After weeks of preparation, Jimtown Junior High took home the Overall Champion trophy from Daman Products’ 2017 Fluid Power Action Challenge held at Bethel College on March 3. They also captured the Team Challenge Award, earning 45 points by moving a canister with their machine. Trophies were awarded to the top 5 teams in the following categories: Teamwork, Portfolio, Machine Design, Team Challenge, and Overall Champions (most points earned). Other winning teams were: John J Young Middle School, Machine Design Award; LaSalle, Portfolio Award; and Jackson, Teamwork Award.
The Challenge process began on January 12, when 28 teams of four students from South Bend Community School Corp., John J Young Middle School, Jimtown Junior High School and South Bend Career Academy attended Daman’s Workshop Day. Here they were introduced to fluid power and—at the end of the day—were presented with the “Challenge.” This year, the challenge was to develop an engineering solution by creating a hydraulic or pneumatic machine using only wood, paper, glue, tubing, and syringes.
On Competition Day, the teams had only three hours to completely rebuild the machine using their portfolio and work instructions. Innovative thinking, organization, and teamwork were essential for the STEM-based competition. The Fluid Power Action Challenge was created by the National Fluid Power Association to introduce the basics of fluid power to middle school students while giving them experience in a hands-on learning environment.
2017 marks Daman’s seventh year hosting the Challenge Competition.
“I am a firm believer in improving education, developing leadership and encouraging innovation in our youth. The Fluid Power Action Challenge is a unique opportunity for students to solve a problem using real-life applications. It’s an experience they will never forget and will often refer back to later in life,” said Larry Davis, CEO of Daman Products.
For more information, photos or videos of the competition visit daman.com/our-company/fluid-power-challenge.
For more information about the National Fluid Power Challenge go to nfpahub.com/fpc.
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