Issue link: http://www.insightdigital.biz/i/116226
educ ati o n & tr a i n i n g Practice makes perfect COURTESY LAKESHORE TECHNICAL COLLEGE Lakeshore Technical College's virtual painting program goes on the road to save money and improve production By Barb Axelson "This partnership allows a student to earn a high school diploma through nontraditional methods." - Scott Kettler, general manager of Plexus's Neenah operations 14 | A s J o h n Lu k a s s t r o ll e d across the campus of Lakeshore Technical College during a recent visit, an intriguing demo caught his attention. An instructor wanted to show him a training simulator that could teach employees to paint manufactured parts with greater speed and accuracy while also eliminating waste and hazardous emissions. "I was out at the college for a meeting and they offered to do a demo on their paint simulator, showing the technology and a verbal description and how they would work with students," recalls Lukas, vice president of manufacturing / insight on manufacturing • March 2013 Oshkosh Corp. employees work with the VirtualPaint® sytem under the watchful eye of Pete Gall from Lakeshore Technical College. at LDI Industries, Inc., a Manitowoc-based manufacturer of hydraulic and lubrication components. It didn't take him long to see value in the program. He returned to LDI Industries and discussed the possibilities of using the new training technology with some of his managers. He later contracted with LTC to come to Manitowoc for a two-and-a-half day hands-on presentation in 2010 in which 12 employees would participate. "They tailored training sessions to our particular needs," he says, "They wanted to work with specifics. We paint hydraulic tanks and hydraulic swivels of different sizes. The tanks vary from five to 1,000 gallons. Paint is expensive." The company, an employer of 250 people, serves many w w w.in s i g h t o n m f g .c o m