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$204,000 VATEA Grant Helps

SUNY Canton Turn New Lathes

 SUNY Canton is now home to ten new computer numerical controlled (CNC) lathes and a new CNC mill machine funded through a $204,000 Vocational and Technical Education Act (VATEA) grant.

"This is the single largest enhancement to a lab in Nevaldine Hall since 1967," said Daniel J. Miller, SUNY Canton Mechanical Engineering Technology Assistant Professor. "Mike Newtown, (Mechanical Engineering Technology Assistant Professor) and I have a strategic plan to renovate the Mechanical Engineering Technology labs over a five-year period. The VATEA grant has put us ahead of schedule."

The ten new Haas Automation Inc. CNC Toolroom Lathes and the new CNC Toolroom Mill machine cost approximately $320,000. The VATEA grant funded approximately $204,000, about the cost of about six machines. The California-based Haas Automation Inc. gave SUNY Canton an additional $106,000 equipment entrustment, allowing the College use of the additional machines. Haas also took some of the older manual lathes and gave the College a $10,000 reduction against the total purchase price.

The new machines have manual and fully automatic settings. Students can input computer code to make precision parts within .0002 inches or one-tenth the thickness of a piece of paper, according to Miller. He estimated that the new machines would put Mechanical Engineering Technology students ahead an entire semester by the time they graduate. "These machines will allow students to spend more time learning and less time setting up," Miller said. "They will now be able to spend additional time learning advanced features such as probing and fourth axis machining."

VATEA grants are provided through New York State to help support the retention, placement, skill attainment and completion rates of vocational and technical education students. Student enrollment in the Mechanical Engineering Technology is on the rise, and the addition of the grant-funded CNC machines help ensure that they are learning on the latest in leading-industry technology, Miller said.

August 29, 2005

Media inquiries should be directed to Gregory Kie, Media Relations Coordinator, or call 315/386-7527.

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