Cal State Long Beach College of Engineering Receives $75,000 Grant from DENSO Foundation

The DENSO North America Foundation (DNAF) has awarded the College of Engineering at California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) a three-year, $75,000 grant to establish a non-destructive testing laboratory and to support the CSULB Society of Automotive Engineers' (SAE) student Mini-Baja and Formula team cars.

The CSULB non-destructive testing lab will allow students hands-on experience in quality control by learning procedures and using equipment to identify defects in manufactured parts without destroying their functionality. Equipment to be purchased with a portion of the grant funding includes a self-contained fluorescent penetrant inspection system, a wet horizontal bench, an ultrasonic flaw detector and thickness gauge, and a current flaw detector, plus accessories.

"Establishment of a nondestructive testing laboratory at CSULB will add great value to quality control education, which will prove a significant benefit to both students and industry alike for years to come," said Parviz Yavari, professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering and the non-destructive testing lab's coordinator. "We are very fortunate to have the support of companies like DENSO, who support the College of Engineering for development of curriculum and laboratories."

Each year, a team of CSULB students enter the Mini-Baja West challenge, in which they are required to design a four-wheel, single-seat, off-road recreational vehicle capable of negotiating a two-mile course of rough terrain without damage to the vehicle or driver. The vehicle must be manufactured for not more than $3,000 in a hypothetical production run.

The main objective of the Formula SAE competition is to create cars that can be designed and produced for less than $25,000. Each team is required to create a manufacturing process -- a kind of virtual factory -- that maps out an assembly line, puts it all together, and presents why and how the car was built and how four vehicles can be produced per day. Both the Mini-Baja and Formula SAE teams are responsible for obtaining donations of goods and funds to build the cars and travel to the competitions.

"These projects are essential and invaluable for our students," commented Hamid Rahai, professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering and the SAE faculty advisor. "They apply their knowledge in practice and in this process, they become outstanding practical engineers. They can compete very well in this competitive market."

"The DENSO North America Foundation has provided tremendous support for our engineering and technology programs, and especially for our students for more than five years," added Mike Mahoney, dean of the College of Engineering. "We really appreciate their generosity."

"We are pleased to be able to provide the College of Engineering at CSULB with funding to support these two important programs," 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 Corporation, headquartered in Kariya, Aichi prefecture, Japan, is a leading global supplier of advanced technology, systems and components. Its customers include all the major carmakers. Worldwide, the company employs 104,000 people in 31 countries and regions, including Japan. For more information about DENSO, visit www.globaldenso.com. In the Americas, DENSO employs more than 15,000 people at 33 companies, with consolidated sales totaling $5.4 billion.

Established Jan. 1, 2001 with $5 million in assets, the DENSO North America Foundation is incorporated in the State of Michigan as a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation. Future assets are expected to total approximately $15 million at full endowment in 2010.