[August 05, 2011] Industrial training robot arrives at the technology center Tweet Jun 03, 2011 (Grayson County News-Gazette - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- A former student arranged for a gift from his company to be presented the Grayson County Technology Center. Tom Cain, a former student of the center, arranged to have a Motoman industrial robot donated. The robot will be used in the welding class as an automated-plasma-metal -cutting station, and in the electricity class to teach robot systems. Cain currently works as the Engineering Manager for Associated Tube Group in Elizabethtown. The facility on is scheduled to close its doors on June 30, 2011. They produced laser-welded stainless steel tubing, which is used for sanitary food, beverage, dairy, pharmaceutical and semiconductor applications, With the closing of the plant, Cain found the robot was a piece of equipment the company could not use in any of the other facilities and suggested the company donate it to the GC Technology Center. As a 1988 graduate of Grayson County High, and a former student of the technology center, Cain saw the benefit that the robot would be. "When I found out there was no need for the robot at our facility in Canada, I made the suggestion to the company to donate it," said Cain. "I knew the college in Etown already had a robot and thought it would be better used at Grayson County High School. So I called and talked to Mr. Witten and he said they would love to have it. I am just glad the company agreed to donate it because there were a lot of other things they could have done with it." Brian Manion, of Circle M Automation, removed the robot from Associated Tube Group and delivered it to the tech center. Cynthia Smith, director of Grayson County Technology Center, explains how the students of the center will use the robot. "This machine will allow special training for our welding and electricity students as they pursue careers in these paths," said Smith. "In this era of tight budgets, the donation certainly provides a valuable resource for our students to learn a skill that will help them contribute to our manufacturing industry and overall workforce." Smith added, "The robot is a great addition to the technology of the Grayson County Technology Center and will be used to insure that our graduates will have more real-life experiences as they prepare for their career choice." To see more of the Grayson County News-Gazette, go to http://www.gcnewsgazette.com/. Copyright (c) 2011, Grayson County News-Gazette, Leitchfield, Ky. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For more information about the content services offered by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services (MCT), visit www.mctinfoservices.com. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]