Donation takes Western Nevada Community College to new dimension

A $450,000 computer software donation will add depth to the machine tool technology program at Western Nevada Community College.

Instead of seeing the machine parts as flat images, the Solidworks and CAMWorks software will allow students to view them in three dimensions.

"We are one of very few colleges in the country to have this capability," said Rick Van Ausdal, professor of machine tool technology. "It gives our students an edge because they get to work with the latest standards and the latest technology."

Van Ausdal teaches in the John H. Sheldon Technology Complex, named for the late father of Bret Sheldon, who made the donation. Bret Sheldon's mother, Bernice, is on the college Foundation Board of Directors.

"The generosity of Bret Sheldon and the rest of the Sheldon family has been overwhelming," Van Ausdal said.

Sheldon's company, Sierra Design Systems, Inc., is an engineering consulting firm that also sells and supports the CAMWorks and Solidworks programs.

"We want to supply the latest technology software for the students," Sheldon said. "We want to have the latest in 3-D modeling techniques and computer numerical control programs."

Not only is the donation targeted to benefit the college but it will help the community as well.

"There are 30 or 40 companies in the area using Solidworks and we want students to have the skills in the programs being used," Sheldon said. "We'd like to see the machine tool and drafting programs move forward in a positive way and we like to support the college however we can."

Van Ausdal said computers are making machining of parts more and more accurate, bringing tolerances down from thousands of an inch to ten thousandths or millionths of an inch.

The CAMWorks program guides the cutting path of the machine tools to ensure precision. The computerized application saves time and money and produces less waste.

Other donations have also been made to advance the machine tool technology program.

"If you look around our machine shop, most of the expensive fabrication pieces have been donated," Van Ausdal said. "The donations have made the difference between a program that would be basic and one that is state-of-the-art."

Chromalloy donated the coordinate measuring machine, valued at over $20,000, to go with the new software. Randy Rohrer, plant manager for Mr. Gasket Company, donated a $1,000 magnetic chuck for a grinder.

Bart and Gene Sheldon of Industrial Logistics Services, Inc. have donated time and machinery to move equipment including the magnetic chuck.

"We're grateful for the help of the many manufacturers in the Carson City area who have been so generous," Van Ausdal said. "It's a big part of why the partnership between the college and industry has been so successful."