Tyson donates to CASS

Michael Burchfiel/Herald-Leader Tyson employees stood next to the palletizer robot that was donated to the Career Academy of Siloam Springs.
Michael Burchfiel/Herald-Leader Tyson employees stood next to the palletizer robot that was donated to the Career Academy of Siloam Springs.

One of the Career Academy of Siloam Springs' longstanding partners made a visit to the facility on Monday to announce the donation of a robotic palletizer to the school.

Representatives from Tyson Foods Inc., posed for photo opportunities and explained the purpose of the donation, which will help expose students to more industrial maintenance education opportunities.

"Several of the educational opportunities we have would not be possible without industry support," said Mike Rogers, who is an instructor at the facility.

The machine, known as an ABB Palletizer, will be installed as a part of the facility that is currently under construction. A cage will be installed around the palletizer for safety reasons.

The palletizer is a robotic arm that swings at high speed, picks up product, and places it somewhere else on the assembly line. Rogers said the arm was capable of moving over 260 boxes per minute.

Students will learn to program the arm, which is similar to units used on Tyson's own assembly lines. In addition, students will learn to correct the arm when it is not functioning properly.

Rogers thanked Tyson for buying into the vision of CASS, saying that industry speaks loudest with their commitment and donations.

Tyson is not new to the CASS program. The company has supported CASS since its inception, through the planning phases and into the present, Rogers said.

"For the past year we've been working with the school and our big need has been maintenance, like everyone else right now," said Timothy Klinedinst, Specialist Recruiter for Tyson Foods.

Klinedinst said the company saw a need at CASS and moved to give the program what it thought would help give students an extra advantage.

"I think its a fantastic program," Klinedinst said. "There's other programs like this in other places, and they're all going in the right direction. But I think the CASS program is several years ahead of them in terms of learning not only the machines and skills they're learning, but also the soft skills that Mike (Rogers) is teaching them. I would say this program definitely set the bar."

CASS is set to graduate its first class of students this May. The two year program allows students to get through a traditional four-year apprenticeship in half of the time. Graduates can go to companies like Tyson as a level 4 maintenance technician straight out of CASS, which would otherwise take four years of apprenticeship and another year of working at a plant, Rogers said.

"This program, through Tyson's involvement, opens the awareness of the different opportunities that are available upon graduation," Rogers said.

General News on 02/22/2017