April 4, 2014 - Students across the country are busy building robots designed for destruction in preparation for a fight to the end against rival robots as part of the National Tooling & Machining Association (NTMA) National Robotics League, a unique program designed to promote careers in manufacturing. The NRL is a combat robotics league where students team up with local NTMA member companies to design and build remote controlled robots to face-off in competition. NRL is the only league formalizing ties between competitor teams and manufacturing partners.
The five year old league has been called one of the most unique and innovative programs to attract students to the U.S. manufacturing sector. The 2014 NRL season includes 14 regional programs in nine states – Arizona, California, Florida, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Utah and Wisconsin. Teams that participate in these sanctioned regional competitions can then participate in the 2014 NRL Championships that will take place on May 16-17, 2014 at the Lou Higgins Center on the campus of Baldwin Wallace University in Cleveland, OH.
“Manufacturers are working to change the perception of our sector,” said NRL Commissioner Steve Tamasi, who is also CEO of Boston Centerless in Woburn, MA. “NRL, with its challenge of building combat-ready robots and the flying sparks of competition, helps students uncover the world of modern manufacturing, a sector that offers great careers with well-paying jobs that require high tech skills. In the past several years, students who competed in the NRL now work for manufacturers in scientific and technical roles.” “Regional programs are the heart of the NRL,” said NRL Program Director Maureen Carruthers.
“It is at the regional level that the NRL has its maximum impact, connecting students directly with manufacturing partners who not only help the students build their robots, but also guide them in gaining practical knowledge of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math and introduce them to the many career possibilities available in the manufacturing sector." NRL Regional competition locations are as follows:
- Phoenix, Arizona: Arizona Tooling & Machining Association
- Santa Fe Springs, California: NTMA Training Centers Robotics League
- Tampa, Florida: NRL of Southern Florida
- Boston, Massachusetts: Rally in the Valley
- Minneapolis, Minnesota: Midwest Robotics League
- Akron, Ohio: Akron NRL
- Mentor, Ohio: AWT RoboBots
- Dayton, Ohio: Xtreme BOTS
- Bloomberg, Pennsylvania: Rage in the Cage
- Meadville, Pennsylvania: RoboBOTS
- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: BotsIQ Southwest Pennsylvania
- Ogden, Utah: Northern Utah NRL
- Milwaukee, WI: Bots IQ Wisconsin
About NTMA:
NTMA’s 1,400 member companies design and manufacture special tools, dies, jigs, fixtures, gages, special machines and precision-machined parts. Some firms specialize in experimental research and development work as well as rapid prototyping. Many NTMA members are privately owned small businesses, yet the industry generates sales in excess of $40 billion a year.
NTMA’s mission is to help members of the U.S. precision custom manufacturing industry achieve business success in a global economy through advocacy, advice, networking, information, programs and services.
