CNC Work Slowing Down Everywhere?

[Guest CNC Apps Guy 1]

Hunting down work that anyone with a VMC in their garage can do is nothing more than a race to the bottom. You want the jobs that are exotic materials, tight tolerances, stuff that everyone else looks at and says "thanks but no thanks". That is where the real money and job security is and always will be. I know some of my stands on some of the new features of Mastercam (FBM, etc...) are unkind, and certainly nor popular among some circles at CNC, but the reason I have those opinions are because the shops I see on a regular basis, shops that are growing, buying millions of dollars in capital equipment, that use Mastercam, this stuff does absolutely positively nothing. Their parts are the parts that nobody wants to do, their parts are just wicked difficult for seasoned programmers. So, get out of your comfort zone, challenge your best people, do the stuff noone else wants to do and GROW!!!

 

JM2C

[MultiAxGod]

Have to agree! There ain't nothing down San Diego way, at least thats not just simple work that pays McDonalds wages.

Unfortunately, the vast majority of these socalled "recruiters" have no idea what they are looking for or at. I spend more time educating them as to what a CNC does and what multiaxis is then anything else. They are typically a waste of time and are just paper pushers getting multiple resumes in front of HR people (Aerotek, and Cybercoders seem to be the worst). These guys are ruining the industry and killing it for people who actually know what they are doing. Again, unfortunately, most of the HR people have no clue as to what the company is looking for and they will usually go to a cheap inexperienced person who has never even ran a machine much less seen one!

Sorry, but that's the typical of what I have been finding. If anybody knows of any real jobs, let me know!

 

My Two Cents Worth! LOL!!!

[rsbeadle]

I agree about the recruiters, they are ruining the wage curve by sending anyone who can spell "CNC" to high end machine shops. I don't have a resume that can even come close to describing what I am capable of, but I can program, setup, and build most any part that is put in front of me. I have been to a few high end aerospace shops to apply, but as soon as they see that I work in a die shop they put me at the bottom of the pile. But if a community college kid comes in with a certificate that shows that he (or she) can make a hammer form a bar of steel he gets the job. I am a short drive from Huntsville, AL, but I don't know any people in the aerospace industry because I have been in die shops for 17 years. If I could get my foot in the door in any shop I am sure that I can be an asset, but I don't have any way to prove what I can do. If anyone out there has any advise for me as how to "hear" about these good jobs that aren't listed please tell all uf us. Thanks

[YoDoug®]

quote:

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In my experience materials are not cheaper in Asia, or as readily available,

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We buy tons, I mean literally tons of aluminum from Shanghai Alcoa every year. The cost is anywhere from 10%-50% cheaper from Alcoa Shanghai than it is from Alcoa in the US. Sometimes lead times can be longer but once we adjusted our material planning to match our forecast needs projected out a little longer we were fine. However the prices are not really better on tool steels and exotics. In fact we still sometimes buy our Ti bar here and ship it.

[heavychevy2155]

I have my own shop in northern Ga. and I have been very slow to say the least. My wife finally said find a job or get out. Well I found a job, and it has been a god send. Making 24.00/hr (very good for my neck of the woods), we are talking of becoming partners, combining shops and profit sharing. He is a mold shop and I am a job shop, I can bring my customers and continue to service their needs. I would not have ever dreamed it could turn out like this. He is so busy right now, and the work just keeps coming in. I know that I have to look at the partnership from all angles, and I have. Its just a win win no matter how I look at it.

 

He is a great guy and I think we can really get this thing rockin and rollin. I have been working for myself for 3 years and I have been getting burned out and now I really look forward to getting up in the morning and going to work. Trust me I didn't know if I was going to make it till the end of the year. I know alot of people don't believe in god or a higher power, but I just got to the point where I just fell on my knees and said god it is in your hands. I truely believe he has answered my prayers and set the sails straight ahead. If their is a higher power then he must have been listening, because I was able to keep my family together and find a new lease on life and a purpose to get up in the morning.

 

I honestly feel if people would step aside and let god take the helm for awhile maybe we could turn this thing turned around. I am by no means a model christian, but with the things that have been going on in my life the past month. I have to believe someone is watching out for me and guiding me in the right directions.

[Ployd]

heavycheavy2155 thanks for sharing the positive message and good luck in your new job. Everyone else keep on pounding the pavement, making calls, giving presentations, etc. The work is out there but you have to be lean, speacilize, etc. Like CNC said go after the stuff that is more challenging.

[Bruce Caulley]

quote:

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Hunting down work that anyone with a VMC in their garage can do is nothing more than a race to the bottom. You want the jobs that are exotic materials, tight tolerances, stuff that everyone else looks at and says "thanks but no thanks". That is where the real money and job security is and always will be. I know some of my stands on some of the new features of Mastercam (FBM, etc...) are unkind, and certainly nor popular among some circles at CNC, but the reason I have those opinions are because the shops I see on a regular basis, shops that are growing, buying millions of dollars in capital equipment, that use Mastercam, this stuff does absolutely positively nothing. Their parts are the parts that nobody wants to do, their parts are just wicked difficult for seasoned programmers. So, get out of your comfort zone, challenge your best people, do the stuff noone else wants to do and GROW!!!

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BINGO!

 

I get annoyed when people use the term "bread and butter" to describe this type of work. To me, if this is all you do, then this is just a description of what you can afford to eat.

 

I have my own shop now and know that if I focus on these customers and type of work I will slowly grind into the dust over the next few years. I have been told that a $40hr job is better than having an idle machine, but I would rather spend that idle time looking for customers that are going to keep me afloat long term. End result: A few lean months to beging with, but now I am flooded with really good paying medical and mining work that some others balk at. Just took on my first aerospace part too (very minor, nothing to get excited about yet). If I had just "gone with the flow" I would by at capacity, but barely making wages doing "bread and butter" stuff.

 

Bruce

[Kevangel]

Just another view from what I have seen...simple work from "hard to get into customers" can also pay good, i.e a double rate with low skill people.

 

A former moldshop owner and his moldshop owning friends all went to lunch in Denver and they all agreed they could not make any money on the "Hero Molds" that are profoundly difficult because of problems that arise and hard to charge enough because they take longer and someone in the pool of bidders will miss something and prices are too low as a rule because of that...

Seems like around here aerospace and medical shops are the only ones doing good because of the war.

 

Good to hear about your success Heavychevy and someone is busy in Molds as Moldshops use to be swamped thru every recession working 55hrs up until globalization.. yes yes lets hear it for the free market!! eventhough everyone fights our goods getting in

 

Bruce, you have avoided a major pitfall that most new shops make of neglecting sales..I know this but still do it..

[Matthew Hajicek - Singularity]

quote:

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but I don't have any way to prove what I can do. If anyone out there has any advise for me as how to "hear" about these good jobs that aren't listed please tell all uf us

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I might recommend doing a contract job or two on the side while you're still employed at the die shop, something that sounds impressive like aerospace or medical product development. Even if it's some yahoo with a invention idea that will never fly, you can still put "Independent Contractor - Medical Product Development" or something like that in the first slot of your resume. That might be enough to get you the interview, where you can explain your real abilities.

 

Also make sure you have a long list of abilities in the resume. Put your resume on the job-search websites, a lot of headhunters look there without listing the jobs they're trying to fill.

[Fred @ Slate Industries]

Excellent Read HeavyChevy

[mig]

I agree with you, Kevangel .

Degmc , All you saying just theory .I am sorry .

 

Molding business need high qualification from people working in . No less , might even more that for aviation ,medical e.t.c. I worked for military and for medical and other so i can say that.

Already for long time we doing parting lines , shat offs etc with zero stock . With minimum hand work . Still molds going over sea .

Also we always hunting for challenger works for different industries.

[Guest CNC Apps Guy 1]

quote:

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...If anyone out there has any advise for me as how to "hear" about these good jobs that aren't listed please tell all uf us. Thanks...

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It's no real secret, in a word, it's called Networking. This world has always been and will always be about "...it's who you know...". If you never get out beyond your 4 walls, it will never happen. You won't be able to make the best world for you and your family. For me, I heard about a LOT of jobs when I was in Community College. You won't hear about the high end jobs in school, but you may at least find a lateral move to make that could open up something else.

 

The absolute best advise I can give you is this; get to know your local Mastercam reseller AND your Machine Tool Dealer's AE's. Those guys get around. If you're sharp, they'll recognize that. Chances are they will not approach you about it as they do not want to take their customers' best people away, but if you approach them, they may know of something and if they don't right then, ask them to keep you in mind.

 

HTH

[Hitachi]

Our company has 2 shops in "lost cost regions" where the labor is dirt cheap. This maximizes the profits our company make because the customer still pays the same price for the products. The biggest issues besides eliminating American jobs is quality, low cost regions= poor quality. We spend more time and money reworking parts from these areas than we would have spent making the parts here in the US to begin with. Meanwhile, as this practice continues week by week, the bottom line to me is that these lost cost regions are not helping me pay an American mortgage on American soil, these are helping to eliminate American jobs beacause some else is will to do the work for less money.

 

Proud to live and work in the US

Elco1971

 

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[mig]

HItachi, +1000

[amarsh0811]

so true on the aerotek recruiters they sent me on an interview that was a complete 180 from what i do it was a big waste of my time and money to drive up there. thank god i have an interview at a place on tuesday that seems to be a match from the looks of there web site.

[mayday]

amarsh0811, I dont think your going to have much luck searching for jobs in threads 4 or 5 years old, but good luck

[harleysport]

i am the sole programmer/operator in our company. with three mills and one router i have been running my machines twenty-four/seven for the past two and a half years. and the work just keeps coming

[GIZMO 21]

what the heck i just noticed this thread being from 2008.i thought oh no not again.