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NEWS

Leading Marks Supports "Foundry in a Box" Workshop at BotsIQ’s Girls Exploring Engineering Program

8/13/2024

1 Comment

 
by Bernard Martin
Leading Marks Hosts
On July 24, 2024, Laurie Barcaskey, President of Leading Marks LLC, helped to lead a "Foundry in a Box" workshop at BotsIQ as part of the "Girls Exploring Engineering" program. This session focused on metal manufacturing and offered young women a unique, hands-on experience in the world of engineering and foundry work.

BotsIQ, a workforce development program by the Pittsburgh Chapter National Tooling & Machining Foundation, nurtures youth’s interest in manufacturing careers. The program offers hands-on learning experiences to foster STEM education, provides technical resources to schools, and connects students with industry mentors. BotsIQ aims to bridge the skills gap and build a competent future manufacturing workforce, making it the perfect setting for this workshop.

The "Foundry in a Box" workshop was one of the highlights of a weeklong camp dedicated to encouraging girls to explore various engineering fields. Joining Duraloy Technologies, Laurie Barcaskey, helped to guide the participants through the "Foundry in a Box" process, a program sourced from the American Foundry Society and the Foundry Education Foundation. This collaboration aimed to introduce the fundamentals of metal casting in a fun and interactive way.

The participants had the opportunity to design and create their 3-D printed patterns, which were then used in the foundry process during the workshop. This not only allowed the girls to engage with advanced manufacturing technology but also to witness the transformation of their designs into tangible metal products.

The "Foundry in a Box" workshop provided a valuable introduction to the metal manufacturing industry, sparking interest and enthusiasm among the young attendees. By offering such hands-on experiences, programs like these play a crucial role in shaping the next generation of engineers and innovators.

Leading Marks is proud to have been a part of this initiative, helping to empower and inspire the future leaders in engineering.
1 Comment

BotsIQ 2023 Finals Competition

4/18/2023

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April 28-29, 2023, 7:30AM – 6:00PM
BotsIQ Finals Competition at PennWest California 2023
BotsIQ is a manufacturing workforce development program of the Pittsburgh Chapter National Tooling & Machining Foundation whose goal is to provide a pathway for youth to learn about rewarding career options in manufacturing.

Identifying and developing a career plan is a challenge for students.  BotsIQ holds a pivotal position as a workforce development program that attracts smart, capable students who love to build things and solve problems — exactly the type of people that will comprise the future manufacturing workforce.
Through BotsIQ,
  • Students work together in a fascinating real-world professional manufacturing model.
  • Students gain in-demand technical skills like mechanical engineering and design, electrical engineering, machining, 3D printing, and more.
  • Each participating school is paired with a local manufacturing company to serve as their industry mentor and learn about the potential for a career in manufacturing
Come and see what these high school students can accomplish or better yet, volunteer to help out.

You can also meet with Laurie Barcaskey, President of Leading Marks. Laurie is volunteering at this event that runs from April 28-29, 2023, 7:30AM – 6:00PM
There will surely be tons of sparks and lots of excitement!

Complete our registration form to let us know you will be joining us!
LOCATION
​PennWest California
Convocation Center
250 University Avenue, California, PA 15419
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Earning and Leaving a Mark

12/1/2020

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by Laurie Barcaskey
When people ask me what I do to earn a living and respond that I sell industrial identification systems, aka marking,  people often give me a puzzled look and ask “What is that?”
Most folks do not realize that marking surrounds them just about everywhere: food packaging, appliances, and cars. Marking guides us all day long–consider wayfinding signage on the roadways and in stores.

If people still look surprised by the role of marking in their lives, I ask if they know how recalls on food and automobiles are managed.

​The traceable identification applied to food products and automotive components have date codes, lot numbers and other identifiers elements such as bar codes.

​These marks help manufacturers identify the range of items impacted by product failure or other criteria for return.
Laurie Barcaskey
Laurie Barcaskey, Founder, Leading Marks LLC.
Construction uses marking to show the connection points for a building’s structure, utility supply lines and the directional flow of things like gas, water, and sewage. These marks allow for a building to be erected correctly and support on-going maintenance.
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How those marks get applied differs based on the component, the substrate it is made of, the environment it will be exposed to, the cycle time required to apply the mark and ultimately a company’s budget available to invest in the equipment or solution.

Having been in the industry for almost 40 years and one of the few women in this specialty, I enjoy explaining how I got started. 
After our family business was sold in 2002, I joined a small industrial distributor in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

This company focused on providing solutions to electrical and mechanical contractors specifically for pipe & valve labels and wires & panel identification.


​This broadened my knowledge of marking to include technologies such as thermal transfer and a variety of ink marking applications.  It also introduced me to the construction industry.
​
It is my appreciation for how buildings are constructed, and things are made that piques my interest for providing marking solutions.
Leading Mark’s participates in other events to support Manufacturing such as Manufacturing Day, a event designed to encourage students to consider a career in industrial jobs
Leading Mark’s participates in other events to support Manufacturing such as Manufacturing Day, a event designed to encourage students to consider a career in industrial jobs
I am the third generation of a marking family whose involvement began when my Grandfather purchased a marking company in 1928. I grew-up cutting my teeth on steel hand stamps and direct-part marking. To say the least, I have graduated from the “School of Hard Knocks” as anyone from a family business can attest. Currently, I am the only family member remaining in the field of marking.
It is not unusual that one day of field calls will take me from a machine shop producing automotive, aerospace, or medical instruments, to food producers, to metal refineries and then onto a construction job site.
Boss Buddy Part Marking
Laurie Barcaskey continued the family tradition of finding solutions by creating the Boss Buddy to provide a solution for foundry pattern labeling.
Knowing my customers and becoming their partner for business needs, includes understanding the challenges they face every day and finding solutions. Leading Marks “Boss Buddy” package was created specifically for the sand-casting industry.

​This tailored set of accessories allows foundries to upgrade their pattern labeling process as current solutions become obsolete or improve a very cumbersome process.

​There is also a package that can emboss metal tags that get applied to product post casting or for rugged environments.

From my work with customers, I have seen how difficult it is for manufacturing and construction to find and keep qualified technical staff. 
The focus on college degrees has left all the trades in short supply of skilled staff to produce items we all rely on.  Recognizing that I can make a difference, I have chosen to be involved in the SW BotsIQ program.

​This career-development program is coordinated through the National Tooling & Machining Association.

Everyone in the program gains something whether they are a student or working in the field. It is so encouraging to interact with these high school students.
Leading Marks President, Laurie Barcaskey is an active supporter of the Bots IQ program.
Leading Marks President, Laurie Barcaskey is an active supporter of the Bots IQ program.
Their enthusiasm to plan and build something and then compete with other high schools at the annual Bots Tournament in southwestern PA is exciting and fun.

​The mechanical and life skills the students gain is critical to setting them up for success as they look for jobs, attend trade school, or seek degrees.  The suppliers and manufacturers who support them gain direct insight to future employees and the local educational systems and networking opportunities with other professionals. It is a win-win for everyone.

Becoming Women Business Enterprise (WBE) certified opens the doors to opportunities with government and large corporations who value diverse suppliers. This certification also enables me to encourage young women involved in the SW Bots program or just starting their careers within manufacturing and construction. While these industries are inviting more women to be a part of their organizations, there are still many more efforts needed to diversify and level the playing field.

Now that you know all of this about me and a bit of the background of Leading Marks, what is the solution we can help you with?

About the Author

Laurie Barcaskey of Leading Marks is an authorized manufacturer’s representative with 30 years of experience and shop floor knowledge of solutions for industrial identification, part traceability and pipe testing. Laurie is the third generation of one of the marking industry’s most innovative and enduring family legacies, tracing back to 1889.

0 Comments

Come Check Out the BotsIQ Finals at CalU

4/1/2018

0 Comments

 
bots iq swpa 2018
Come and see what these high school students can accomplish or better yet, volunteer to help out.

You can also meet with Laurie Barcaskey, President of Leading Marks. Laurie is volunteering at this event that runs from April 13 @ 8:00 am – April 14 @ 5:00 pm.

There will surely be tons of sparks and lots of excitement!

Complete our registration form to let us know you will be joining us!

Southwestern Pennsylvania BotsIQ is a manufacturing workforce development program of the Pittsburgh Chapter National Tooling & Machining Foundation, a non-profit 501(c)3 organization.

The program is affiliated with the National Robotics League and is managed by New Century Careers.

What is BotsIQ?

SWPA BotsIQ
BotsIQ is a manufacturing workforce development program whose goal is to provide a pathway for high school students to learn about rewarding career options in manufacturing.

This is accomplished by inviting students to participate in an exciting, hands-on high school robotics competition.

0 Comments
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