CNC Software Inc.’s educational division recently launched a new competition to find innovative student manufacturing projects. The Innovator of the Future competition requires student participants to produce a part that meets certain size requirements with CNC Software’s Mastercam CAD/CAM software. The winner will receive a $1,000 scholarship, have the manufactured part displayed at a corporate trade show and be a “demo jock” at the show’s Student Summit. The contest will be judged by several manufacturing experts, including Boyd Coddington of Discovery Channel’s “American Hot Rod.” The theme for this year’s contest is a car wheel, and the winning design will become part of Coddington’s wheel line.

All entries must be designed and programmed with Mastercam software, have a professional look, remain consistent with industry standards, and include documentation, photos and an unpainted part to demonstrate the process to completion. The wheel should be produced to one-quarter scale.

The deadline for submission is Dec. 31. The winner will be awarded March 2006. For more information, visit www.mastercam.com.

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