Mobile Manufacturing Learning Center 
Excites Students At Page High School 

FRANKLIN, Tennessee Students at Page High School in Franklin recently completed five weeks of study of advanced manufacturing technologies first hand through a cooperative program sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, Y-12, and the Tennessee Department of Education. 

The students learned hands-on skills in the Mobile Manufacturing Learning Center during a six-week stay at the school. A total of 360 students used the computer-integrated manufacturing devices, including robots, milling machinery, a conveyor, a computer, and computer integrated manufacturing software, all operating on a local computer network in the center, according to Jackie Bennett, a Principles of Technology teacher at Page High School. 

Bennett, a 19-year veteran of teaching, said students who participated in the Mobile Manufacturing Learning Center experience were very excited about the program. "Some of the kids were kind of scared of robotics when they heard about the program. But when they worked with it and saw what it could do, they were very excited. It helped them see what the real world is like. I explained to them that it used to be that a worker could make something by hand; now that product is produced through computer-aided design. The worker tells the computer how and what to make. This taught them that you have to work with your head and your hands. The experience made a big difference to 95 percent of the students who participated," Bennett said. 

Students at Page used the laboratories in the center in a step-by-step process to work through 13 different levels of manufacturing technology, from design to final product. The objectives of the center are to create awareness of career opportunities in design and manufacturing; to help build an employee base from which high-technology industry can draw; to increase opportunities in Tennessee that will help keep highly skilled young workers and their abilities in the state; and to contribute effectively to the building of a competitive manufacturing base for Tennessee and the nation. 

Joe Yeager, principal at Page High School, said the experience with the center was very positive for both students and faculty. "We learned a lot. Having the center here was a tremendous benefit. Students gained practical experience in manufacturing technologies, and it opened up their perspectives on what manufacturing is all about. Teachers gained from the standpoint of developing a curriculum and working across disciplines. Overall, it was a very positive experience," Yeager said. 

In addition to the computer-integrated system, teaching modules feature quality control using precision measuring techniques; programmable controllers to teach practical relationships between computer programming and electrical and mechanical controls; and basic pneumatics and hydraulics modules for lessons on valves, actuators, and process control instruments. An applied mechanics module provides instructions in gears, gear ratios, and friction effects; and modules on applied computers and electronics provide instruction in sensors, computer applications, and controls. 
 
 
 

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