UTK's own Dr. Tony Schmitz will be sharing about America's Cutting Edge program to interested STEM students. This program is a national initiative for machine tool technology development and enhancement. Dr. Schmitz will discuss how students can get involved in this program and receive free training for computer numerically controlled (CNC) machining and metrology.

America’s Cutting Edge (ACE) is a national initiative for machine tool technology development and advancement. It is supported by the Department of Defense Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment (IBAS) Program from the Office of Industrial Policy. The machine tool research and development for ACE is based at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), whose Manufacturing Demonstration Facility (MDF) is a global leader in developing and validating systems and processes that leverage digital frameworks for manufacturing innovation. According to Adele Ratcliff, IBAS program director, “ACE is intended to help the United States recover the technical and manufacturing leadership position and enable our ability to design and make the machine tools required to produce so many of the products that are used in modern society.”

For more information, visit the UTK America's Cutting Edge page at https://mtrc.utk.edu/ace/