In Our Schools


FEF and Pittsburg State... Offering Experience in Investment Casting


by Tyler Dietzschold, Arconic Power and Propulsion


was in high school, my materials science teacher, Mrs. Debbie Goodwin helped me on my current path. She suggested I visit a technology school in Kansas. I believe this visit was a defining moment in my life. While visiting Pittsburg State University (Pitt State), I realized that they had the program for me to realize my career dreams. I graduated in 2014 with a


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Bachelor’s of Science in Manufacturing Engineering Technology from Pittsburg State University, part of the Foundry Educational Foundation (FEF) network of certified schools. I have since learned that Pitt State is unlike many of the other FEF certified schools; we had the opportunity to be exposed to the investment casting side of the foundry world. We had access and hands-on learning with a full laboratory of equipment including wax injection, slurry making and dipping, and we had an autoclave and burnout furnace, as well. In addition to the equipment, I had at my disposal the ability to work with a knowledgeable FEF Key Professor who understood the investment casting process. Before I was a senior in college I had an in-depth knowledge concerning investment casting. Using this knowledge gained early in my university experience allowed me to expand my skills and enhance my marketability upon graduation. My experience at Pitt State was


enhanced when I had the opportunity to attend the Investment Casting Institute Industry Certification class held at Pittsburg State University every summer. In this class, I found my passion for investment casting. I was able to work with industry professionals for a full week and experience each step of the investment casting process. After graduating from Pittsburg State in May of 2014, I had my mind set on


8 ❘ December 2017 ®


ver since I can remember I have always wanted to work with my hands and build things. When I


Pittsburg State University in Pittsburg, KS offers students hands on learning of the entire investment casting process.


working for a foundry. I went to the FEF College Industry Conference (CIC) excited and ready to speak to all the amazing companies that participated there. Attending this conference opened doors for a job offer from General Motors (GM) in Defiance, Ohio. I went to work for GM in July of 2014 as a Quality Analyst. This experience taught me about the foundry process and the role a quality control department plays in casting manufacturing. After working at GM for 6 months,


I was networking with a fellow FEF alumni who worked for Arconic Power and Propulsion (APP), formerly known as Alcoa Power and Propulsion, in Whitehall, MI. This conversation opened yet another door for me, and I was offered a position at APP. APP is an investment casting foundry


that produces single crystal, directional solidified, and equiax aerospace parts. They have 21 plants throughout the world which make aerospace parts for many different engine manufacturers


across the globe. Due to the training and education I received from Pitt State, I was able to hit the ground running at APP. I had enough knowledge about the investment casting process to jump right into learning how the plant in Whitehall produces very complex aerospace parts for buyers around the world. I attribute my success at APP to


my experiences at Pitt State and my involvement with FEF. I am now a project engineer with our manufacturing technology group; we produce and create equipment for our plants around the world.


Pittsburg State’s affiliation with FEF


provides an opportunity for students like myself to attend conferences all over the country, and additionally allows Pitt State to offer special training other schools may not be able to provide. The knowledge that I gained has not only provided me with employment opportunities, but has allowed me to grow and succeed in my current position at APP.


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