Waterbury Students Use CNC Machine, Provided by CBIA, to Build Electric-Powered Vehicle
CBIA writer/editor
Thanks to funding from the National Science Foundation in 2008, CBIA’s Education Foundation purchased a CNC (computer numerical control) machine for Wilby High School in Waterbury. Valued at nearly $12,000, the machine is now being used by the school’s design, engineering, drafting, and CAD (computer-aided drafting) classes to create everything from key tags to memorial plaques.
In recent months, students have used the machine to make sprockets, steering components, and other parts for an electrathon—a lightweight, single-person vehicle similar to a Go-Kart but powered by an electric motor and two off-the-shelf, gel-type car batteries. They plan to enter their vehicle into a Connecticut Electrathon competition this month at Lime Rock Race Park. The event, scheduled for May 7, is expected to draw a crowd of up to 400 spectators and as many as 30 race participants from Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, and parts of Canada.
In the race, contestants compete to see which vehicle can travel the farthest distance (measured in laps on a closed-loop course) in a single hour, using limited electrical energy and not exceeding a given battery charge. Because speed is a drain on batteries, vehicles must be built, powered, and driven with maximum efficiency.
Students’ skills on display
More than a competition, says Connecticut Electrathon founder Michael Grella, the race is a forum where students 
can showcase their problem-solving abilities, teamwork, and ingenuity in designing environmentally progressive cars. It also raises public awareness of alternative sources of energy.
Jim Castagna, who teaches technology classes at Wilby High School, adds that it’s an excellent opportunity for students to apply principles learned in math, physics, and engineering classes. “In a program like this, our students develop a sense of ownership. They actually created something that works and is competitive, and they can be proud of it.”
To learn how you or your business can support educational initiatives and events such as these, contact Dayl Walker or Mary deManbey.
Wilby High School senior Robert Punter (pictured above) monitors the school’s CNC machine. The $12,000 machine was purchased for the school by CBIA’s Education Foundation with funds from a National Science Foundation grant.
