008 or

Louise Snider (619) 594-5204

 

Machine from Toshiba will step up manufacturing program at SDSU

 

In industry, engineers save time and money by creating test models out of inexpensive plastic which has been injected into a mold. Now, SDSU engineering students will be able to have the same advantage, thanks to Toshiba Machine Company, America.

The company has announced plans to loan San Diego State’s College of Engineering a large-tonnage injection molding machine that will enable mechanical engineering students to learn state-of-the-art manufacturing methods by making plastic models of their designs.

The machine, valued at more than $140,000, will be a major enhancement to the College’s existing Facility for Applied Manufacturing Enterprise (FAME). Delivery is scheduled for early May, 1998.

The injection molding process involves the rapid pressure filling of a specific mold cavity with a fluid material, followed by the solidification of the material into a part. The process is used for thermoplastics, thermosetting resins, and rubbers.

The acquisition fits right into the University’s engineering program which stands out for offering a practice-based curriculum, integrating technology, business, and scholarship. Engineering students will have the opportunity to learn first-hand about a critical manufacturing process.

"With the addition of the Toshiba injection molding machine at SDSU, the FAME program will be able to incorporate a complete plastics design, research and development, and manufacturing program as a

degree program in non-metallic material manufacturing," says Dr. James Burns, director of FAME and assistant professor of mechanical engineering.

FAME exists within the Department of Mechanical Engineering as an interdisciplinary center dedicated to the science and technology of manufacturing. The facility provides students with a complete product development experience to augment their job skills.

Availability of the machine at SDSU also completes a career path for students who became interested in plastics and manufacturing while in secondary school. They will now be able to pursue their interests from middle school through high school, area community colleges and, finally, the College of Engineering at SDSU.

Toshiba’s loan of the the machine to the University is part of a comprehensive "school-to-career" plastics education program in the San Diego region.

The program is sponsored by the San Diego Plastics Industry Round Table for Education, an industry group formed in 1996 to strengthen the relationships among Southern California plastics processors, fabricators, molders, and tool makers and the city schools, regional occupational programs, community colleges, and area universities.

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For further information, contact:

 

Dr. James Burns

Director, Facility for Applied Manufacturing Enterprise

College of Engineering, San Diego State University

(619) 594-6076

 

Chris Mitchell

Chairman, San Diego Plastics Industry Round Table for Education

(619) 522-2480

 

Tim Glassburn

National Sales Manager, Toshiba Machine Company, America

(847) 593-1616

 

Pamela Becker

Director of Development

College of Engineering, San Diego State University

(619) 594-7008