Western Nevada College welding technology and computer information technology students were able to fix the Carson Little League pitching machine board.
One of the last assignments that Western Nevada College welding technology and computer information technology students completed before classes ended this spring is a hit with the Carson City Little League. In a community service gesture, the WNC students repaired one of the league’s 11-year-old pitching machines, and also solved a technical problem with the league’s hitting screens.
Along the way, WNC soldering students tackled a real-world problem on a circuit board, and welding students made modifications and repairs to some of the league’s equipment.
The students were faced with hitting screens that were larger than the protective nets they were to hold. Led by Welding Professor Randy Naylor, the students removed a foot of metal from the hitting screens so the nets would fit.
While cutting down the hitting screens to fit the protective nets rendered a quick solution, that wasn’t the case with the broken pitching machine.
“First, I sent it down to our welding shop, and they opened it up for me and sent it back to the electronics lab,” said WNC Computer Information Technology Professor Emily Howarth. “When it was open, it was clear that part of the circuit board had burned straight through due to some kind of overcurrent situation.”
Before proceeding with repairs, Howarth thought it was important to engage students in the project.
“I invited my soldering instructor to get involved, and he took it to our soldering class and showed them the damage on the circuit board. He was able to demonstrate how to repair the burned copper trace on the circuit board,” she said.
Next, Howarth needed to determine what caused the circuit board to fail. Due to the age of the pitching machine, schematics information and an owner’s manual were unavailable.
Howarth sought out the manufacturer of the machine, and fortunately it was located in Sparks. One of the techs at the plant helped Howarth with the parts and instructions needed to complete the project .
“We put everything back together in somewhat of a Frankenstein style, cleaned it up and tested it, and lo and behold, it threw balls again!” Howarth said.
The two projects saved the Carson City Little League thousands of dollars and kept practices running smoothly this spring, according to league board members, and the effort did not go unnoticed.
“We appreciate the support from the college,” said CCLL Vice President Michelle Pedersen. “Carson City Little League serves 650 local youths, and running a league of this size comes with a lot of costs, so when you have community support to help save us money where we can, it’s greatly appreciated.”
League President Tom Lawson said the work done by WNC on the hitting screens provide safety to coaches and hitters during batting practices.
“They allow for the person throwing to the hitters to be closer without fear of being struck by a batted ball,” Lawson said. “The metal work completed by the WNC Welding Technology Department allowed for the safety nets to fit the frames properly, which makes play safer for everyone on the field.”
“It was a great, fun project all around and neat to be able to show soldering students a real-world repair on a circuit board, as well as to find so many people who were willing to ‘pitch in,’” said Howarth.
WNC’s service to the youth organization kept the Little Leaguers’ season running smoothly, said an appreciative Robert Glenn, a CCLL board member.
“The WNC Welding Technology Department stepped up to the plate when Carson City Little League really needed the help,” Glenn said. “Their time and consideration helped the kids immensely, saving us considerable time and money.”
Naylor said the students who assisted with the project walked away with a sense of making things better for the players in the league.
“We are always happy to help out if we can,” Naylor said.
WNC places fifth in ‘Bike to Work’ effort
Cold and wet weather didn’t dampen the spirit or effort of Western Nevada College’s representatives in the Carson City Bike to Work Week Corporate Challenge. WNC’s team of Dianne Hilliard, Phyllis Mason, Hugh Welden, Nigel Harrison, Dan Smith, Jaime Kirk, Deborah Alves, Valerie Andersen, Shawna Lynch, Brian Crowe, Jacky Gentine and Richard Arrigotti placed fifth in the public division.
“Our key sponsors, Carson City’s Muscle Powered and Bike Habitat, suggested that we change Bike To Work Week to a warmer month like January,” joked Alves, an administrative assistant II for WNC Facilities Planning and Management Department. “Certainly seems that this would have been a good idea this year.”
Besides biking, the competitors utilized carpooling, mass transportation, walking and running to save energy and practice more sustainable transportation modes.
WNC’s team totaled 119.2 miles of commuting by biking, 45.5 miles of walking and running, and 22 miles of carpooling and using public transportation.
The college team offered congratulations to the Nevada Guard Rough Riders, which won the public competition with 947 total miles. NDOT was second. The Corporate Challenge resulted in 2,810 biking miles in five days, equating to 112,403.2 calories expended, according to Alves.
She said she hopes the event will encourage WNC employees to continue biking to work.
