Restek donates precision measurement tool to school

MILL HALL — Central Mountain High School’s precision machining program got a bit more precise thanks to a donation from Restek.

According to a company press release, the chromatography manufacturer donated a horizontal profile projector as part of its Oct. 4, Manufacturing Day celebrations at the high school in Mill Hall. The tool will be used for vocational machining students to improve their skills in optical measurement.

“Industry donations play an important part in the personal growth of the students in the precision machining program,” said Shan Packer, CMHS’s precision machining program instructor. “Thanks to Restek, we can continue to train students to become young professionals.”

The donation was spearheaded by Matt Lininger, senior product development engineer at Restek, who saw it as an opportunity to give back to his alma mater. Lininger also currently serves on the Precision Machining Advisory Committee at CMHS.

“We got a new optical comparator in our shop at Restek, so I inquired if it was possible to donate the one we weren’t using,” Lininger said. “Restek was happy to help these young students, and I was excited to help the machining program at Central Mountain.”

Also known as an “optical comparator,” the horizontal profile projector magnifies the silhouette of a machine part and allows machinists to measure the dimensions and geometry of the part against prescribed limits.

Recently, the machine program at CMHS moved into a larger facility and is expanding its program. Packer said the program acquired three new machines in the last 12 months through grants, but did not have an optical comparator until now.

Students will use the skills they develop with the optical comparator to take the “Material, Measurement and Safety” certification test offered through the National Institute of Metalworking Skills.

The MMS test is one of 11 certifications recognized by the both the Pennsylvania Department of Education and the Bureau of Technical Education as end-of-program assessments for precision machining. CMHS is also collaborating with multiple career and technical centers, several area machine shops, and the PA Department of Labor to create a consortium to sponsor students in apprenticeship programs.

“This donation plays an important part in the personal growth of the students and makes a real impact on their interest in machining and the communities where they live,” Packer said.