Greater Latrobe Senior High students and EWCTC students had the opportunity to visit
Arch Cutting Tools located in Latrobe, PA on National Manufacturing Day, Friday, October 4th,
2024, to learn what modern manufacturing is all about.  Arch Cutting Tools specializes in
manufacturing carbide tooling for the medical, automotive, air, and space industries.
During the guided tour, students were split up into smaller groups in order to witness the
manufacturing process from raw material to shipment.  Students visited the stockroom area to
learn about the material consignment process.  Then, they visited the surface area and OD
department where they saw surface grinders, cut off saws, and 3 axis grinders  that are used to
prepare tools for finish-grinding.  They also learned about the process of programming
operations to finish-grind tools and how to create very complex 3D prints for the operators, as
well as the automation capabilities that utilize robotic arms housed on several machines.
Students also visited Quality Control and the state of the art inspection equipment that is
used to magnify tools 1000 times that of the naked eye to measure the smallest features
accurately.  Lastly, students used the laser etching equipment to etch their name onto a pen that
they were allowed to keep as a souvenir.  Not only did students have a great time, they gained
valuable insight into the world of manufacturing through this engaging, hands-on experience.