Moraine Park Mechanical Design Technology Instructor, Kim Olson, has been involved in several international presentations for Formlabs, a 3D printing manufacturer.

Earlier this spring, Olson presented for Formlabs about Injection Mold Design. There were 1100 registrants and over 360 live attendants from all around the world. 

In June, he gave his second presentation titled Considerations for Injection Molding with 3D Printed Molds vs. Metal Molds. There were over 300 attendees.

In both of these presentations, there were 90-minute Q&A portions where attendees could ask Olson direct questions about his work and 3D printed molds.

His most recent presentation was last week, Oct. 26-27, for the Formlabs Global User Summit. He was one of 40 presenters from countries all around the world.

“There is additive manufacturing and there is subtractive manufacturing,” Olson said. “Think of subtractive manufacturing as carving away at clay. You keep taking clay away until you’ve created something. Additive manufacturing is creating something by building up from nothing. That’s where Formlabs and 3D printing comes in.”

Olson has been teaching at Moraine Park’s West Bend campus for the past 25 years. Some of his classes include AutoCAD, SolidWorks, Jig and Fixture Design, Tool Design and Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerance. 

Before bringing his expertise to Moraine Park, Olson designed zinc cast dies for an automotive lock manufacturer in Milwaukee for 15 years.

Over the last 3-4 years he’s gained a significant amount of experience using Formlabs with Moraine Park students.

“We’re all passionate about what we do,” Olson said. “The satisfying part comes when we get the opportunity to share what we do with others.”

For more information on Moraine Park’s Mechanical Design Technology program, visit https://www.morainepark.edu/academics/programs/mechanical-design-technology/.

College isn’t one size fits all, and Tyler Duel of Van Dyne learned quickly that despite his path, Moraine Park was his fit all along.

As a 2014 graduate from North Fond du Lac, Tyler had every opportunity available to him. He had earned an impressive score of 33 on his ACT’s and easily got accepted into the University of Wisconsin- Madison, where his plan was to pursue a degree in electrical engineering.

“UW- Madison is wonderful, but early into my first semester I realized it wasn’t for me,” Tyler said. “I didn’t excel in the university setting, tuition was expensive, and honestly I wasn’t mature enough for that atmosphere.”

Tyler may not have felt mature enough for the university setting, but his actions following showed the opposite. He completed his year at the UW, moved back home, and began to explore his options locally.

“I originally thought a 4-year college was my only option for success,” Tyler said. “When I found Moraine Park I was hesitant. I didn’t know if the same career opportunities would be available for me.”

Despite his initial hesitations, he decided to enroll at Moraine Park in the Mechanical Design program.

“I easily adapted to the College,” he said. “My classrooms were set up like an industry, so what I was learning every day would easily transfer into a job setting.”

Tyler excelled at Moraine Park and in his program. He interned at BCI Burke in Fond du Lac, and prior to graduating in May 2018, he had three job offers from local industries on the table.

“Moraine Park prepared me all around,” Tyler said. “Not only did I learn about the industry and my career, but I received help on my resume, searching for jobs, and preparing for interviews. I felt ready and able to start my career.”

Today, Tyler is employed at Marchant Schmidt, Inc. in Fond du Lac as a mechanical designer. He has a steady career, very minimal school debt, and endless opportunities for growth- all before the age of 25. His goal is to continue his education so he can further his career.

“I love what I’m doing,” Tyler said. “I’m advancing in my field and enjoying my work. I’m glad I chose Moraine Park.”

“I’m a second year student at Moraine Park Technical College in the Mechanical Design Technology program.  I’m interested in designing mechanical components and products for machines and equipment through computerized drawings for the manufacturing industry.

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Meet Jeff Quackenboss, one of the mechanical design instructors at Moraine Park.

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“My name is Jacob Reck and I’m from Fillmore, Wisconsin. I have a younger brother, he is planning to attend Moraine Park to study nursing. My hobbies consist of doing anything outdoors. I love to hunt, fish, and train hunting dogs. I currently have a 1-year old Chesapeake Bay Retriever that I spend a lot of time with.

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06Meet Kim Olson, one of the mechanical design instructors here at Moraine Park!
Mechanical design is a branch of mechanical engineering where the designers work collaboratively with engineers to develop products, machines, and tooling.

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 Moraine Park offers many exciting and innovative courses, one of those being the Mechanical Design Technology program.

What is Mechanical Design? It is a branch of mechanical engineering. Mechanical Designers typically work with Mechanical Engineers to develop products, machines, and tooling.

Their work includes detailing (engineering drawing creation), the creation of Computer Aided Designs (CAD) models and geometry, selection of purchase parts, and the selection of material used to manufacture parts.

Job titles vary but may include Mechanical Designer, Detailer, Tool Designer, Mold Designer, and Die Designer.

Mechanical Designers are in high demand, approximately half of the current second-year students have been working in the field for more than six months. And, several manufacturing companies are in contact with Moraine Park instructors on a recurring basis to find the Mechanical Designers that they need to employ.

Interested in learning more about Moraine Park’s Mechanical Design program? Visit morainepark.edu.

I’m Colin Brenner, I live in Mt. Calvary on my parent’s dairy farm. I have helped them with the farm since I was able to walk. I enjoy fishing, hunting, watching the Brewers and the Packers.

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