August 2023 Volume 5

FOUNDATION NEWS

Introducing the Art of Forging to College Students

The Forging Industry Educational and Research Foundation (FIERF) hosted its first-ever Forging Competition. During this new competition teams of students have the chance to compete by forging a specific item determined each year. Teams compete to win prizes and are judged based on their final forged product. This hands-on learning experience allows students to explore the world of forging! This year, teams were assigned the task of forging (two) tuning forks to specific frequencies assigned by FIERF. Teams were encouraged to partner with an industry representative to help guide the team and answer questions they may have. This allowed the students to connect and network with forging industry members during the process. The competition was held at Forge Fair, North America’s largest tradeshow event dedicated exclusively to the forging industry, on May 25, 2023. There was a total of nine schools that participated in the competition. • Cleveland State University – CSU Viking Tunes • Colorado School of Mines – Your Average Metal Band • Georgia Southern University – Eagle Forging

• University of Cincinnati – Team Alpha • University of North Texas – The Fearsome Fork Forgers • University of Pittsburgh – Metaleros Teams were judged on three different categories: Closest to the Frequency: The team that achieved the closest match to the team's assigned frequency. It was a close competition and there were multiple teams that achieved their assigned frequencies. The winner was then determined based on the length of time the forks sustained the frequency. Winning Team – University of North Texas – The Fearsome Fork Forgers The Best Process: The team who implemented the best overall process throughout the execution of their project. This award was determined by FIA’s Technical Committee from reviewing and ranking each team’s technical report. Winning Team – Colorado School of Mines – Your Average Metal Band People’s Choice Award: Forge Fair attendees voted for their favorite tuning forks through the Forge Fair mobile app. This helped us determine which team attendees thought should win, based on the team’s technical poster and the tuning forks that were on display. Winning Team – University of Cincinnati – Team Alpha

• Mississippi State University - Rockin' Tuning Forks • North Carolina State University – NC State Forge • Purdue University – Purdue Forksmiths

Pictured: Ben Abbott and competing students at the awards ceremony at Forge Fair.

We are excited to continue the competition and look forward to exposing more students to forging. Next year’s competition will take place April 25, 2024 in Milwaukee, MI. Interested in learning more about the FIERF Forging Competition, please contact Amanda Dureiko at amanda@forging.org or visit www.fierf.org.

Established in 1961, the Forging Industry Educational and Research Foundation (FIERF) is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. Operating as a “supporting organization” to the Forging Industry Association (FIA), the Foundation’s Mission is to support the forging industry through technology development and education.

FIA MAGAZINE | AUGUST 2023 64