Lowry Controls and OCTC's AMTEC launch CUBE Simulator for manufacturing training

Lowry Controls, an engineering design and manufacturing firm based in Loveland, Ohio, has partnered with Owensboro Community & Technical College's Advanced Manufacturing Technical Education Collaborative (AMTEC) to launch The CUBE Simulator, a compact industrial training platform. The simulator integrates hydraulic and pneumatic systems with a conveyor, using industrial-grade components to replicate real-world manufacturing environments. Available immediately through Lowry Controls for educational institutions and industrial training facilities, the system targets students and entry-level technicians seeking hands-on experience with Industry 4.0 and smart manufacturing technologies. The partnership, active since 2014, has previously produced the larger AMTEC V2 Simulator.

This launch addresses a persistent bottleneck in AM and broader manufacturing adoption: the shortage of skilled technicians who can operate, maintain, and troubleshoot production equipment. While much industry attention focuses on machine sales and materials innovation, the workforce gap remains a structural constraint on scaling production capacity, particularly in metal and polymer AM service bureaus and end-user factories. The CUBE Simulator sits at the intersection of industrial-tooling and research-academic verticals, providing a low-risk training environment that mirrors the electromechanical complexity of modern additive and subtractive production lines. For Lowry Controls, the product deepens its position in the educational training equipment niche, a segment that benefits from sustained federal and state workforce development funding.

From a practical standpoint, The CUBE Simulator is a modest but well-targeted product update. Lowry Controls does not need to chase large-volume sales; its value lies in embedding its equipment into AMTEC's national network of technical colleges, creating recurring demand as programs refresh their curricula. Buyers should evaluate whether the simulator's hydraulic and pneumatic focus aligns with their specific production technologies — facilities running predominantly LPBF or polymer SLS may find the electromechanical emphasis less directly applicable than those with hybrid or DED-based lines. The real test will be adoption velocity across AMTEC's partner schools over the next 12 months.