Chattanooga Engineers Club upcoming events

CEC/ASME - How Engineering Change Orthopedics: Total Knee Arthroplasty (13 Apr 2026)

Mon, 13 Apr 2026 20:00:00 GMT

Our speakers will discuss the role of engineering and the evolving future of total knee arthroplasty (joint replacement surgery).

Speakers:

Dr. Jeremy Bruce, Chairman of the Orthopedic Residency Program of UT Health Science in Chattanooga.

Kyle Heineman, Medical Device Distributor, Heineman Health, LLC.

Dr. Jeremy Bruce specializes in sports medicine and arthroplasty and has over 10 years of experience performing patient-specific instrumentation total knee arthroplasty. This involves collaboration with the company Smith & Nephew where their engineers in Memphis help with 3D printed knees to design custom cutting guides for surgery. The Verilast technology also has been an engineering marvel finding the right conditions for the best implant design.

Kyle Heineman is an independent distributor of professional-grade rehabilitation devices to post-surgical patients. He specializes in empowering patients to realize their postoperative goals and has over 10 years of experience in collaborating with surgeons and partnering with the best Durable Medical Equipment manufacturers at the cutting edge of surgical rehabilitation.

ASME/CEC-Bryan College Senior ME Project Presentations (21 Apr 2026)

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 20:00:00 GMT

Bryan College Senior ME Project Presentations - Joint ASME/CEC activity

Join us for senior presentations. Great opportunity to support the graduating seniors and to strengthen their technical/professional presentation skills.

Pizza/drinks will be provided, no cost - by ASME Chattanooga. Please register for event so we can get accurate count for pizza.

Website - Engineering (B.S.E.) — Mechanical Option » Bryan College | Dayton, TN

Overview of Bryan Engineering

The Engineering major at Bryan College is a general engineering degree with a broad foundation.

The degree consist of various options:

Engineering Management
Mechanical Engineering
Computing Engineering
Civil Engineering
Chemical Engineering
Biology

The Mechanical Engineering Option with focus on the principles of force, energy, and motion will enable graduates to design and maintain mechanical systems.

Bryan College’s Bachelor’s degree program in Engineering received accreditation from the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET in 2023.

Bryan College communicating benefit of an engineering degree:

An Engineering degree from Bryan College helps you fulfill God’s call to serve others and to manage the environment. This program provides you with a broad foundation for a variety of careers that can impact the world for Christ. Upon graduation, you will have an opportunity to pursue a rewarding and in-demand career–while also making a difference–working in industries both in the United States and around the world.

TSK - Wacker Plant Tour (23 Apr 2026)

Thu, 23 Apr 2026 15:30:00 GMT

Technical Society of Knoxville is coordinating a plant tour!

ASME Chattanooga and CEC members are invited!

The event will begin with lunch at the site canteen (pay your own lunch), then tour after lunch.

About Wacker:

Wacker is a German chemical manufacturing company that is over 100 year old. Headquartered in Munich, a leader in chemical and biotechnology research, Wacker is known for specialty products extending from silicones and polymeric binders and additives for a number of different industrial sectors, products for pharma, food and nutraceuticals, and hyper pure silicon for semiconductor and solar applications.

The Charleston production site in Tennessee launched in April 2016.

The plant is one of most modern production facilities for hyper pure polysilicon in the world. At around $2.5 billion, it is the biggest single investment in the company’s history.

The plant was built completely from scratch on a greenfield site.

Ultrapure amorphous silicon dioxide powder is used as a filler in silicone elastomers and as a viscosity-adjusting agent, for example, in coatings, printing inks and adhesives. It also serves as a flow aid in the cosmetics, pharmaceutical and food industries.

Site-Specific Facts & Figures

Name: Wacker Polysilicon North America, LLC
Location: Charleston, Bradley County, Tennessee, USA
Area: 2.2 km²
Employees: approx. 650
Products: polycrystalline silicon

Tour - KIA Plant in West Point, Georgia (5 May 2026)

Tue, 05 May 2026 17:15:00 GMT

ASME and CEC hosting joint tour.

Join us for tour of the KIA Plant in West Point, Georgia

Maximum attendees set to only 20, so register early. Please only register if you are confident that you will be attending.

Date: May 5th, 2026

Time: Afternoon - Meet by 1:15am ET at KIA Plant visitor entrance in West Point, Georgia

Tour length will be from 1:30pm-3:30pmET. Attendees responsible for own travel to/from the KIA Plant in West Point, GA.

KIA GEORGIA TOUR GUIDELINES AND DIRECTIONS

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: You will be denied entry if you do not meet the following requirements.

Prohibited Items:

Fully enclosed, shoes are required for entry. Sandals, flip-flops, crocs, slides or any open-toe/open-back footwear are not permitted.
Photography/video is strictly prohibited inside Kia Georgia’s plant.
Tobacco products (cigarettes, e-cigarettes, vaping devices, chewing tobacco, snuff, etc.) are prohibited at Kia Georgia, unless in designated areas outside the gates.
Kia Georgia is a Drug/Alcohol/Weapons Free Campus. The possession of alcohol, illegal drugs, firearms, ammunitions, knives or any other types of weapons on Kia Georgia property is strictly prohibited.
Electronics such as laptops, tablets, or cameras are prohibited. Phones are permitted on-site and may be used to take photos in the main lobby. However, they must be secured in designated pouches before the tour begins.
Large purses, bags and backpacks are not allowed and should be left in vehicles.
Pets, including service animals, are strictly prohibited on-site at Kia Georgia.

All tours are subject to cancellation with little or no notice due to changes in Kia Georgia’s production schedule.

FAQs:

Is this tour handicap accessible?

- Our tour is conducted on a motorized tram, which is NOT accessible by wheelchair. Guests must be able to step up 19 inches to board the tram without assistance from our staff.

Is there a dress code for this tour?

- Yes, modest attire is required. Long pants or skirts are highly recommended along with shirts that fully cover the mid-section.

Will the tour be inside or outside?

- The tour takes place mostly indoors, but there is a portion that will be outside. We recommend checking the weather forecast and dressing appropriately (e.g., raincoat or jacket if needed).

Will the tour be canceled in the event of rain?

- The tour will continue in light rain; however, in the event of severe weather, it may be delayed or canceled for safety reasons.

Does Kia Georgia have a gift shop?

- No, Kia Georgia does not have a gift shop and does not sell any form of Kia Merchandise.

DIRECTIONS:

Please arrive at the Visitors Center NO EARLIER THAN 15 Minutes BEFORE your scheduled tour time. If you arrive more than 15 minutes prior to your tour, you may be asked to wait outside of the gate and return at the 15-minute point. Thanks for your understanding.

Our address is 7777 Kia Parkway, West Point, Georgia 31833. Please note that Waze and some other navigation apps will occasionally direct you to the back of the property when you enter our address. To avoid that, refer to the arrival instructions below:

If you're traveling from the north:

@ Take Exit 6 on I-85 South and turn right onto Kia Blvd. At the first traffic light, turn left onto Kia Parkway. At the first traffic light, turn right into our driveway at Main Entry Gate 2

If you're arriving from the south:

@ Take Exit 6 on I-85 North and turn left onto Kia Blvd. At the second traffic light, turn left into Kia Parkway. At the first traffic light, turn right into our driveway at Main Entry Gate 2

From Columbus, GA area or I-185, follow GPS to SR 18, stay straight on SR 18 through the roundabouts near the I-85 interchange, turn right onto Kia Parkway, then turn left at the fourth traffic light at Main Entry Gate 2.

If arriving by multi-passenger bus/van, stay straight toward the Main Gate directly ahead. Security will confirm your reservation and direct you to unload and park.

If arriving by personal vehicles, bear to either the left or right - visitor parking is located on the front rows and is numbered. Please enter through the Visitor's Center, building 7797, where security will provide a parking pass for your vehicle then direct you to the Main Lobby entrance.

Kia Georgia Inc.

7777 Kia Parkway

West Point, GA 31833

www.KiaGeorgia.com

CEC/IEEE - Determination of Off-site Power Grid for Nuclear Power Plants (8 Jun 2026)

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 16:00:00 GMT

The presentation will be on a research collaboration between the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and the Tennessee Valley Authority.

The UTC-TVA research team’s paper, “Offsite Power Grid Strength Determination for Nuclear Power Plants: Improved Calculations and Practical Implementation” was co-authored by Dr. Abdel Karrar, professor of electrical engineering and associate dean of the UTC College of Engineering and Computer Science; UTC undergraduate students Andrew Adams and Julio Gonzalez; and Mark Bowman, senior program manager of Power System Analysis at TVA.

The project stemmed from a long-running research partnership between UTC and TVA. The research addressed a significant challenge in the nuclear power industry: how to measure the strength of the electrical grid—technically known as grid impedance—when real-time visibility is lost due to severe weather or emergency conditions.

The research was conducted using the College of Engineering and Computer Science’s Smart Grid Lab and its real-time digital simulator, which mimics the behavior of an actual nuclear power plant auxiliary power system under a variety of grid conditions. (if interested, a tour of the lab can be provided after the presentation).

About our two speakers:

Dr. Abdel Karrar, professor of electrical engineering and associate dean of the UTC College of Engineering and Computer Science.

Dr. Karrar received his BS and MS in Electrical Engineering from University of Khartoum, and Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Loughborough University, UK.

Mark Bowman, senior program manager of Power System Analysis at TVA.

Mueller Factory Tour (Kimball, TN) (15 Jun 2026)

Mon, 15 Jun 2026 18:00:00 GMT

Join us on a tour of the Mueller facility in Kimball, TN!

Maximum attendees is 20, so register early.

Facilities | Mueller Co.

Date: June 15th, 2026

Time: Afternoon - Meet by 1:45 PM ET, tour starts at 2 PM ET (The plant operates on ET)

Tour Content/Dress
Tours are conducted in an industrial active foundry area and involve walking, some on steel grating, and climbing stairs.

Only steel-toe leather shoes will be allowed for tour. Anyone not wearing required footwear will not be allowed to tour. Bring and wear safety glasses. If you do not have safety glasses, Mueller has some that we can wear. They have safety vests for us to wear. DO NOT wear metal rings. Hair shoulder length or longer should be tied up. Dress code is business casual or jeans.