Larry A. Ward '66

Engineering Design Pilot Plant

Updated: 1/26/26

Pennsylvania College of Technology is creating the Larry A. Ward ’66 Engineering Design Pilot Plant to bridge the gap between design and manufacturability for engineering design students. The project is funded by a $300,000 gift from alumnus Larry A. Ward and is intended to give students hands-on access to manufacturing tools so they can translate CAD concepts into real prototypes with real constraints.

What the pilot plant is

The pilot plant is a dedicated space formed by renovating and combining a storage area and a classroom in the College Avenue Labs. It is designed to support design collaboration and product development, and will be incorporated into the curriculum for Penn College’s ABET-accredited bachelor’s degree in Engineering Design Technology (where i teach).

What will be in the lab

Planned equipment includes:

CNC mill and CNC lathe
Small Form Factor automate injection Molding
Waterjet
3D printers
Electrical and metrology tools

Status

As on the start of the Spring 2026 semester, we have begun renovations and are purchasing equipment...I'm thrilled to be moving in and using this space academically in the Fall of 2026!

Why it matters

This space targets the missing link for many design students: an intuitive understanding of how design choices drive manufacturability, cycle time, and cost. The goal is to shorten the gap between “I can model it” and “I can make it.”

My role

I spearheaded the project proposal and helped shape the lab concept around one core outcome: students seeing the full path from model to manufactured part. As I’ve said publicly, every good designer needs an intuitive understanding of “How can I make this feature?” and “How will this impact machining time and cost?”

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