Volume 002| September 2022
Advanced Manufacturing and Material Center September Newsletter
Construction is Underway!
July 2022
August 2022
The demolition phase of the project began as scheduled on August 3rd. Teams have been working to remove the facade from the exterior of the building to make way for the new metal siding. Work is also underway to connect heating and cooling water from LCCC's Physical Plant water supply to the new environmental control system within the Manufacturing Center.

Crews have also been working on the interior by removing old carpeting, ceiling tiles, wiring and drywall. Once completed, the area to the left side of this picture will house the new Concept Forge. This will be an area that will allow both new educational opportunities as well as an area for community members and businesses to bring new ideas to light. The Concept Forge will house multiple new pieces of equipment including most of our 3D printers, a new laser and workspace for entrepreneurs to create the next great thing.
Making the Old, New Again
The building that will be home to the new LCCC Advanced Manufacturing program has served the community well over the years by housing multiple programs. Originally built in the 1970s, a portion of the building served as the indoor riding arena for LCCC and was then converted to meet the needs of the Automotive Body Repair program in the 1980s.

The above image is a rendering of what the exterior of the updated building is expected to look like after construction wraps up. Along with a nearly complete interior remodel, the "new" building will serve LCCC and the local area for years to come. 
LCCC External Discussions
In last month's message, I mentioned that we had submitted a membership application to the National Coalition of Advanced Technology Centers (NCATC). This month, I am pleased to announce that our membership has been approved and we now belong to an organization that consists of over 170 other technical and community colleges and 45 cooperate partners.
ZSpace Visits LCCC
We are looking at new ways to introduce students to training material as we stand up the new manufacturing program through the use of AR/VR technology. ZSpace, a tech company that has been around since 2007 has developed AR/VR environment through the use of a laptop computer. Sensors within the computer tack your eye movement and the virtual-holographic image can be lifted from the screen and manipulated with the accompanying handheld stylus. 

Members of the ZSpace team visited LCCC on August 18th to present their product and held discussions on how it could be used in our classroom. The ZSpace technology is capable of supporting multiple modalities of training (face-to-face, synchronously, and asynchronously) and aligns perfectly with the training we are looking to provide.  
LCCC Seeks NIMS Credentials
The National Institute for Metalworking Skills (NIMS) was formed in 1995 and is the industry standard for training and skill validation for precision manufacturing jobs. LCCC is now registered as an organization with NIMS and will be working to achieve accredited status over the next 12 months. We will have to wait until the center is completed to ensure that the facility meets NIMS standards. 

The credentials earned through NIMS will enable our students to work towards a national, industry-recognized achievement. Students will show competency by completing both “hands-on” performance and theory tests that have been designed by industry professionals. 

As a military retiree, one of my personal goals has been to create a program that can be utilized by DoD SkillBridge participants. An accreditation by NIMS will be a step towards that goal.      
Upcoming Events
Northern Colorado Manufacturing Trade Show
Northern Colorado Manufacturing Partnership will to host the 2022 manufacturing trade show on September 28th at The Ranch in Loveland.  
Manufacturing Works to Host Yellow/Green Belt Training
With Manufacturing Day being October 7th, LCCC has partnered with Manufacturing Works to present Six Sigma Yellow and Green Belt training opportunities for our local community. The Yellow Belt training will be held on October 3rd and 4th and continuing into the Green Belt course October 5th-7th. For more information or to register for the event, please contact Michael Grundy at: mgrundy@uwyo.edu