Stratford Student Wins Statewide Recognition for Technical Expertise

April 5, 2013 - PRLog -- STRATFORD, Conn. – Kevin Pineda, a work-study student at Bridgeport Fittings, has won first place in the Connecticut SkillsUSA competition for best technical student in the CNC Turning category. CNC (Computer Numerical Control) Turning is a process where a computer controller reads code commands to automate machine tools.

A Stratford resident, Kevin has been working at Bridgeport Fittings since January 2012. He is a senior at Platt Technical High School in Milford. Winning first place makes Kevin eligible for the national SkillsUSA competition to be held in Kansas City in June. SkillsUSA is a national nonprofit organization serving teachers and high school and college students who are preparing for careers in trade, technical and skilled service occupations.

Kevin’s winning project involved writing a program, based on a drawing he was given, to machine an actual product part. His work was checked for speed, accuracy and quality of the part.

“Kevin came to Bridgeport with a great deal of knowledge by virtue of his study at Platt Tech and the quality of his work has continued to improve. He was initially working on conventional machining and grinding,” said Brian Quinn, Tool Room Supervisor at Bridgeport Fittings. “When he moved over to our CNC lathe, he accelerated. Kevin learned how to run our CNC, which is different from the one he uses in school, in a very short period of time. He is now starting to learn Wire EDM (Electrical Discharge Machining) and is writing programs for that process with CAM (Computer-Aided Manufacturing) software. We at Bridgeport are proud to play a role in encouraging students like Kevin to consider manufacturing as a career by providing valuable, ‘real world’ experience.”

Bridgeport Fittings is a leading supplier of quality fittings to the industrial, commercial and residential channels of the electrical industry. Nearly three-quarters of Bridgeport’s product volume is manufactured in the U.S.

For more information, contact: Bridgeport Fittings, Inc., 705 Lordship Blvd., Stratford, CT 06615; Tel: (203) 377-5944; Fax: (203) 381-3488; or visit http://www.bptfittings.com.