New Training Center Will Put Kentucky at the Forefront of Changes in Manufacturing

LOUISVILLE, KY – The soon-to-open UL Additive Manufacturing Competency Center (AMCC) on the University of Louisville’s Belknap Campus will help ensure that Kentucky remains at the forefront of the rapidly evolving manufacturing sector.

The center, which is scheduled to open this fall, will train engineers and other professionals from around the world on sophisticated 3D printing and other additive manufacturing machinery.

It will aid in the “critical development of the skills that it will take for us to move into a new space,” Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear says. “Those regions that don’t continue to keep up will be left behind.”

UofL is opening the new training center with UL LLC, the Northbrook, IL-based global science safety company. It will be located in the J.B. Speed School of Engineering’s Institute for Product Realization. Its neighbors will be the FirstBuild micro-factory and the newly opened Engineering Education Garage, which houses space for student projects.

The UL AMCC will offer hands-on training in additive manufacturing, focusing on metals. Curriculum will cover design set up and corrections, machine assembly, and parts production, inspection, testing and validation.

The training will teach students how to produce metal parts, establish safety systems and identify hazards in the emerging field of additive manufacturing.

UofL President James Ramsey says the new center is “an important piece of who we are as a university” because it will help workers improve their skills to fill jobs in a changing field. “We think this raises the bar in many ways,” he says.

Classes are scheduled to begin at the UL AMCC in October, with a goal of training 100 workers before the end of the year. That figure is expected to steadily grow, before topping out at around 900 students in 2019.

The training that the workers receive here will allow them to “adopt new technology quickly and safely,” according to UL CEO Keith Williams.

Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer said he believes the center will enhance the city’s reputation as “a place to come” to participate in the additive manufacturing movement. It is important, he said, for the city to entice some of the students who come here to remain and bring their businesses to the city.

Featured

  • Texas District Finishes Construction on New Middle School, Admin Building

    The Westwood Independent School District recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Westwood Middle School and Administration Building in Palestine, Texas, according to a news release. The campus covers 106,000 square feet and has the capacity for 650 students in grades 6–8, and it will also play home to the district’s staff and administration.

  • Kenall Introduces Millenium Flair Series

    In a move aimed at modernizing institutional lighting without compromising on durability or performance, Kenall has launched its new Millenium Flair series, according to the Kenall website.

  • Ryan Companies Completes Construction on Three U.S. Charter Schools

    Ryan Companies US, Inc., recently partnered with Red Apple Development (RAD) and Charter Schools USA (CSUSA) to build three new charter schools in South Carolina and Louisiana, according to a news release. Ryan served as general contractor with RAD as the developer of record.

  • Midland ISD Starts Construction on Two New High Schools

    The Midland Independent School District recently announced that it will break ground on two new high schools in Midland, Texas, according to a news release. The district is partnering with Pfluger Architects, Lee Lewis Construction, and Satterfield & Pontikes to create a total of over 1.5 million square feet for 8,400 students in grades 9–12.

Digital Edition