CMC Report

May 2025 – by Al Mangels

The NESMA Technical Development Committee met on May 21st, 2025. It’s been a busy few weeks given the number of events, some of which I will recount approximately in date order.

On May 7th, NESMA hosted a Wafios Student Webinar on Electric Vehicle (EV) Products. Three schools signed up, and several other persons attended. The webinar included a comparison of parts from traditional vehicles versus electric vehicles, a demonstration of a machine producing EV parts, and interviews with three successful long standing Wafios employees, who told their stories about their careers in spring manufacturing thus far. Many thanks to Wafios for providing such an excellent webinar.

The webinar was recorded, and will by offered to any interested schools or organizations for viewing, by appointment only. On May 6th, Lucas Karabin and I had a conference call with Rich Dupont and Cyndi Zoldy concerning the training program at the MASC center in Waterbury. MASC verbally committed to supplying space and infrastructure. It would then be up to NESMA to provide the equipment, curricula and instructors. It was emphasized that some new or late model CNC machines would be ideal, as this would be a brand-new program. Efforts to find such machinery are ongoing. The Northwest CT Manufacturing Careers
Roadshow ’25 was also held at the MASC center on May 8th. (https://mascttc.com/).

Connecticut Business Day occurred May 13th, hosted by CBIA. Legislators and Governor Lamont commented on staying the course of fiscal stability, and suggested that companies and individuals reach out to their representatives to voice their opinions on legislative issues, especially as the budget is being finalized. They also mentioned a “rainy day fund,” available in case of fund cuts or downturns.

The 5th Yard Goats Game Night Out occurred on May 14th and was a great event by all accounts. Congrats to the FLM and all involved for putting this together.
The North Central CT Manufacturing Careers Roadshow ’25 (Manufacturer ConneCTion Fair 2025) was held on May 15that the Capital in Hartford (https://www.housedems.ct.gov/mcf ). It was well attended by both high school students in the early session and college students in the later session. Many students were seeking internships and other guidance in making career decisions.

The SMI committee that has been developing the 200 Mechanics and Spring Materials course met on May 20th, with only a handful of edits still remaining. The next subcommittee meeting will be June 3rd As always, a complete list of SMI webinar courses and dates can be found here: https://www.smihq.org/spring-design-training-program/.

Eileen Candels at CCAT announced the free SMARTE Series: The Digital Twin + Technology Open House at CCAT’s Advanced Technology Center, being held on May 28, 12:30 – 5 pm. It will include an exclusive in-person demonstration showcasing how real-time CNC machining insights and digital twin technology are revolutionizing manufacturing. This second workshop in the SMARTE Series delves into how digital twin integration with advanced manufacturing systems helps control variability, enhance precision, improve efficiency, and enable predictive decision-making. Following the demonstration, there will be a Digital Technology Open House, with an opportunity to connect with industry experts, explore emerging innovations, and discuss real-world challenges.

CCAT’s technical team, technology specialists, and educators will be on hand to share insights and strategies for optimizing your manufacturing operations.
On May 29th and 30th, the Bristol Arts and Innovation Magnet School (BAIMS) Royal Bees Drone Team will advance to the 2025 Northeast Aerial Drone Championship for Middle Schools. They are seeking additional sponsorships; see 2025 Northeast Aerial Drone Championship for Middle Schools or contact Laura Lanza ( lauralanza@bristolk12.org )

On June 4th, the CT Manufacturing Internship program (https://www.makermultipliers.com/internship-program) will launch, where registered interns can participate in orientation, professional development, attend lunchtime webinars and visit manufacturers around the state, building knowledge and a community of peers. The orientation event will occur at the Trumpf facility in Farmington. Employers with less than 300 CT employees are eligible for up to $14,000 total in matching grant funding for up to 4 interns.

Deb Presbie at ReadyCT announced that new rookie team grant applications for FIRST Robotics opened this week for schools and community organizations. There is also a link on their website with a fact sheet that explains the various ways manufacturers can support FIRST teams.

Jordan Dombroski said Tunxis Community College will be hosting a series of Manufacturing Discovery Days this July at their Advanced Manufacturing Technology Center. These events are geared toward high school students who want to get a closer look at what modern manufacturing looks like. Each session includes a tour of our facility and some hands-on activities in the lab to give students a feel for the work and training involved. Dates are Thursday, July 11th, Thursday, July 18th,and Thursday, July 25th, with the morning session 8:00 AM – 11:00 AM (CRN 80300) and the afternoon session: 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM (CRN 80302). If you know any students, schools, or families who may be interested, feel free to share the flyer on the NESMA website. The cost to attend is $30.

Looking ahead to the fall, NESMA and Wafios are planning a regional training session in Spring End Grinding, with a target date of September 23rd. The prospective venue is the Wafios facility in Branford. This would not be for students per se, but rather for the NESMA members’ workforce that engages in spring end grinding operations. (i.e., incumbent workers). The content will be similar to the joint SMI / Wafios in-person grinding training event held last year in Mokena, IL, and is applicable to almost any type or brand of grinding equipment, but in a shorter, approximately 6-hour, format. We are inquiring as to whether the cost of attending
the training session could be covered by the CT Incumbent Worker Training Program (IWT) as administered by CCAT, whereby eligible employers could recoup half of the cost of their employees’ attendance. More to follow.

Last, Prakaithip Romanow from CONNSTEP mentioned the updated Cybersecurity Grant – now expanded from $10K to max $35K. The Cybersecurity Adoption Program (CAP) is designed to support Connecticut manufacturing companies seeking Cyber Security assessments and CMMC Certification. The goal is to help companies striving to meet federal cybersecurity requirements. Up to $10K can used for a Cyber Assessment with the balance allocated to remediation.