OMAX® Sponsors Winning Team at FIRST Robotics Championship


Kent, Washington, May 6, 2011 - OMAX Corporation recently sponsored the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics team from Aviation High School in Des Moines, Washington. Following victory at the regional level, the team won the prestigious Creativity Award in the FIRST Championship held April 27-30, 2011, in St. Louis, Missouri.

Inventor Dean Kamen founded FIRST in 1989 to inspire young people's interest and participation in science and technology. The not-for-profit organization's FIRST Robotics Championship is an international event in which teams of high school students build a robot over a period of six weeks using the core principles of engineering and mathematics. The final teams - 8,600 students from 11 countries - were selected from more than 42,000 contestants who already competed at regional-level competitions around the world.

This is the third year that OMAX has sponsored Aviation High School's FIRST Robotics team. Each Friday evening during the team's build season, OMAX Lead Electrical Engineer Kevin Hay supervised the Aviation High School team as members cut parts for their robot at the OMAX headquarters. Using the MAXIEM® 1530 and OMAX 2652 models, the team was able to cut the precise parts needed for its prize-winning robot.

"Working with the kids is a lot of fun, but it also fits OMAX's goal of promoting science and engineering education," said Kevin Hay. "Many of these kids will go on to have fruitful careers in an engineering-related field, and it feels good to have been a small part of that."

OMAX plans to maintain its sponsorship of the Aviation High School FIRST Robotics team in the future and continue what is becoming a prize-winning tradition.

About OMAX

Headquartered in Kent, Washington, OMAX Corporation is the world leader in abrasivejet machining. Each OMAX JetMachining® Center and MAXIEM® JetCutting Center is powered by the company's innovative control software, bringing affordable abrasivejet technology to an expanding and diverse group of industries. For more information on OMAX products and accessories, contact Sandra McLain at 800.838.0343, visit www.omax.com or follow us on Twitter at @OMAXCorp.

Sandra McLain, Vice President of Marketing

OMAX Corporation

Phone: (800) 838-0343

Email: sandra.mclain@omax.com

All Topics