NEXT MEETING Monday, January 9, 2006 (noon to 1:00pm)

 

 

  TENNESSEE RAND AUTOMATION

  106 Spring Road

  Chattanooga, TN  37405

(Behind Dairy Gold at corner of Dayton Blvd. and Signal Mtn. Rd.)

 

Gather near the front entrance to the plant.  A picture of this building is at www.trauto.com.   Tennessee Rand Automation is a custom-machine design and manufacturing company.  They have two plants—this one and another in Prague, Czech Republic.  Jerry Tyman will be leading our tour that may consist of a tube bending machine now under construction, a weld monitor, some robotic arms to perform welds, and some industrial touch screen controls being developed for specific manufacturing applications.

 

For more information, call Phil Kazemersky at 425-4718 or Judy Driggans at 751-7616.

 

FUTURE MEETINGS ____________________________________
  

Monday, January 16:  No meeting - President's Day
 
Monday, January 23:  "Cameras on Traffic Lights and in Curves"  John VanWinkle, City of Chattanooga
Location:  Tallan Cellar Restaurant

Monday, January 30:  "Brainerd Levee System"  Roger Milstead, TVA 
Location:  Tallan Cellar Restaurant

Program Chair:  Terry Reynolds
 
Tentatively moved to February:   "Intelligent Transportation Systems" Pat Hu, Oak Ridge National Laboratory's Engineering Science and Technology Division

 

PREVIOUS MEETINGS_____________________________________

Monday, December 12, 2005:  "Renaissance Park Plans" Mayor Ron Littlefield 

 

Mayor Ron Littlefield told us the history and progress of the Renaissance Park.  By spring 2007, we hope that residents and school groups will be enjoying this 23-acre park being built on a brown field site and include a constructed wetland.  He explained how the southern end of the park is a flooded forest area filled with wildlife.  Boardwalks into the constructed wetland will allow visitors to explore it and enjoy seeing the wildlife.

 

A total of five Engineering scholarships were presented to UTC and CSTCC.

 

Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2005:  "Losing our Competitive Edge?"  William (Bill) Archey is President and CEO of AeA

 

Bill Archey told us some engineering innovations are starting to come out of the old eastern block states because their culture is changing and beginning to reward innovation.  Other countries now have engineering schools that are winning awards and recognition.  The immigration policy in the United States is making it harder for graduate students from other countries to come to the United States to study. 

 

AeA (formerly the American Electronics Association), founded in 1943, is a nationwide non-profit trade association that represents all segments of the technology industry.  Internet, MRI scanning technology, Doppler radar, and GPS were born from U.S. federally sponsored research.  

 

See www.AeAnet.org for more.  See www.aeanet.org/competitiveness for this recent report.