BBehrend Beacon October 16, 2009 www.thebehrendbeacon.com World and National Engineering News in Brief GE may avoid some layoffs ERIE -- General Electric Transporta tion may avoid laying off some of the 1,480 employees it projected earlier this quarter, according to the Erie Times-News. Over 500 of the possible 750 em ployees who are eligible for early re tirement have filed paperwork to be considered for the special retirement program. According to the Times-News, any time a job reduction is underway, em ployees between 55 and 60 that have 25 or more years of service become el igible for early retirement. Each employee that selects early re tirement may prevent one job lost for an employee who is uneligible for the early retirement program. GE has said that the planned layoffs are due to a slowdown in the rail in dustry, which they expect to bounce back eventually. The company did not get a single locomotive order placed by customers in 2009. UK student designs instructionary rocket KINGSTON (Science Daily) - A rocket motor which can be fired safely and observed at close range has helped a Kingston University engineer secure his place in a prestigious inter national space competition. James Arkwright, from Morecambe in Lancashire, came up with the edu cational tool as part of his university degree. He designed the 50 centimetre tall portable motor, which will help en gineering studentslearn more about the mechanics of a rocket. Made out of graphite, steel and acrylic, it shows students - from school age to degree level - how fuel bums in a rocket’s combustion cham ber and allows them to watch it at close quarters. This week’s xkcd: A webcomic of romance , sarcasm , math , and language. VfraEYDU'RE DOINGTVCi AOSBPoRT? MFWNTTWISINmWW upnSOHC. \ nerves. Engineering students 22-person group including faculty, students documents journey through Germany, Switzerland On Thursday, October Bth, a group of 17 plastics engineering technology students and 5 faculty members set off on a ten-day journey through Ger many and Switzerland. Among faculty is Ralph Ford, Director of the School of Engineering, and Jonathon Meck ley, associate professor of engineering. Three seniors - Tim Farrell, Jessica Patz, and Keith Maloney - are blogging about their experiences as they travel. They began their journey in Frank furt, Germany, and took a train to Hei delberg. They arrived at the hostel Friday morning, heading back out “to get some much-needed food,” as one blogger writes. The weather was dis mal and rainy, but the students made the best of it; they went on a tour of the Hofeintritt Ermaßigte Castle in Heidelberg’s old town. Saturday after noon, the group got back on the train to Interlaken, Switzerland, where they arrived late at night. One blogger writes that “It was great to experience their culture and sample the food of Switzerland.” The group took a break on Sunday to experience some of the “touristy town.” Aside from the experience they will gain in regards to German and Swiss engineering, the students on the trip are also experiencing foreign travel, many for the first time. “Students are learning how to navi gate through foreign countries using different transport modes,” said Dr. Ralph Ford, Director of the School of Engineering. “For example, to get - Science Daily KRISTIN SLIWINSKI mm Wmk vsa ttvtetiiibtffeJM ( SoRE-x iJUsr I LKNTttC HARDUfIfiE. from Switzerland to Germany today for the Fakuma Injection Molding Trade show, we started on train, switched to a ferry boat, then had to catch a bus to the show. That combi nation was by far the fastest way to get there.” Monday, the professors asked the students to meet them at the train sta tion by 9:30 in the morning to give them their daily schedule. Some of the group went to a castle, and then through a cave tour, while the rest of the group went on an “all-day hiking adventure.” engineering editor Tuesday began much the same as Beh rend Engineering. Bloggln' Through Europe Day 2: "Upon arrival in Heidelberg we found our way to the hostel... everyone got settled Into their rooms and then we ventured out on the town to get some much needed f00d..." r e: „ Day 7: "Early rising today for an hour and a half-long train f ride to Diessenhonen, Switzerland, where we toured ■. Schottli. Schottli is a Swiss high precision injection mold * „„ manufacturing facility that specializes in molds for the f ‘MBggST IS SOFTWARE; XH SJDL itmOkL.BeAPWBTTOPfV(>i HS6CTM3R SOPR^EVENn¥«JLY. >*-VOURE A DNMX WU KNCM? r Day 1: "We traveled from Erie International Airport to De- | „' r„„ 0.. troit, where we boarded another flight to Frankfurt, Ger- ( , many. After we arrived in Germany, we started traveling * " ' via train from Frankfurt to Heidelberg...* I ?. „ *<| --,i!trv blog through Europe Monday, with the meeting at the train station, though four members of the group - Tim Farrell, Nicole Cocuzzi, Paul Baird, and Keith Maloney - went to the top of Mt. Schilthom, which was used as a filming site for a James Bond movie. The group left Interlaken around 3 o’clock, taking the train to St. Gallen. Wednesday, October 14th, the group woke early to take a train to Diessen hofen, Switzerland to tour Schottli, “a Swiss high precision injection mold manufacturing facility that specializes in molds for the medical and packag ing industries." Engineering Internship available: Position: Fall Engineering Internship/Co-op Employer: General Electric, HR Division Job Function/Location: Engineering / Northwest Pennsylvania Desired GPA: i'.O Employer comments: We are looking to fill a variety of part-time positions here at the Erie plant of GE. All positions are limited to 19 hours per week. Students pursuing engineering degrees can apply online at www.gecareers.com/campusinterview. Interested candidates would select "Business-Specific Internship, Co-op, & Full-time positions" and thenselect "GE Transportation" under the drop down box. Engineering ht<])://p«befifin«»rta{i>lof>pot.oQ] Johannes Strassner, a managing di rector for sales and marketing showed the group around, educating the group on “what Swiss technology brings to the plastics industry. ” The group then broke up into 3 smaller groups, each receiving an extensive tour of the fac tory. “In terms of insights, this is a good example of a company being able to stay competitive by adapting to their markets,” says Dr. Ralph Ford, Direc tor of the School of Engineering. “[Students] also got to see a very tech nically advanced company that is stay ing ahead of competition based on value of technology.” On Thursday, the group visited the Fakuma injection molding show. “This event put students outside of comfort zone - which I see as a good thing,” says Ford. “They had to inter act with company representatives to understand their technology, most of the time discussing with people for whom English is a second language.” At press time, the group was located in a small town in Switzerland, where they are seeing some cultural sights before a day of rest which, Ford says, “we all are looking forward to." Some mishaps have accompanied the group, but most have bordered on amusing rather than troubling. Ford recounts a faculty member who stressed the need for students to be on time, then missed a train after locking himself out of his room during a shower at a youth hostel. Though he caught up with the group later, the fac ulty member has been “razzed” by stu dents all week. Another incident, perhaps less amusing, occured when a faculty member left their Eurorail pass in his room, and was caught by authorities without it on the train. The engineering students and fac ulty will continue blogging about their experiences until they arrive back home on Sunday, October 18th. Behrend Beacon Engineering Staff Engineering Editors Kristin Sliwinski Brett Miller Engineering Writers Ryan Frankowski Ashley Pol
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers