Cadence Aerospace Astro Star Arden Hosts Manufacturing Day
October 25, 2019 – Held annually every October, Manufacturing Day helps show the reality of modern manufacturing careers by encouraging thousands of companies and educational institutions across the United States to open their doors to students, parents, teachers and community leaders. On October 8, the Cadence Aerospace Astro Star Arden (ASA) operation in Anaheim, California, hosted its own Manufacturing Day event, opening the doors of its facility to 37 students from local-area Sunny Hills High School. The students, all members of their school’s engineering group, are interested in pursuing careers in manufacturing and related fields.
Manufacturing Day at Cadence ASA began with an extensive plant tour (conducted by Adrian Figueroa, Lean Facilitator, and Mike Fobar VP, Operations & Programs) highlighting 50 machining centers and 11 state-of-the-art, high-speed Handtmann machines. The day continued with an in-depth panel discussion, led by Sujei Pantoja, Engineering Manager, about ASA capabilities including machining of deep-pocket, thin-wall structural components in titanium and aluminum, hydraulic tooling, fixturing and the production of highly complex structures. Additional ASA panel members who steered the discussion included Daniel Niverson, Manager, Production; Andrew Vu, Manager, Production; Steven McGee, Supervisor, Quality Assurance; Richard Bittel, Maintenance Manager; Sean Nguyen, Director, Product Line; Jayson Nester, Director, Production Line; James Honey, Manager, Finance; and Shannon Mandeville, Manager, Quality. The Orange County Department of Education team also was onsite for the event.
“Manufacturing Day was a really fulfilling experience—not just for this group of engaged, interested students, but for me as an Engineering Manager at Cadence Aerospace,” explained Ms. Pantoja. “It afforded me the opportunity to talk about my interest in the field, what led me to Cadence, and my focus on creating rework instructions and procedures from product engineering information used by our shop floor operators for nonconforming parts. The students not only enjoyed seeing our Zimmerman machines at work, but they also asked some interesting questions about my responsibilities, and I emphasized the importance of verifying that rework instructions are in compliance with quality standards, aeronautical rules and local federal regulations. By describing how I work to investigate nonconformities with our shop floor personnel, tapping into their machining expertise, the group gained an understanding of how our engineering team works together at Cadence—exchanging information and best practices to better serve our customers. It was a successful day as well as a chance for us to connect with the next generation, and I hope what they observed and learned had a positive impact on the shaping of their careers.”
Did You Know?
Manufacturing Day was created by founding partner Fabricators and Manufacturers Association, International® (FMA) in 2012 and is supported from many organizations aligned with its mission of positively changing the public perception of modern manufacturing. Organizations that have played a vital role in working with FMA to successfully grow this national celebration of all things manufacturing include the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), the Manufacturing Institute (MI), and the National Institute of Standards and Technology's (NIST) Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP).