Toshiba Machine Co. America plans to loan an injection molding press for use in San Diego plastics education programs — helping to restart a program battered in recent years by budget cuts.
The 18-month-old San Diego Plastics Industry Roundtable for Education applauded the loan.
``San Diego State University's Facility for Applied Manufacturing Enterprise and several other career plastics education programs will use the machine,'' said Chris M. Mitchell of Poway, Calif., the table's chairman and the San Diego branch vice chairman of the Society of Plastics Engineers.
Delivery is set for May, and Toshiba is assisting in locating ancillary equipment for the program, Mitchell said.
``Toshiba feels there is great potential for the entire plastics education process in the region,'' Tim Glassburn said by telephone.
Glassburn is vice president and national sales manager of Toshiba's plastics machinery division in Elk Grove Village, Ill. He anticipates the university will receive a new GN-series press with a clamping force of either 150 or 190 tons. The 150-ton version has a value of about $110,000.
With the new machine, the university will offer a complete plastics design, research and development and manufacturing program, said James Burns, director of the Facility for Applied Manufacturing Enterprise.
Initially, the university will have the program for those pursuing bachelor of science degrees in mechanical engineering.
``In the fall semester, FAME will bring on line a graduate-level polymer science and mechanics course,'' Burns said.
Several San Diego-area plastics processors and technical program administrators and instructors formed the round table in 1996 to strengthen relationships and work-skill development. Backers include SPE, the Southern California chapter of the Washington-based Society of the Plastics Industry Inc., Nypro San Diego Inc., Trend Plastics San Diego, Advance Plastics, Co-Mack Technology Inc. and Ashland Chemical Co.'s General Polymers division.
The round table supports two regional high school programs and an advanced apprenticeship program at San Diego City College's Center for Applied Competitive Technologies.
In December, Enstrom Mold & Engineering Inc. of Escondido, Calif., completed an agreement with the round table to donate an 11-ton Battenfeld injection molding machine. The machine will be installed at the Kearny school in a few months.
``The industry support is incredible and presents a fantastic opportunity for the region,'' said Bill Strong, technology programs manager for San Diego city schools.
Elsewhere, Toshiba is upgrading G-series equipment with GN-series presses in two vocational schools: the Erie Regional Skills Center in Erie, Pa., and Hennepin Technical College in Brooklyn Park, Minn.
