NFPA’s Fluid Power Challenge was held at the Milwaukee School of Engineering on December 12, 2008. 74 eighth-grade students from throughout Wisconsin and northern Illinois competed to solve a fluid power challenge by designing and constructing a mechanism that used fluid power technology to perform a defined task. Participating schools included:
• Fritsche Middle School, Milwaukee, WI
• Hartford University School, Milwaukee, WI
• Heineman Middle School, Algonquin, IL
• Hmong American Peace Academy, Milwaukee, WI
• Luxemburg-
• Marlowe Middle School, Lake in the Hills, IL
• New Berlin Eisenhower Middle School, New Berlin, WI
• Starbuck Middle School, Racine, WI
• Vieau Middle School, Milwaukee, WI
During the Challenge, the students were asked to design and build fluid power mechanisms for picking an object from one platform, rotating, and placing it on another platform. The teams were evaluated on the number of pick-and-place cycles a school’s machine completed as well as a review of each team’s design, portfolio and teamwork. The different and unique designs in-cluded some very innovative gripping mechanisms. Two teams from Fritsche Middle School each moved eleven canisters in the 2-minute Challenge. The two teams then competed in a 1-min¬ute face-off to determine the Team Challenge Champion. Other awards went to Starbuck Middle School Team B (Portfolio Cham¬pion), Hmong American Peace Academy (Design Champion), Heineman Middle School (Teamwork Champion), with Starbuck Middle School Team A being awarded Overall Champion.
Everyone, teachers, students, parents, and NFPA member com¬pany sponsors were excited and enthusiastic about the pro¬gram. Scott Jex, from the Hmong American Peace Academy, commented on the feedback form that the “kids loved it. Their attention has never been this focused in class!” Student com¬ments about the Challenge included, “exciting,”
While the students were building their machines, the teachers were invited to tour Challenge Sponsor, The Oilgear Co. The company is engaged worldwide in the engineering, manufacture, distribution and aftermarket service of engineered components and systems for a range of industrial and mobile machinery and processes.
The NFPA Fluid Power Challenge is intended to provide middle school students with information about fluid power technology and hands-on experience building a fluid power mechanism with real world applicability, as well as opening their eyes and those of their teachers to the world of engineering and fluid power careers. NFPA hopes the program will encourage students to select more math¬ematics and science courses in their high school curricula to keep their options open for technology-based post-secondary studies.
NFPA would like to thank the following businesses for their sponsorship of the2008 Fluid Power Challenge:
Air Logic
Alro Steel Corporation
Bimba Manufacturing Company
Bosch Rexroth
Command Controls Corp.
Deltrol Fluid Products
Eaton Hydraulics Business
Enfield Technologies
Green’s Landscaping & Log Furniture
Helac Corporation
HUSCO International, Inc.
Hydrotech, Inc.
Milwaukee School of Engineering
OEM Off Highway
The Oilgear Co.
Racine Federated Inc.
Sauer-Danfoss, Inc.
Webster Instruments
Pictures of the Challenge are available at the NFPA web site, www.nfpa.com. Build connections between your company and students by sponsoring the Challenge. To become involved or learn more about the Challenge, please contact Tammy Molter, NFPA Workforce Development Program Manager at (414) 778-3349.
