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Project MFG is an organization dedicated to elevating the next generation of highly skilled trade professionals by changing mindsets, fostering community involvement and providing a pathway to teaching the critical skills needed to succeed in modern advanced manufacturing.
Through a skills based competition series designed to inspire “moments that spark a movement” and restore our industrial base, Project MFG competitions demonstrate problem-solving abilities and technological aptitudes needed to build the next generation of skilled machinists, welders, programmers, mechanics, and fabricators.
Project MFG’s Machining Competitions are designed to Promote, Accelerate, and Elevate the trades in an effort to restore the manufacturing industrial base. The competition demonstrates problem-solving skills, technological aptitudes, and teamwork needed in the next generation of integrated advanced manufacturing workers.
Educational institutions, instructors, and students build pride in their programs. Companies gain a more consistent flow of highly-qualified tradesmen and tradeswomen. Communities with educated and well-trained workforces have more stability and greater economic prosperity.
Project MFG Competitions are based on the design, manufacturing, assembly, and testing of a “product” by teams of multi-disciplinary specialists. It is a tournament-style event in which teams of students and skilled manufacturing workers compete against one another to complete a trade project. The projects are developed by groups of industry, corporate, and nonprofit partners to challenge competitors and showcase world-class skills. The competition events take place at venues across the US. Each competition project is judged by a group of team leaders and industry subject matter experts.
Project MFG has worked with the Gene Haas Foundation and U.S. Department of Defense to secure competition prize funding for the competitors. The top 3 teams will win prize money. $10,000 Euro for First Place, $5,000 Euro for Second Place, and $2,500 Euro for Third place. The prize money awarded will be split 50/50 between the students and the schools.
The competition will provide;
The Competition:
The Project MFG competition attempts to mirror the modern workplace as much as possible within the confines of a competition environment by creating interdependencies across the teams, requiring the production and documentation of a “product”, imposing time and cost constraints, and encouraging strategic approaches to optimize “production”.
Four components are emphasized:
Teams will be expected to perform the competition within the allotted time and complete all tasks associated with the project. Teams will be evaluated on their performance and their product output. Teams need to consider the entire scope of work and time constraints of the competition to develop a strategy that will minimize time on the shop floor and costs associated with the project.
Competition Elelments:
Assembling Your Team:
Competition strategy plays an important role in a team’s success in the competition. Part of that strategy should include how to most effectively make use of the equipment listed in the competition elements and to properly staff your team. Teams should consist of students with various backgrounds and disciplines in order to efficiently complete the competition.
Allowing teams/instructors to determine the number of teammates based on individual backgrounds and disciplines/skill sets, puts a premium on efficiently performing the machining, programming, and inspection tasks associated with producing the project. Individual labor charges will accrue in 15-minute intervals. This approach to time keeping reflects that in industry where you often have multiple projects you are working and have to track individual time for each.
Key Take-Aways:
Number of team members affects cost
Need a diverse team in order to achieve a quality, acceptable product utilizing the competition elements
Team Member Eligibility:
Team members currently enrolled in high school, community/junior college, trade schools, and universities are eligible to compete.
Contest Duration:
The maximum competition time will be sixteen (16) hours, split over two days. The competition is self-paced, where teams will complete their projects according to their strategy within the overall constraints of the challenge.
Day 1 – 8:30 am – 5:30 pm
Team reviews playbook and associated product drawings and adjusts strategy as required. Team develops technical approach for all required pieces and performs CAD/CAM programming for the machining piece (max 8 hours of competition time)
Day 2 – 8:30 am – 5:30 pm
Team Execution of Project. Machining, assembly operations, and documentation. Team finishes (max 8 hours of competition time)
Orientation:
There will be a minimum of one virtual/in-person orientation with Project MFG Staff for each competing team prior to your scheduled competition date. The purpose of the orientation is to review the competition documentation, rules and overview of competition.
Prepare for Competition Project:
What to bring to the competition:
Tools and Materials Provided:
Tools and Materials Provided:
Each team requires a team sponsor/instructor. The Team sponsor/instructor serves as an advocate for their team during the competition. Team sponsor/instructor must be an active staff member of the associated team’s school. Sponsors/instructors will serve as Project MFG’s “honest broker” responsible for ensuring their team does not solicit or use outside technical help for developing their technical data package, CAM programming and competition strategy.
Project MFG will coordinate subject matter experts to evaluate and score competing teams’ projects. Project MFG competitions are referenced to recognized industry skills requirements and certifications. Preparation for, and competing in, Project MFG competitions provides practical experience against these requirements as a means to help accelerate competitors in their industry jobs and in gaining certifications.
The assessment of knowledge, skills and abilities will be judged by the execution of a functional project. Written theory tests are not included in the competition although some detailed drawings and inspection results will have to be produced during the competition and submitted for scoring.
The scoring rubric assesses skills identified in the industry certifications and reflects performance against them as comprehensively as possible within the constraints of a controlled competition.
5-Axis CNC Machining – 30% of score |
CAM – 30% of score |
CAD – 20% of score |
Metrology – 20% of score |
Scoring Scheme:
The scoring scheme ties the competition assessment to the industry standards. Teams will be assessed points through the competition based on their performance against the project requirements. Points accumulate over the course of the competition based on the teams’ performance with teams being ranked first to last, highest score to lowest. Assessment during the competition consists of two types: measurement (objective) and judgment (subjective). Complete Project Scoring is shown in the Competition Project section.
Objective Scoring:
Objective marking uses a zero or maximum score for each measurable attribute identified in the project. Team effort is awarded for partial completion of components and features based on the use of tiered attributes for each project component assessed.
Subjective Scoring:
Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) will evaluate each teams’ performance against project requirements. Judges will be consistent for all teams using the 10-point scale below.
0 = Non-Attempt
1-4 Points = Below Industry Standard,
5-8 Points = At or Above Industry Standard,
9-10 Points = Excellence
Timekeeping:
Machines will be allocated in one-minute increments. Working hours will be rounded up to 15 min increments, and actual machine usage hours (spindle run time) will be kept in one-minute increments. The minimum increment for a consultant is 15 minutes. Timekeeping will be kept by the Project MFG Proctor (or Project MFG honest-broker).
Material Costs:
For the main project, all materials will be provided to the teams prior to or during the competition. Teams will have an option to purchase additional select components from Project MFG. See project description in this document for details. For example, if a team scraps two pieces of their Part Stock Prep they have the option of purchasing additional pieces at the noted cost.
Work Schedule:
Teams will work “offsite” prior to the start of live competition. They will be allowed to utilize school provided workstations to perform design, CAD/CAM activities during this time. The live part of the competition will be “in the shop” and will follow the schedule shown in competition schedule.
Scoring Schedule:
All scoring will be completed after the end of the competition. All parts, documentation, files, and inspection reports must be submitted to the Project MFG by the end of the competition to be considered. Late submissions are not accepted.
Clean Work Environment:
A clean work environment is part of the allotted time. After using a machine, the machine must be cleaned, i.e. swarf removed from the working are of the machine. The competition Proctor will be called to inspect each machine after each team’s use of that machine. If a machine is considered not cleaned, a minimum penalty of 15 minutes machine and team time will be applied.
Competition Scoring:
Competition scoring will consist of project product to specification (compliance), portfolio of work required in the project, cost and appearance. Full scores for the project and components are awarded for each acceptable attribute and sub-attribute.
Complete breakdown of compliance scoring is shown in the Project Scoring table and is weighted against the following criteria:
Design Criteria (if a design piece is part of a competition):
Scoring:
Expert Consultation with Team:
Scheduling:
Awards:
Cost Calculations:
Scoring of product cost will include competitors’ time, materials, tooling and equipment “purchased”, consulting fees, and training required. Costing will be scored such that maximum marks are given for the lowest cost and then proportionally awarded to higher cost teams as a percentage of best cost.
Working Hours Cost:
Project MFG competition labor will be accrued on an individual basis. This puts a premium on efficiently performing the machining, inspection, and programming tasks associated with producing the project. Individual labor charges will accrue in 15-minute intervals. Each team member will be required to “clock-in” and “clock-out” of the competition area individually to work on the project, strategy or programming. Competitors not working must remain outside the designated work area location. To promote efficiency in team size and “production” staff, team member labor rates will be a function of team size. This cost variability reflects that organizational overhead cost models vary based on the number of employees. Number of team members must be registered with the Project MFG prior to the start of the first day of competition and the team members must be the same throughout the competition.
3 team members | 4 team members | 5 team members | 6 team members |
$28/hr for each team member | $30/hr for each team member | $32/hr for each team member | $34/hr for each team member |
Equipment & Consultation Costs:
Material Costs:
The minimum usage time for each piece of equipment is 15 minutes. Equipment use cost only apply to equipment supplied by the Competition Organizers. No cost will be accrued for using portable equipment provided by teams if allowed. SMEs from all vendors will be available remotely or on site during the competition. Teams may request help with equipment if necessary. SMEs may not provide direct assistance with the project. CNC machines will be set up with a single set of tools for each competition. Every team should use the tools described in the tooling list. (Other tools are allowed but will be costed as the standard tool list tools) Should a team damage or dull a tool, the tool will be replaced at a cost of $100 per tool with tool replacement time charged to the team.
The Competition Host Site in collaboration with the Competition Organizer is responsible for ensuring that all infrastructure, equipment and setup is fully compliant with relevant host location requirements. Competitors will be given a short safety brief as part of the competition orientation and must fully understand safety instructions for general electrical safety, machine safety, machining and requirements for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE):
Housekeeping:
The floor and passages must be kept free of unnecessary clutter, wires, and trash.
Chemical Substances:
Safe handling instructions must accompany all substances used. All Competitors, Sponsors and Judges must fully understand these instructions before using any chemical substances. Required protective equipment must be worn at all times while handling chemical substances.
General Rules:
Competitor Requirements:
Equipment Usage:
If an expert determines a team should stop using a machine or piece of equipment, Project MFG must be notified and will make any final determinations for disqualification. Project MFG will make all decisions arising from any matter relating to the conduct of the competition which is not already covered in these rules.
Toolbox Check:
All teams will submit to a toolbox check. The competitors must be present at all times during the check. If any unauthorized equipment or items are identified, Project MFG must be notified and will make any final determinations for disqualification.
Familiarization:
Before the competition begins, competitors have a minimum of one hour in which to prepare their workplace and to check and prepare tools and materials. Any exceptions to this rule require the approval of the Project MFG honest-broker. Competitors will have this time and support to become familiar with equipment, tools, materials and process, and to practice using equipment and materials to be used in the competition. Competitors have a right to ask questions. Where processes are particularly difficult, a SME will be available to demonstrate the process. At the end of this familiarization period, competitors must confirm they are familiar with everything.
Equipment Failure:
If equipment or tools supplied by the Competition fail, extra time will be allowed only if the Technician of the sponsoring or supplying company specifies and verifies it was not user error. Project MFG will determine mitigation efforts before they are applied.
Illness or Accidents:
Project MFG and the Team’s Sponsor must be told immediately if any competitor becomes ill or has an accident. The Project MFG Proctor will decide whether time lost can be made up.
Disqualification:
Grievances:
Competition Design & Products:
The final competition design and product drawings will be provided prior to the start of competition.
Products required to be produced:
Inspection:
All products will require inspection with completion of measurements. Basic calipers, micrometer, and rulers. In addition, Project MFG will inspect parts (off site) using metrology equipment.
Scoring Criteria:
CATEGORY | VALUE |
Final appearance and functionality of products and assembly | 20 |
Part technical performance (Machined parts) Overall envelope Engraving Diameters Surface finish Drawing dimensions and processes | 40 |
Team Performance Team performance evaluation Resumes Team composition Portfolio (team resume and individual resume) | 10 |
Cost Time sheets Consultant usage Tool/part usage Equipment time | 15 |
First article inspection plan and team documented results to that plan | 15 |
TOTAL | 100 |
First Article Inspection Plan:
First article inspection (FAI), a process shared across nearly every type of manufacturing industry in the world, allows suppliers to formally report measurements of the initial part manufactured in cooperation with a customer who reviews and approves it. Customers expect verification of a project’s specifications, and manufacturer’s need to document their work to set the standard for production runs.
For a machine shop, first article inspection ensures that the first part manufactured is built exactly to the dimensions specified in the original design data and documented as the standard for future production of the same part.
As part of your qualification for Project MFG competitions you are required to produce FIA inspection plans for the parts and then use those plans to validate your production results against the documented requirement. Project MFG judges will access the integrity of your FIA plan as well as the results you report relative to the product you submit.
