CRANBERRY TWP — Students in Mars High School's engineering by design class solved problems for engineers at MSA in Cranberry Woods, and they gave their presentations on those solutions Wednesday morning.

The 22 students were divided into five teams and given problems by MSA engineers, said engineer manager Jerry Todd, coordinator of the company's Adventures in Technology program. The problems were ones encountered by the engineers while working on a project.

The students visited MSA's labs and digital drawing boards to come up with solutions to problems with the fixtures, holders, cutting tools, positioning tools and other components.

“Things like safety and ergonomics (for workers operating the components) must also be considered,” Todd said.

The teams took turns giving their presentations at MSA's headquarters to the engineers, Mars teachers and administrators, classmates and the school board President Dayle Ferguson.

The teams used visual aids and the component itself in describing the problems they came upon in solving the issue, and how they overcame those obstacles.

One team worked on a fixture used to install gaskets during the manufacturing process.

The four team members described that in developing the component, they neglected to create their mold in a mirror image. The team then went back to the computer-aided design system at the high school and redesigned the component the right way.

“You guys used experiential learning,” Todd told the team. “That's what engineers do. They use small, incremental learning.”

One older engineer in the audience told the team at the end of their presentation that the Adventures in Technology program allows the students to determine if engineering is a career they want to pursue.

“You have to love what you do if you're going to do it for 40-plus years,” the engineer said before asking the team members what fields they are considering for careers.

Computer science and engineering, mechanical or plastics engineering, graphic design and investment banking were the answers.

Mars junior Max Henderson said the Adventures in Technology program allows students to learn more about engineering and get a first hand experience in an on-the-job setting.

“It keeps us hands-on,” Max said.

Nathan Wood, a Mars junior who worked on the gasket component, said the program with MSA allows learning that is impossible in a classroom setting.

“I got real-life experience on what I want to do for the rest of my life,” Nathan said.

He said it's exciting that some of the components worked on by the students will actually be used at MSA.

“I think it's really cool that they gave us this opportunity to help them with their product,” Nathan said.

Principal Todd Kolson said while the district has partnered with MSA on other projects over the years, the Adventures in Technology program is the most involved.

“They devoted a large amount of resources to our students, and we appreciate it,” Kolson said.

He agreed with the team members that the program gives science-minded students an opportunity to solve an engineering problem.

“It also brings what they learn in the classroom into partnership with a real-world company,” Kolson said.

Todd said many of the MSA engineers participating in the Adventures in Technology program have worked with college-level engineering students, and some were reluctant to work with students in high school.

“We are really impressed with the level of engagement of the Mars students,” Todd said. “They've come up with a lot of innovative ideas that have sparked a lot of ideas for our engineering team.”

The student presentations were the final part of the Adventures in Technology program with Mars.