Machining Training Solutions Partners With Bayside High School To Support NASA’s HUNCH Program

By  //  April 26, 2018

students will be building NASA designed parts

Machining Training Solutions (MTS) in Longwood, Florida will partner with Bayside High School in Palm Bay, Florida to actively participate in NASA’s HUNCH program.

BREVARD COUNTY • PALM BAY, FLORIDA – Machining Training Solutions (MTS) in Longwood, Florida will partner with Bayside High School in Palm Bay, Florida to actively participate in NASA’s HUNCH program.

NASA initiated the HUNCH program (High Schools United with NASA to Create Hardware) to make sure the next generation of high school graduates understands the variety of career paths that can lead to missions exploring space.

The HUNCH program is intended to show high school students the many ways they can put their talents to work for NASA, beyond the role of an astronaut. The program provides students a hands-on experience with the space agency by building NASA-designed parts for use by agency personnel.

“The HUNCH program not only helps NASA but the graduates of the Bayside program represent a great source for Advanced Manufacturing skills that Central Florida manufacturers so urgently need,” said In MTS President Al Stimac.

Bayside was one of the first high schools to use MTS’s CNC simulation software and curricula.

Their BAAM (Bayside Advanced Automated Machining) training program has become one of the premier high school Advanced Manufacturing training programs in Florida. The MTS CNC simulation software has revolutionized the method for CNC training.

The MTS system enables teachers or anyone in an educational setting to deliver large amounts of often complex information in a virtual setting without the expense or danger of having to perform these actions on live CNC equipment.

This past month, the 27 students enrolled in Bayside’s BAAM program had a field day at MTS’s precision machine shop in Longwood to review plans for the next phase of the HUNCH program and to see first-hand the operation of a precision machine shop.

With the MTS virtual training approach, a single instructor can train a large number of students at the same time. Using the conventional approach, you would have to train one person at a time on a particular piece of equipment, which is costly and time-consuming.

Also, students find it easier to learn when presented with a visual explanation which they also find easier to retain and recall. In addition to the classroom simulation training, MTS installed an MTAB CNC Mill and a CNC Lathe in Bayside’s manufacturing lab to provide students hands-on training on live equipment.

This MTAB equipment replicates actual production CNC machines, however, they are designed as trainers that run at slower speeds to reduce liability and damage concerns associated with using live production equipment.

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This past month, the 27 students enrolled in Bayside’s BAAM program had a field day at MTS’s precision machine shop in Longwood to review plans for the next phase of the HUNCH program and to see first-hand the operation of a precision machine shop.

In the next phase of the HUNCH program, students will be building NASA designed parts for use by agency personnel. NASA’s goal is to make sure the next generation of high school graduates understands the variety of career paths that can lead to missions exploring space that benefit Earth while developing the technology that will allow humans to live and work in deep space.

For more information on the MTS partnership or to learn how Central Florida manufacturers can get involved go to MachiningTrainingSolutions.com or call MTS at 407-478-6606.

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