The University of Kentucky Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering will partner with Toyota as they host UK’s first-ever Toyota Day event on Nov. 6 and 7. UK is one of only three universities, alongside Brigham Young University and Purdue, selected by Toyota as a site for Toyota Day.
The purpose of Toyota Day is to showcase the exciting new technology and career opportunities within Toyota. Students, faculty, staff and community members are invited to hear from senior engineers and Toyota team members, share in demonstrations, attend a variety of tech talks and meet the Toyota Motorsports team.
Since launching last year, each Toyota Day has had a specific industry focus at each institution. The focus of the two-day Toyota Day event at UK this year will be production engineering. The mission of production engineering at Toyota is to “implement modern and agile manufacturing operation that delivers a quick, build to order model within 100% of manufacturing lines capable of producing all model types by 2030.”
Toyota Day at UK is open to students of any major, across all colleges. Each Toyota Day, Nov. 6 and 7, will open at 9 a.m. in the Gatton Student Center Main Ballroom. Demonstrations of work being done at Toyota in areas like scanning and vision systems, additive manufacturing and AR/VR will run until 5 p.m. each day. The Toyota Motorsports Team and cars will also be available and on display in the Gatton Student Center parking lot from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day.
Tech talks will begin each day at 10 a.m. in the Gatton Student Center Senate Chamber. Tech talks will be 45-minute sessions on stamping, digital innovation, motorsports technology, powertrain/battery, final assembly, bodyweld, internal logistics, safety, advanced technology and manufacturing.
On Nov. 6 only, there will be a special evening networking session, sponsored by the UK Solar Car team. From 6:30 to 8 p.m., engineering students are invited to share a meal, network and learn firsthand what it’s like to work in production engineering from Toyota team members representing a variety of departments.
Individual session information is listed below. Registration through Handshake is strongly encouraged, but not required.
Monday, Nov. 6
Toyota Stamping Tech Talk / 10-10:45 a.m.
Location: Gatton Student Center Senate Chamber
Senior Manager Nathan Blandford will share his experience with die making processes and technology as well as laser applications in automotive stamping. His experiences include the development of stamping processes in vehicle customization, unique tooling applications, along with presentations on lasers and how they are used in production: from cutting to welding for structural performance, operational efficiency, and cost and process optimization.
https://app.joinhandshake.com/events/1399741/share_preview
Toyota Digital Innovation Tech Talk / 11-11:45 a.m.
Location: Gatton Student Center Senate Chamber
Smart Manufacturing – Factory Digital Twin
Trever White will share his experience with developing and executing an Industry 4.0 Smart Manufacturing Program supporting Factory Digital Twin. He will share how tools like augmented, virtual, and mixed reality coupled with Reality Capture and 3D tools can significantly reduce your lead time to market and accelerate your cost efficiency, productivity, and quality along the way. He will share use cases along with lessons learned and best practices from both the engineering & information technology perspectives that can be applied to all areas of the Industrial Internet of Things.
https://app.joinhandshake.com/events/1399760/share_preview
Toyota Motorsports Tech Talk / 12-12:45 p.m.
Location: Gatton Student Center Senate Chamber
Toyota PE Motorsports: Matthew Mudge will share information about how this employee-led grassroots motorsports team started and what events they compete in, including the 24 Hours of LeMons, One Lap of America, and Rebelle Rally. Learn how racing makes better engineers and how those engineers build better vehicles. Find out what modifications have been made to the team vehicles, including the Toyota Supra and Camry, and see how vehicle dynamics concepts are applied at the track. Join to watch an episode of Toyota Untold and see an in-car video with telemetry. Afterward, stop by to see the cars in person and meet the team for an opportunity to ask additional questions.
https://app.joinhandshake.com/events/1399762/share_preview
Toyota Powertrain/Battery Tech Talk / 1-1:45 p.m.
Location: Gatton Student Center Senate Chamber
Evan will present an organizational review of Toyota's North America Powertrain group, typical challenging problems the engineering staff solves, as well as a review of HEV and BEV battery productions for the new North Carolina battery production facility.
https://app.joinhandshake.com/events/1399763/share_preview
Toyota Final Assembly Tech Talk / 2-2:45 p.m.
Location: Gatton Student Center Senate Chamber
Material Handling – Autonomous Robot Part Delivery
Haylie Dennis will share how robots (barely larger than a rumba) that have the power to make their own decisions have altered the terrain at Toyota Kentucky. When the Toyota Production System views conveyance as muda (or waste) and there’s technology available to transport parts without a human driver, the result is a fleet of over 50 robots traveling (sometimes over 3 football fields) to ensure the team member can install the part to the vehicle, just in time. She will explain how managing robot to robot traffic, robot to human traffic, and robot to vehicle conveyors can significantly reduce the cost required to produce the vehicle, which allows for a more affordable vehicle for the end consumer.
https://app.joinhandshake.com/events/1399765/share_preview
Toyota Networking Event / 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Location: Gatton Student Center Main Ballroom
Toyota is a renowned automobile manufacturer known for its commitment to engineering excellence. Their engineering principles, often referred to as the “Toyota Production System,” emphasize continuous improvement, lean manufacturing, and a focus on quality. Toyota’s engineering innovations have played a significant role in the automotive industry’s development, including advancements in hybrid technology and safety features. Join them for an exciting networking event with delicious food and prizes. Event sponsored by the University of Kentucky Solar Car Team.
https://app.joinhandshake.com/events/1397907/share_preview
Tuesday, Nov. 7
Toyota BodyWeld Tech Talk / 10-10:45 p.m.
Location: Gatton Student Center Senate Chamber
Jenn Martin will share her experiences with the changing faces of technology in Body Production Engineering (formerly known as BodyWeld). She will share about the impacts of vehicle electrification and the strategies in place to continue shaping the future of vehicle production. She will share some of the new technological advances being made to improve the pre-production process.
https://app.joinhandshake.com/events/1399769/share_preview
Toyota Internal Logistics Tech Talk / 11-11:45 p.m.
Location: Gatton Student Center Senate Chamber
Andy and Jason will share ILE’s goal/mission of the department and their role in manufacturing at Toyota. They will touch on the TPS Fundamentals that guide their way of thinking, logistics automation, daily ops, simulations and regional training and standards. They will share several examples of the automation projects that are currently in production across the region and some of the regional tools utilized, as well as the scope of the shops that ILE supports and how they are planning for the future of manufacturing through automation/systems.
https://app.joinhandshake.com/events/1399773/share_preview
Toyota Safety Tech Talk / 12-12:45 p.m.
Location: Gatton Student Center Senate Chamber
Amanda Muzzey will share her experience as a recent UK engineering graduate (2021) navigating her career at Toyota. She will share how the Equipment Safety Team is a critical piece of production for team members, and also how the Equipment Safety Team casts a broader net covering innovative solutions like Boston Dynamics, 'Spot', and how 'Spot' can be safely used in production. Amanda will share other focuses in safety such as ergonomics, general culture and how a background in various types of engineering could be utilized in a safety career at Toyota.
https://app.joinhandshake.com/events/1399776/share_preview
Toyota Advanced Technology Tech Talk / 1-1:45 p.m.
Location: Gatton Student Center Senate Chamber
Nick Potocki, an accomplished engineering manager and Chair of Toyota's business partnering group, ToyotAbility, will share his extensive experience in shaping an advanced manufacturing technology strategy, with a particular focus on flexible automation and robotics, during his engaging talk. He will provide an organization overview, shedding light on how Toyota approaches innovation in manufacturing, including the use of GEN AI and robotics. In addition to his technological expertise, Nick will highlight his role as the Chair of ToyotAbility, an advocacy group dedicated to supporting employees with disabilities and providing valuable resources for those with family members and friends facing similar challenges. Nick's presentation will also delve into the criteria his team looks for when hiring engineers, aligning with Toyota's commitment to recruiting and retaining top-tier talent. The talk will showcase project examples, demonstrating his team's dedication to advancing manufacturing technology and their alignment with Toyota's visionary approach to innovation.
https://app.joinhandshake.com/events/1399782/share_preview
Toyota Manufacturing Tech Talk / 2-2:45 p.m.
Location: Gatton Student Center Senate Chamber
With the rise of Industry 4.0, Toyota is working to adapt to current global environments/ markets where Big Data management/establishing digital threads provides significant competitive advantages. As a result, they have begun their own Industry 4.0 journey toward MD digital transformation.
https://app.joinhandshake.com/events/1399783/share_preview