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NFPA PARTNERSHIP
Since 2008, the NFPA (National Fluid Power Association) Fluid Power Action Challenge has offered middle school students the opportunity to experience a hands-on education concerning fluid power and mechanical engineering concepts. Through The Challenge, NFPA hopes to encourage students to select more mathematics and science courses in their high school curricula and to keep their options open for technology-based, post-secondary studies.
Daman's Fluid Power Action Challenge is the region's most recognized hands-on, mechanical competition.
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Every once in a while, we have the opportunity to be part of something really special. The Fluid Power Action Challenge is one of those things. We are in our ninth year of hosting this event for seventh and eighth-grade area students, who will have the opportunity to experience mechanical and hydraulic engineering concepts first-hand. The students love the challenge!
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Past teams report it is the hardest thing they’ve done in school, yet they loved it! We start by giving teams of four students a package containing wood, paper, glue, tubing, and syringes, we send them off to design and build this year's challenge machine which they will develop according to defined work. The competition requires students to use time management, project planning, resource management, team dynamics, testing, adjusting, and exploration. All of these elements create a real-world, hands-on experience for the students.
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Student and school participation have been at its best. Participation has averaged over 130 local seventh and eighth-grade students. Past participating schools include Clay International Academy, Edison Middle School, Jackson Intermediate, Jefferson Traditional, LaSalle Academy, Marshall Intermediate, Navarre Intermediate, John Young Middle School, Jimtown Middle School, Career Academy South Bend, and Schmucker Middle School. We expect participation to increase and impact even more school systems each year. The beauty of this Challenge is its relatively low cost per student.
SPONSORSHIP OPTIONS!
Thank you to those who have been able to support this event in the past! To join our list of supporters, please consider the following sponsorship options.
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Champion Sponsor (limit 2) : $2500 helps overall funding of the event and includes your company logo prominently displayed on the event sponsor banner and on t-shirt, recognition on our website, social media promotions, and the option to display promotional materials at the event.
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Award Sponsor (limit 3) : $1500 helps to purchase the awards and includes a large logo on sponsor banner and on t-shirt, our website, social media promotions, and an option to display promotional materials at the event.
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T-Shirt Sponsor (limit 10) : $350 includes your logo on the t-shirts and the sponsor banner, our website, and social media promotions (limit 10).
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Material Kit Sponsor: $250 helps buy materials for students used at workshop day, Challenge day, and the process of development between the two events and includes your name on the sponsor banner and our website.
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Tool Box Kit Sponsor: $100 helps buy materials for the toolboxes and includes your name on the sponsor banner and our website.
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In-kind and monetary donations in any amount.
Items that would be helpful are bottled water, notepads, pencils, masks, safety glasses, etc.
All sponsors receive recognition on our website and through email.
Our goal is to raise $10,000, which will support 40 teams of students. We can't do it alone, so thank you for supporting this event!
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2021 FPAC Sponsors
1st Source Bank
Chick-fil-A
Cintas
Guidance Wealth
Halo Branded Solutions
Hengli
Hydraulic Controls
HydroSym Software
Insight Strategic Concepts
Mid-States Bolt & Screw
Morrell
Powell Tool Supply
Tuesley-Hall-Konopa, LLP
Womack Machine Supply
VIEW THE RESULTS OF PAST CHALLENGES BELOW:
2020 CHALLENGE HIGHLIGHTS
The 2020 Fluid Power Action Challenge took place on January 17th and, once again, provided local middle school students the chance to learn about and interact with fluid power systems. This year, 88 students from nine area schools competed in the challenge held at the University of Notre Dame’s Stephen Center. Participants were first introduced to fluid power during the workshop days held this past October 24th and 25th, where they were assigned this year’s engineering challenge courtesy. As in years past, the challenge required that each team create a hydraulic or pneumatic machine using only wood, paper, glue, tubing, and syringes. This year's 2019 FPAC champions were as follows:
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Portfolio Champion – Jackson Intermediate Team 35
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Design Champion – Career Academy South Bend Team 7
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Teamwork Champion – John Young Middle School Team 3
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Challenge Champion (for points scored during the competition) – Navarre Middle School Team 18
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Overall Champion – Jackson Intermediate Team 36
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2019 CHALLENGE HIGHLIGHTS
This year, Daman Products hosted 120 local middle school students for the 9th Annual Fluid Power Action Challenge. The FPAC Includes 2 events, a workshop day and a challenge day. Workshop days took place at Daman last November 8th and 9th. During this event, the students were introduced to fluid power concepts and careers in addition to being assigned the engineering challenge selected for this school year by the NFPA. The challenge requires that each team create a hydraulic or pneumatic machine using only wood, paper, glue, tubing, and syringes. The final competition took place on Challenge Day at Notre Dame’s Stepan Center on Friday, January 18th. This year's 2019 FPAC champions were as follows:
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Portfolio Champion – Jimtown Team 24
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Design Champion – John Young Team 22
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Teamwork Champion – Jimtown Team 23
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Challenge Champion (for points scored during the competition) – John Young Team 21
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Overall Champion – John Young Team 18
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2018 CHALLENGE HIGHLIGHTS
Hundreds of seventh and eighth-grade students from area schools gathered at Daman Products on January 17th, 18th, and 19th for FPAC workshop days where they were introduced to the fluid power industry and prepared for Daman's 8th Annual Fluid Power Action Challenge. Each year, teams are challenged to develop an engineering solution by creating a hydraulic or pneumatic machine using only wood, paper, glue, tubing, and syringes. Competition Day was held on March 17th at Bethel College in Mishawaka.
2017 CHALLENGE HIGHLIGHTS
Local seventh and eighth-grade students from South Bend Community School Corporation, John J Young Middle School, Jimtown Junior High School, and South Bend Career Academy participated in the 2017 Fluid Power Action Challenge hosted by Daman Products. The preliminary Workshop Days introduce students to fluid power and—at the end of the day—students are presented with the “Challenge”. This year the workshop days were January 12 and 13 held in the Daman Products' Founders Room. Competition Day was on March 3, 2017, at Bethel College.
2015 CHALLENGE HIGHLIGHTS
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Overall Champion Winner: Jackson Intermediate
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Teamwork Category: LaSalle School
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Design Category: Jimtown
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Portfolio Category: LaSalle
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Challenge Category (move the block): John Young​
Local seventh and eighth grade students from Clay Intermediate, Edison Intermediate, Greene Intermediate, Jackson Intermediate, Jefferson Traditional, LaSalle Academy, Marshall Intermediate, Navarre Intermediate, John Young Middle, Jimtown Middle (new in 2015) and Career Academy of South Bend participated in the 2015 Fluid Power Challenge hosted by Daman Products Company. The preliminary Workshop Days which orient and prepare the students for the event took place October 8th and 9th at the Daman Products Founder’s Room. The final competition event was held at the Ivy Tech Community College in South Bend on Friday, December 4th from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
2014 CHALLENGE HIGHLIGHTS
Local seventh and eighth-grade students from South Bend Community Schools, South Bend Career Academy, and John Young Middle School of Mishawaka participated in the 2014 Fluid Power Challenge hosted by Daman Products Company, a manifold manufacturing facility based in Mishawaka, Indiana. The final competition event was held at the Ivy Tech Community College in South Bend on Friday, December 5 from 9 am to 2 pm. The winners for each category were announced at the Friday event.
2013 CHALLENGE HIGHLIGHTS
Local seventh and eighth-grade students from area North Central Indiana schools are invited to participate in the annual Fluid Power Challenge hosted by Daman Products Company, a manifold manufacturing facility based in Mishawaka, Indiana. The 2013 final competition event was held at Stepan Center on the campus of the University of Notre Dame on Friday, December 6 from 9 am to 2 pm.
"The Challenge offers area middle school students the opportunity to experience a hands-on education concerning fluid power and mechanical engineering concepts," says Larry Davis, president of Daman. "Students are required to demonstrate teamwork in the midst of material constraints, a required division of labor, clear planning practices and the ability to work toward a common goal."
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The program also gives support and resources to teachers for a science and technology curriculum in a learning environment where math and science are fun. All students use the same tools and an identical kit of supplies to recreate their unique mechanisms, which they use in the competition to pick up weighted objects and place them on a platform.