Published: March 22, 2007 01:17 am      

Manufacturing opportunities available

RCBI aims to foster competition, growth

BRIDGEPORT — A Machining and Technology Expo on Wednesday demonstrated the many opportunities available in manufacturing technology.

The Robert C. Byrd Institute for Advanced Flexible Manufacturing hosted an all-day open house and expo at its facility in the Benedum Industrial Park. The free public event was an opportunity for RCBI to showcase the Bridgeport Manufacturing Technology Center, which houses a metals technology center and Composites Technology and Training Center.

Martin Spears, public information specialist and technical assistant, said RCBI works to help manufacturers compete and grow. Wednesday’s event, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., was the “first inaugural open house” for the center, which focuses on metals and composite materials.

“We’re really proud of our facility in Bridgeport,” George Whelan, manager of public information for RCBI, said. “It’s a state-of-the-art facility.”

Sixteen vendors set up booths and exhibits offering information about their manufacturing services. These vendors, who represented machine tool and industrial supply companies, were from West Virginia, Virginia and Pennsylvania. They provided demonstrations of their machines, equipment and products.

RCBI held seminars on tooling and computer software programming and advertised its services, Paul Beatty, CNC machinist and lead manufacturing engineer, said. A local gunsmith was present at the event to talk about the Machinist Technology Program, which is one of RCBI’s major programs.

“We’re here to assist small- and medium-sized companies in West Virginia,” Beatty said.

Local manufacturing machine shops and members of the general public attended the event. Vendors were able to make some beneficial contacts with other manufacturers, Beatty said.

“We wanted to allow people to see what we have, the technologies that are available,” Mushabbar Karimi, lead composites production engineer for RCBI’s Composites Technology and Training Center, said.

Karimi said RCBI provides technical assistance and training, and allows companies to lease equipment.

Companies from Kentucky, Florida, Maryland, Ohio and Canada participated in a job fair, which took place in conjunction with the expo. These representatives were looking for prospective employees in manufacturing and machining, Beatty said.

The event also included lunch and tours of the facility, as well as the display of a race car and motorcycle.

Started in 1990, RCBI is headquartered in Huntington with additional centers in South Charleston, Bridgeport and the Rocket Center near Keyser. RCBI will soon hold Machining and Technology Expos at the other centers, Spears said.

E-mail Jessica Legge at jlegge@timeswv.com.