On Saturday, April 14, 2018, Florence-Darlington Technical College (FDTC) held their 9th annual Welding Sculpture Competition in conjunction with Francis Marion University’s 10th annual Arts International Festival on the College grounds. The competition is sponsored by the FDTC Educational Foundation, Lincoln Electric, Welding and Cutting Solutions. The competition is a non-profit cultural activity combining welding and fabricating skills to bring awareness to the arts, manufacturing, and the educational courses offered at FDTC and provide scholarships to students.
The competition is open to professional and amateur competitors from all over the Pee Dee. Teams of artist-welders are timed as they compete against one another to create a metal sculpture. This year’s theme was The Olympics. The Dillon County Technology Center Mechatronics student’s decided to fabricate a representative of the “Big-Air” snowboarding competition. The ATEC students sculpture won 2nd place in the amateur division. The Dillon County Applied Technology Center was awarded $2,500.00 from Lincoln Electric, Welding and Cutting Solutions to enhance welding equipment.
Mechatronics Integrated Technologies is an interdisciplinary field involving Electrical and Mechanical Automation Control Systems (PLC and Robotics programming), Hydraulics/Pneumatics, Manual and CNC Machining, Autocad and Mastercam CAD/CAM drawings and programming, Additive Manufacturing (3D Printing) and Welding processes.
Mechatronics is a dynamic field that changes daily with the rapid improvements in technology and computer systems. Systems are networked to meet the demands of automated manufacturing processes. Students are trained to meet necessary entry-level industrial skills and enter into post-secondary programs at technical colleges. Jerry Bullard, Instructor.