D&S Machine Service donates CNC machines to Luxemburg-Casco Schools
Post date: Sep 05, 2019 2:15:46 AM
Vertical machining center, small lathe will impact students in technical education program
LUXEMBURG, Wis. – D&S Machine Service Inc. – a fabrication and machine shop located less than one mile from Luxemburg-Casco High School – has made an impactful equipment donation to the school. The two pieces of equipment, a vertical machining center (VMC) and a small lathe, began use by L-C students beginning with the 2019-20 school year.
Both machines were manufactured by Haas, a leading U.S. manufacturer of high-quality CNC equipment, and were delivered to the high school building in late May before it was closed off by the new gymnasium project.
The VF-2 model vertical machining center is a CNC machine with a moving table and a high-power, direct-drive spindle. A computer numerical control (CNC) machine is a high-precision tool that is computer-controlled and makes repeated, accurate movements based on the design produced by Computer Aided Design (CAD) software.
The ST-15 model is a small-footprint, big-bore lathe. It offers a high-performance turning center and setup flexibility.“As the district further develops its technical education curriculum, the equipment donation by D&S Machine Service is a true game-changer for us,” says Mike Snowberry, director of learning services for the Luxemburg-Casco School District. “It will allow us to create new CNC manufacturing coursework for those students interested in a technical career path. We can’t thank D&S enough for being a tremendous partner.”The two machines will be utilized primarily in Spartan Machining, open to juniors and seniors. This course provides students with a basic understanding of the precision machining processes used in industry, manufacturing, maintenance and repair, and it includes introductions to CNC machine centers and lathes.Use of the machines also has been incorporated into prerequisite courses Metals I & II.
D&S Machine Service has worked closely with the Luxemburg-Casco School District since 2018. During its initial year of involvement with the district, D&S helped with existing manual machines and by having three rotating members of its staff go into the classroom to work directly with L-C students.
The company, which employs roughly 160 people, believes that the two machines it provided this year through a low six-figure donation will have an even bigger impact.
“Students need to have access to the equipment utilized in manufacturing today – to see, to run, to put their hands on it – in order to decide if machining is something they want as a career,” says Russ Nowak, D&S Machine Service president. “Our goal is to give students the tools to determine if this industry is something they want to go into. Without those tools, they never will know that.”Three D&S machinists – a shop foreman and two programmers – have spent time with Luxemburg-Casco High School students, teaching them from their real-world experience. “Those were three of our most talented employees,” Nowak says.Nowak estimates that his company has impacted between 70 and 100 students already, a number that will continue to grow on the heels of the recent equipment donation. He adds that a small group of past and current Luxemburg-Casco students work at D&S Machine Service, either full time or as summer employees.
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The Luxemburg-Casco School District serves nearly 2,000 Northeast Wisconsin students annually through four schools: the primary (4K-2) and intermediate (3-6) schools, both in Luxemburg; the middle school (7-8) in Casco; and the high school (9-12) in Luxemburg. The district maintains a strong tradition of academic and extracurricular excellence while preparing students to thrive in a global community. Located between Green Bay, Door County and Lake Michigan, the educational community has been in existence since the early 1900s, with Luxemburg and Casco operating as separate districts until they merged in 1968. More information may be found at http://www.luxcasco.k12.wi.us/home. “We Are Spartans”
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