Page 17 - MetalForming March 2023 - PMA Chairman Jeff Aznavorian

Tooling by Design By Peter Ulintz
A Novel Approach to Apprenticeship Programs
This month marks my 200th Tool- ing by Design column. Much has changed since my first column in 2006. The most profound change: the current state of our workforce.
Across America, industries face sup- ply-chain delays, worker shortages and the need to find places to build new facilities—all due to decades of off- shoring and de-emphasizing U.S. man- ufacturing education and training. According to Manufacturing Tomorrow, the metal fabrication industry expects a 400,000-worker shortage by 2024.
The United States once led the world in the production of machine tools such as power presses, lathes, mills and other equipment used for cutting, forming and finishing. These machines comprise the backbone for parts man- ufacturing to support the automotive, aerospace, defense, medical and other industries. In 2021, as noted in the Jan- uary 2023 issue of Fortune, China held more than 30-percent market share of the production of machine tools, fol- lowed by Germany and Japan, both at around 13 percent. The United States ranked fourth, leading Italy by a narrow margin.
The past decade has seen an increasing need to boost U.S. manu- facturing capacity, but building and
Peter Ulintz has worked in the metal stamping and tool and die industry since 1978. His back- ground includes tool and die making, tool engi- neering, process design, engineering manage- ment and advanced product development. As an educator and technical
presenter, Peter speaks at PMA national seminars, regional roundtables, international conferences, and college and university programs. He also pro- vides onsite training and consultations to the met- alforming industry.
Peter Ulintz
Technical Director, PMA pulintz@pma.org
purchasing equipment represents only part of the equation. Manufacturers require highly skilled, educated and adaptable workers willing to retrain and update their skills constantly to keep pace with changing technology. Professional trades such as advanced design and CNC automation program- ming for manufacturing cells represent two career paths that lack a skilled workforce.
Automotive and other sectors cur- rently need welders and welding engi- neers with skills and experience in welding of advanced high-strength steels, stainless steels and aluminum. New materials often require new process technologies, with skilled tech- nicians required to implement, opti- mize and support them.
The emerging technologies of com- posite sheet forming and additive man- ufacturing are expected to become more prevalent in the not-so-distant future. As fuel-cell technology, and hybrid and battery electric-powered cars continue to enter the marketplace, specialized skills will be needed not only for their production, but also for maintenance and repairs.
In metal forming, skilled workers generally emerge from company-, union- and government-sponsored apprenticeship programs. But the 82,000 apprentices that recently grad- uated in the United States, according to the Department of Labor, are dwarfed by nearly 19 million university students whose advanced degrees often become devalued due to the sheer number of graduates.
Metal forming companies struggle to find qualified candidates for their apprenticeship programs because high school and vocational school students are not interested in—or are unaware of—manufacturing opportunities, and often choose construction trades instead, leaving many manufacturing
apprenticeships vacant. Here’s a novel approach: Recruit more apprentices from inside of the organization, con- centrating intensely on production- equipment operators.
Many production operators have interests and hobbies that require sim- ilar skills as provided by apprenticeship programs. These interests may include building drones and radio-controlled airplanes; restoring cars and houses; fixing appliances, power tools, and lawn-and-garden equipment; and cre- ating art sculptures using welding, sol- dering and brazing equipment. Some employees apply these skills as part of a side business, demonstrating initiative, confidence and the ability to be self- starters—attributes not easily recognized in day-to-day production operations.
In general, stamping-press operators are considered low-skill positions in many plants, but they have enormous impact on a business’ bottom line. Some operators run press lines costing hun- dreds-of-thousands or millions of dollars containing dies that cost more than many houses. They are responsible for maintaining productivity and product quality, minimizing downtime and pro- tecting the integrity of the dies and press- es. Doing so requires an understanding of the relationship between the operat- ing parameters of the press and its impact on the coil-feed line and dies. Effectively operating this type of equip- ment requires knowledge of topics such as math, mechanics and physics. In many instances, no standardized meth- ods exist for training these employees. Employees who “get it” eventually change jobs because they become bored, see little opportunity for advancement or desire career paths that provide more- challenging opportunities.
Metal stampers would benefit greatly from more formally trained press tech- nicians. A press technician is more than an operator. A technician understands
14 MetalForming/March 2023
www.metalformingmagazine.com