Mar. 23—The upcoming RoboBOTS competition opens a world of opportunities for students, according to Andy Reinwald.
“They get a sense of accomplishment and competition,” said Reinwald, the new president of the Northwest Pennsylvania chapter of the National Tooling and Machining Association (NTMA). “They’re getting exposed to manufacturing and learning how to build things — it’s awesome.”
The RoboBOTS competition, sponsored by the local NTMA chapter, has high school and middle school students design and build 15-pound robots. The robots are pitted against each other in a double-elimination tournament at Meadville Area Senior High School. This year’s competition, the 17th edition, is April 6 at the high school.
Students learn to apply the science, math and technology lessons they learn in school in building their robots, Reinwald said.
“I really had no awareness of manufacturing when I was in high school,” said Reinwald, who is 31. “I didn’t have the exposure the kids have. It was because of my grandfather I got into the business.”
Reinwald started working at his grandfather’s company, Ripley Machine and Tool Co. in Ripley, New York, after his 2011 high school graduation, learning the various aspects of manufacturing on the job. In 2012, when the operations manager retired, Reinwald was promoted to the role. In 2015, Reinwald bought the firm from his grandfather. Production Machining magazine named Reinwald one of its 20 Emerging Leaders for 2019.
“There’s a lot to learn for those who love to explore new things and build things,” Reinwald said of students getting involved with the RoboBOTS program. “No matter what career choice they make, they’re learning and getting experiences that will stay with them in life.”
The lessons include time and money management, problem solving, teamwork and other skills needed as an adult, according to Reinwald.
Close to 25 percent of all jobs in Crawford County are in manufacturing, compared to about 9.4 percent for Pennsylvania and about 8.5 percent nationally. Many of Crawford County’s tooling and machining shops supply tools, equipment and parts to major manufacturers.
The local NTMA chapter started the RoboBOTS program in the 2006-07 school year as a way to get students interested in manufacturing and technical careers.
This year, a total of 32 teams from 14 schools from Crawford, Erie and Mercer counties will battle it out at Meadville Area Senior High starting at 9 a.m. April 6. Admission to the competition is free. Doors at the school will open at 8 a.m.
Keith Gushard can be reached at (814) 724-6370 or by email at kgushard@meadvilletribune.com.
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