AST steels students for career in sheetmetal automation

At the AST exhibition stand, on each day of the event, there will be two to three students from a different metropolitan TAFE college in a challenge to make a predetermined item involving several sheet metal fabrication processes.

The most likely colleges to participate are Miller, Granville, Ultimo and Mount Druitt.

Managing Director of AST, Ingo Bentrup, has invested significant time into organising this skills challenge and is keen to see the industry as a whole become more involved in developing students with the right knowledge to meet ongoing technical expectation.

"The nominal product to be made will be a common item such as a waste paper bin, but the key is that it involves fabrication using as many of our machines and processes as possible in the exercise," said Mr Bentrup.

"There is to be a very defined criteria, which will call on accuracy during design and manufacture and a high level of quality of the finished product.

“Duties will include cutting, rounding, beading, flanging, folding, pop riveting etc, but no welding,” said Mr Bentrup.

"Sheetmetal Industry Association of Australia (SIA) members OneSteel and BlueScope Steel have generously offered to donate the material requirements of 40 sheets of White Colorbond"

"Sydney-based SIA member, Advance Metal Products, has already been generous in donating several work benches, which the students will use for their work."

An award will be made to the winning team on the Friday evening (Friday is the final day of NMW2006) at the SIA awards held nearby.

The winning team will be judged by international visitors to the AST stand, which will include representatives from companies such as FINN-POWER, Kuhlmeyer and InspectVision.

"AST is a member of the SIA, which is always looking for ways to help promote TAFE and its apprenticeships and to give students more involvement early on in their careers," said Mr Bentrup.