Macomb Community College hosted 105 students from Warren Consolidated Schools  

Approximately 25 teams, made up of 105 students from the Middle School Mathematics and Science Technology Center, a half-day STEM program for sixth through eighth graders in Warren Consolidated Schools, participated in the Annual Fluid Power Action Challenge held at Macomb Community College on April 30. 

The event was sponsored by Peninsular Cylinder Company, of Roseville, with support from the National Fluid Power Association. The annual event is a hands-on introduction to engineering and fluid power, with students building and operating a pneumatic device, a machine that uses compressed air to transmit energy to create motion, and competing to solve challenges.

“There is a lot of fluid power around us in the world, from elevators to brakes in a car, on roller coasters, on assembly lines and in machinery,” said Justin McPherson, design engineer with Peninsular Cylinder Co. “You can work with fluid power in so many industries; it’s a wide, in-demand field. Challenge Day teaches the basics of fluid power and hydraulic cylinders, in the form of syringes, on how devices can rotate, can make a grabber or can move a weight from one place to another” 

Students participated in a workshop on Feb. 12, where they were introduced to fluid power, good design concepts and division of labor. Each team then built a lifting and a rotating device.

The April 30 Challenge Day was divided into two parts: device construction and competition. Teams used a kit of identical supplies including wood, glue and hydraulic apparatus parts to construct a machine that uses fluid power to move. They then took part in a timed competition against peers testing how well their devices performed. 

The action challenge was facilitated by Peninsular Cylinder Co. of Roseville, with support from the National Fluid Power Association and Macomb Community College. 

“Getting students’ wheels turning is what we’re here to do,” said Evan Marchionda, sixth grade math teacher at the Middle School Mathematics and Science Technology Center, who experienced his second year at Challenge Day.

“Students are given the insights and tools to take ownership to come up with a design, build a prototype, see what works well and handle potential roadblocks through math and science applications,” said Marchionda. They are learning things like center of gravity, counterweights and often a simple design is more practical than a complex design. Ultimately, this helps students think about how engineering, technology and design is always innovating and growing.” 

“Initiatives such as Challenge Day give youth the chance to explore career trajectories they can start in college that have high in-demand jobs, such as in engineering, technology and design,” said Mellissa Greene, Macomb Community College STEM outreach coordinator. “About 186,500 openings in this field are projected each year, on average, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.”

For information on Macomb Community College and its engineering, technology and design programs, visit macomb.edu.