Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering
Scranton Army Ammunition Plant (SCAAP): Cadets in STAP 1 MC364 Mechanics of Materials visited the Scranton Army Ammunition Plant, a Government-Owned, Contractor-Operated (GOCO) facility in Scranton, PA, on 22 May 2015. General Dynamics runs this facility for the DoD. SCAAP produces large caliber projectiles for all branches of the military, and was working on 5-inch naval rounds during the visit. The Cadets saw in action many of the concepts about which they are learning in the first block of MC364. In addition to heat treating operations, the cadets learned about many other facets of the process used to produce what appears to be a simple product. After learning about translational and angular accelerations the round experiences in the barrel and the catastrophic consequences of a projectile failure in the gun tube, it becomes clear why the manufacturing process is both complex and precise. The cadets also learned how General Dynamics is transforming the facility to accommodate the variable demand placed on it by the DoD. Part of this initiative is to develop customers other than the DoD. In the group photo, Mr. Kenneth Anderson, the General Dynamics Technical Director for SCAAP, is explaining how a CNC mill is used to create bearing races in elbows used in the oil and gas industry.
Department of Geography and Environmental Engineering
Graduation Reception. The Environmental Program held a graduation reception for family and friends of graduating environmental majors on Thursday, 21 May 2015. This ceremony allowed them to recognize and celebrate each of their 39 graduating environmental engineers and environmental scientists and to meet their graduates' families. A slide show with pictures and music highlighting their students' time in their department and at West Point was shown, and each graduate received a small token (a specially designed Dirtman patch) by which to remember their time studying and learning with there.