CNC_What is expected form High School Grads

[Mike Annetts]

Hello

We are applying for a grant to purchase additional seats of Mastercam Router and Art. Part of the grant asks for consultation with industry on our requests. would any post secondary instructors or anybody in the manufacturing field mind giving me a few paragraphs of what they would wish or expect high school grads to know when coming into the industry regarding cnc. I am looking for specific skills-example drawing in 2-3d, setting up the router for cutting, nesting, etc. Your response may become part of my grant application and will definitely help out.

 

Thanks for any help offered

 

Mike Annetts

McCreary School

McCreary Manitoba

[Chris Rizzo]

I'm waiting for a 5 hr. cycle time to stop, so I wrote ya a little something.

hth

 

With over 15 years in various manufacturing environments, I have encountered a variety of high school graduates; skilled and non-skilled, trainable and untrainable, acutely aware and completely oblivious. Those that were motivated, interested and diligent workers invariably had a quality educational experience. The manufacturing industry of today is a modern and highly technological driven environment. For students to succeed in their vocational path, it is important to have exposure and access to current equipment and process.

 

In particular, hands-on experience with current software and equipment is invaluable. Modern three-dimensional CAD/CAM software, like Mastercam, is industry commonplace. Students should be familiar with both two and three-dimensional drawing techniques; generating a toleranced CAD file from a two dimensional engineering drawing is routine. The ability, or at least exposure to, constructing three-dimensional solid parts is highly valuable. This aids the draftsman / programmer / designer in visualizing exactly how the finished part will look, and more importantly how it will be machined and fixtured. Programming efficent and logical maching stratagies within Mastercam are necessary skills.

 

To make a quality CAD/CAM draftsman and programmer, students need to have hands-on experience with CNC equipment. In doing so, one will learn not only operation of the equipment, but the reality of the parts drawn on a computer screen. CAD/CAM programmers and engineers with little or no shop floor experience invariably design parts that are needlessly complex, impossible to fixture, and just plain inefficient. Giving a student the experience in not only drawing and programming, but also machining the part is invaluable.

[chris m]

While I don't know anything about the Router product or CNC routers I will offer my opinion on CAD/CAM and CNC machining in general.

 

Because of the wide variations in the ways that various companies use CNC machines and differing machines, controls, programming styles, tooling philosophies, etc., I think that general knowledge is much more important than in-depth knowledge of a specific machine, control, speeds/feeds, etc.

 

As CMR states, drawing interpretation, 2D/3D geometry greation, and understanding of geometric tolerancing are very important in any machining environment. The understanding of fundamental workholding and basic machining practices, as well as how and why to apply different options are also important. Basic hands-on skills with a machine are very valuable; understanding how to setup a vise, find an edge, sweep in a feature, touch off tools, make offsets, and the like.

 

The most important thing is the willingness to absorb new things and the fundamental understanding that at the age of 18 you don't really know a heck of a lot about anything. Basic skills and the thirst for further knowledge are the keys to early success in this trade.

 

C

[LaszloK]

Hello Mike. As a minimum the graduate must understand blueprint reading, trigonometry, speeds and feeds (as well as how to calculate from the material and cutter size), toolholders,

absolute and incremental positioning, and safety.

[Mike Annetts]

Thanks for the replies as I appreciate the time taken. I would love to be in an area where I could send some of my students for a day or so to observe and learn from members of the manufacturing community.

 

Mike

[Tom Dorgan from American Precision]

Mike,

As a Router manufacturer and a router production shop as well it would be nice to be able to hire some quality trained high school grads to work for us. I would like to see grads coming out of the kind of class you are talking about have a good solid understanding of tool handling (not banging carbide around) and care, safety safety safety, theory and purpose of Cad/Cam design and manufacturing, as others said, drawing and proper dimensioning of 2D drawings. 3D Modeling and Solid modeling will be a big advantage for them in the workplace. Router maintenance and care is a little different than CNC Mills but just as important. Proper programming/machining techniques which are different for routers than for mills and lathes. As for justification for Mastercam & art, Mastercam is the industry leader in this field BAR NONE. The last data I saw showed Mastercam with a 13.9% market share with the closest competitor at just over 7% but your local dealer can give you a print out of the actual numbers. It is the most intuitive and logical to use software I have ever touched and I have used some very expensive packages in my career.(not bragging,,,didn't say I was good at any of them). If I could choose any programming software I wanted I would choose Mastercam for the very reasons I have stated. Hope my rambeling helps you a little bit.

[Sharon]

Hello Mike,

We also have to consult industry for our jobs and we do so by having bi-yearly meetings with area employers. The forums here are also a great resource and I am glad that I started coming to them to learn.

 

My students here know how to read blueprints, use MasterCAM and other software, setup, measure, and trouble shoot programs by the time they finish the degree. That doesn't mean they know everything and I tell them that a ton of their knowledge will come when they hit that first job. So attitude is everything.

 

Also, the drafting/engineering students who take the courses as electives come out of it with an appreciation of work holding and keeping things simple. I tell them that putting it on paper is the easy part and they learn that when they set up,fixture and make the part.

 

I made a good living in industry just knowing how to measure as well as all the other stuff. I had a great stand alone course in metrology back in the mid 80's at a community college and it has served me well over the years. How do you know it is right unless you know how to measure it?

 

I hope my two cents worth has had something you could use. Good luck on the grant!