Alpena Community College New Manufacturing Lab Is Thriving

While Alpena Community College’s winter break is in full swing, we took the opportunity to catch up with machine tool professor and advisor, Andrew Paad, to check out the new manufacturing lab. The space went through a complete renovation to become a hub for innovation for students in the machine tools courses the college offers. Paad elaborated on the updates to the space, “We got some new machinery which was a big bonus to our program. In the last little while we added a training robot, a robot tending machine, and a VF 2 off to the side.”

The new additions help the students prepare for the industry which takes alumni around the globe. “As you get into larger manufacturing spaces that are using robots more and more and I often tell my students, you got to keep your skills growing with the industry,” said Paad. “As the industry goes to more robots, don’t be the one replaced by the robot, be the one that can program the robot.” Students can take a variety of courses from introductory lessons to mastering using the robots to manufacture parts for local companies.

Robots are revolutionizing the manufacturing industry, making processes more efficient than ever before. “Once you take the time, it’s a little bit to set it up, it’s a little bit of programming, once you got it running and doing everything, it’ll run thirty forty parts without you even being around, so that’s the best part for me,” said Paad.

These machines have helped the program stay cutting edge, leading to success in competition and out in the workforce.”This is real world experience; you can get what you want out of it,” said Paad. “You can get an entry level position all the way up to an advanced robot programming position right through our program here.”