Connect and transact with thousands of top North American companies today ico-arrow-default-right

Welcome to Thomas Insights — every day, we publish the latest news and analysis to keep our readers up to date on what’s happening in industry. Sign up here to get the day’s top stories delivered straight to your inbox.

North Carolina A&T University (N.C. AT&T) and the Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation (IACMI) recently announced a partnership focused on the machine tool industry. According to a release from the two groups, “machine tools are a foundational element of America’s advanced manufacturing capabilities," and are necessary to boost the economy and essential for national security. 

The partnership is part of America’s Cutting Edge (ACE) initiative that was launched jointly by the Department of Defense (DoD) and Department of Energy’s (DoE) Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) to reinstate U.S. leadership in the industry. 

IACMI will be spearheading the training program at N.C. A&T, U.S.' biggest historically black university. According to program director Adele Ratcliff, the U.S. must have the means to "conceive, design, build and used advanced machine tools" for present-day society. 

Housed in the Department of Applied Engineering Technology, the training center will work with community colleges and local industrial partners to apply a new training model by the University of Tennessee. Planning is underway for additional ACE training centers across the country. The engineering technology programs will provide an applied approach to engineering education — emphasizing hands-on activities. 

A combination of off-shored production and ever-expanding skills gap have all contributed to a decline in the amount of advanced machinery being made in the U.S. Through ACE, the DoD created a regional workforce hub in Knoxville, Tennessee.

The advanced computing, robotics, and material design capabilities utilized by ACE have already produced results. One of the first technologies developed by the initiative has logged more than 55,000 machine hours and saved over $5 million in production costs.

Image Credit: Pixel B / Shutterstock.com

Business & IndustryPorsche Taps into the Sun with Solar Microgrid to Meet Energy Needs

Business & IndustryVehicle Battery Materials Maker Announces $95 Million Tennessee Plant

Business & IndustryVehicle Manufacturer Announces $50 Million Tennessee Expansion

Business & IndustryFord Releases First Electric Pickup Built for Law Enforcement

Business & IndustryAmazon's Dive into Healthcare May Push Companies to Step It Up with Tech-enabled Care

Select From Over 500,000 Industrial Suppliers

Find and evaluate OEMs, Custom Manufacturers, Service Companies and Distributors.

Stay up to date on industry news and trends, product announcements and the latest innovations.

Find materials, components, equipment, MRO supplies and more.

Download 2D & 3D CAD Models

10+ million models from leading OEMs, compatible with all major CAD software systems.

Copyright© 2022 Thomas Publishing Company. All Rights Reserved. See Terms and Conditions, Privacy Statement and California Do Not Track Notice. Website Last Modified September 10, 2022. Thomas Register® and Thomas Regional® are part of Thomasnet.com. Thomasnet Is A Registered Trademark Of Thomas Publishing Company.