Domnick Ellis, who goes by “Dom,” is a second-generation Blackhawk Technical College student. His father, Brent Ellis, is a Blackhawk alumnus with an Automation Systems Technology degree. Dom followed suit but added a second associate degree–Electro-Mechanical Technology.
“At the end of high school, I looked at my options and found a technical college was the way to go,” Ellis said. “As I was signing up for Blackhawk and analyzing my credits required and AP credits, I realized I would be able to complete both the Automation Systems degree that my father recommended and the very related Electro-Mechanical Technology degree.”
The degrees will allow him to get “an excellent career in maintenance,” he said. He enjoys troubleshooting and looks forward to being an integral part of any company, he explained.
“Blackhawk has further supported this by giving me a background not only in mechanical troubleshooting but programming as well, allowing my work to stay relevant in a modern manufacturing environment,” Ellis said.
Capstone project
“Dom is also a big part of the capstone course for these two programs this semester,” Engineering Technology Instructor Bryan Coddington said. “Dom has been leading the weekly meetings for the project. If all goes according to plan, the capstone group will be presenting their project to students, faculty, industry partners, and Tigre on Thursday, May 14.”
Coddington and Electro-Mechanical Technology Instructor John Dorcey are supervising the capstone project, which offers a real-world project as part of the Troubleshooting Integrated Manufacturing Systems 2 course.
“My Troubleshooting Integrated Manufacturing Systems 2 capstone project is to create an updated hydraulic test bench for Tigre USA. We have six students working on the project under the direct supervision of John Dorcey and Brian Coddington, and two representatives from Tigre closely connected to the project that attend our weekly status meeting,” Ellis explained. “Tigre was using an outdated and beat up test bench that had several modifications that hadn't been updated on the schematics. Rather than go through the process of updating the equipment and schematics, they had us design a modernized test bench using PLC controls and an HMI.”
A PLC, or programmable logic controller, is an industrial computer that has been ruggedized and adapted for the control of manufacturing processes. An HMI is a human-machine interface, which is any screen that allows a user to interact with a device.
Life after Blackhawk
“I have a job lined up at Ball Corporation’s can manufacturing plant in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin,” Ellis said.
Ellis encourages anyone who wants to “work with their hands while still using their brains” to give Blackhawk a try.
“For those of my same outlook, I can't think of a better career field than that opened by a degree from the Manufacturing, Apprenticeship, Technology and Transportation division. The Innovative Manufacturing Education Center is also a great place for the hands-on learning people like me prefer and learn best from,” he said.
Find out more about Blackhawk’s Automation Systems Technology program and Electro-Mechanical Technology program.