High school students from across Maine tested their skills on precision machining tools at Southern Maine Community College on Thursday for the statewide SkillsUSA Maine Precision Machining Competition.
Students from centers for technical education in Augusta, Biddeford, Dexter, Rockland, Sanford and Waterville manufactured a variety of metal components on lathes, mills and CNC (computer numeric control) tools in SMCC’s precision machining laboratory.
The winners in the manual and CNC categories will be announced by SkillsUSA Maine later this month. The winner of the CNC competition will represent Maine in the national SkillsUSA precision machining competition in Louisville, Ky., in June.
SMCC has hosted the SkillsUSA Maine competition for several years. The College has a degree program in Precision Machining and Manufacturing and a certificate program in CNC Machine Operation.
Thursday’s competition was sponsored by SMCC, the Manufacturers Association of Maine, Haas, Mitutoyo and MSC Industrial Supply Co.