LONG BEACH, Calif. — The DENSO North American Foundation has donated $50,000 to the College of Engineering at California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) to help the college purchase new equipment for its Computer-Aided Manufacturing Laboratory and enhance the educational experience of its mechanical and aerospace engineering (MAE) students. 
The CSULB College of Engineering is in the process of a completing a significant expansion of its Automotive Research, Development and Education Laboratory (ARDEL), of which the Computer-Aided Manufacturing Laboratory is a part. This new piece of equipment, a robot/programmable material handling system, will improve the manufacturing and automation elements of the mechanical and aerospace curriculum and the engineering technology.
“A fully equipped Computer-Aided Manufacturing Laboratory will have a great impact on the undergraduate education of our students,” said Forouzan Golshani, dean for the CSULB College of Engineering. “It also will improve our ability to prepare highly qualified engineering professionals to make substantial contributions to modern automotive and related industries.”
Golshani pointed out that many academic departments have abandoned manufacturing as an area of concentration, but CSULB has chosen to build upon its strong base in manufacturing processes.
“One of the key objectives of the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department is to continually develop the various areas of manufacturing engineering education,” the dean noted. “When completed, the laboratory will provide superior undergraduate educational opportunities for qualified students and allow for an emphasis on practical, relevant student projects.”
The equipment purchased with the funds will complement the existing facilities in the Composite and Manufacturing Laboratory and provide a multidisciplinary facility for use by the mechanical, aerospace and engineering technology students and faculty who are collaborating with one another, and with other students and faculty. The new equipment also will be used by students on their mini-Baja, formula one car, human-powered vehicle, and rocket design projects.
A fully equipped Computer-Aided Manufacturing Laboratory will specialize in all software and hardware aspects leading to increased flexibility, manufacturing integration, adaptability, and responsiveness of manufacturing systems. It will also support various aspects of manufacturing automation, from computer-aided design systems to computer-aided manufacturing systems to inspection systems.
“We are pleased to be able to provide the College of Engineering at CSULB with funding to support the purchase of this equipment,” said Richard Shiozaki, senior vice president of DENSO Sales California, Inc. and DENSO North America Foundation (DNAF) board member. “The DNAF is dedicated to the advancement of higher education and the development of a skilled and knowledgeable workforce.”
DENSO is a long-time supporter of the CSULB College of Engineering. Since 2001, the corporation has donated more than $225,000. Its $75,000 donation in 2004 was used to establish the college’s Non-Destructive Testing Lab.
