Mississippi State’s Michael W. Hall School of Mechanical Engineering invites Southeastern Conference machining teams to design, manufacture, assemble and test products at Project MFG’s 2024 SEC Machining Competition.
The Oct. 24-25 competition allows collegiate teams to demonstrate their skills in a real-world manufacturing scenario. Each team, consisting of multidisciplinary specialists, will be awarded points based on its performance while completing a trade project. Skills tested may include computer numerical control programming and machining, additive design and manufacturing, five-axis milling, metrology and precision assembly.
Led by mechanical engineering instructors Aidan Duncan and Alejandro Martinez Castellon, the MSU team will compete against other SEC schools in cylindrical gearbox assemblies this year.
Ross Smith, an MSU mechanical engineering assistant professor of practice, said this year’s project seems more complicated than past competitions.
“The competitions are evolving, and it’s getting more and more competitive,” said Smith, also the deputy director of the IDEELab. “We’re pumped about it.”
This will be the third year MSU engineering students have competed in this event, climbing from last to second place and now hosting. After finishing last in their first year of competition, Smith purchased a CNC machine for students to practice with beforehand, further igniting their passion for machining.
“The students took to it like wildfire, which we loved,” Smith said. “The whole reason we’re doing this is to inspire students, help them find their passions and continue to grow their knowledge in a way that’s hands on.”
Thanks to the completion of phase one construction on the IDEELab, MSU can host the event and provide students an opportunity to practice with technologies commonly found in the manufacturing sector.
Smith said going from last place to hosting the competition and placing first would be a “Cinderella story” for the team.
“The competition is essentially our team of engineers against engineering teams from the rest of the SEC schools, competing at a timed, two-day event deciding on the best engineers between them all,” Smith said. “It’s a really awesome and unique event, and we’re super stoked about it.”
Project MFG is an organization dedicated to training future generations of highly skilled trade professionals. To learn more, visit https://projectmfg.com.
