Curbell Plastics supports students in robotics competition with donation of materials

Orchard Park, NY–based Curbell Plastics Inc., a supplier of plastic sheet, rod, tube, film, adhesives, sealants and prototyping materials, recently supported St. Joseph’s Collegiate Institute’s robotics team with a material donation to help students design and build a robot for the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Competition. 

St. Joe’s, located in Buffalo, not far from Curbell Plastics’ corporate headquarters, relies on financial and material donations from local companies to support its team. Curbell donated sheets of ABS, expanded PVC and acrylic that were used on the robot as side panels and to house controls and electronic equipment.

The 32-member team from St. Joe’s designed and built a robot from scratch using specifications and rules from FIRST Robotics, a global organization that promotes hands-on learning of science and technology for students around the world. St. Joe’s team competed at the FIRST Robotics Finger Lakes Regional Competition in March at Rochester Institute of Technology and finished 12th out of 50 teams.

“Between entry fees, transportation and material costs to build a robot, these competitions can be expensive and yet they are so important, allowing a hands-on experience for students in science, technology and engineering,” said Patrick Wick, science teacher and moderator for St. Joe’s robotics team. “Curbell was a huge help by providing the right materials to help the team build its electronics board and side panels, which proved to be durable, lightweight and able to hold up to the stress of the competition.”

Curbell Plastics’ strategy of investing for the long term and focusing on customer needs has led the organization to grow from a small machine shop to one of the nation’s leading suppliers of plastic materials serving commercial and industrial customers since 1942, said the company. Curbell Plastics has ISO 9001 certification and ITAR and EAR compliance at nine of its locations and corporate headquarters; the company’s Phoenix, AZ, location is AS9120 certified.