Manufacturing Tech Skills for ME
Manufacturing Tech Skills for ME
(OP)
I'm seriously considering taking manufacturing technology associate degree with CNC option. I do this because I enjoyed doing hands on work and always impressed by knowledge that those machinist have. I too hope someday have my own machine shop so I can do consulting work. Currently, I'm a tooling/fixture designer with BS in Mechanical Engineering.
Anybody out there who has similar situation can tell me their stories. Perhaps pro/cons, up and down.
One of my concern is that since manufacturing technology evolves very rapidly, things that I learn now would be gone in 3-4 years. 5 years ago, I saw many machine shops that operates manually. Now, true craftmanship are extinct, many of them uses CAM software to complete their mission.
Thanks
Anybody out there who has similar situation can tell me their stories. Perhaps pro/cons, up and down.
One of my concern is that since manufacturing technology evolves very rapidly, things that I learn now would be gone in 3-4 years. 5 years ago, I saw many machine shops that operates manually. Now, true craftmanship are extinct, many of them uses CAM software to complete their mission.
Thanks





RE: Manufacturing Tech Skills for ME
RE: Manufacturing Tech Skills for ME
I've done the same thing that you want to do. I took manufacturing classes at a local jr college. I met a lot of skilled machinist that were a natural turning handles and setting up a CNC Mill. I was really impressed by the knowledge I aquired in those classes.
The classes I took started were:
Manual machining - focus on lathe ops
Manual machining - focus on mill ops
Manual CNC programming - mill ops
CAM focused CNC programming - mill ops
various welding classes & NDT
I'm far from being a proficient machinist....it's a lost art in today's robotic manufacturing processes. I know of a dozen or so 'ol skol' machinists that are gurus in their trade.
RE: Manufacturing Tech Skills for ME
That's exactly what I want to go.!!
What do you do with it now??
Thanks
RE: Manufacturing Tech Skills for ME
Do you really believe that there is no element of craftsmanship in getting a CNC machine to create good parts with a program? Do you also believe every "handle cranker" is a craftsman simply because there was no computer between him and his work?
There are plenty of craftsmen who work by computer. There are plenty of hacks who butcher things without a computer.
RE: Manufacturing Tech Skills for ME
I do believe that a true craftsman can transfer his "skills" to produce good parts using CNC. Infact, that is the reason I want to learn manual operation.
RE: Manufacturing Tech Skills for ME
It has helped with become a better designer. I sit behind a computer most of the time designing but I also get to interface with our machinists on a daily basis. We have a R&D mold maker that is a wealth of knowledge. He uses my MCAD models to make prototypes and molds. He uses MasterCAM then outputs to his Mill. It's kind of odd because our production department still writes cnc programs by hand when they could use our MCAD models but it's the person in that position tha refuses to use the state of the art tools.
I had aspirations of opening my own shop but it's so expensive starting a company in California. But I still get to turn some handles here at work....when they let me and the need arises.
One thing I noticed in taking these courses is employers these days don't really put a lot of value into apprenticeship programs verses hiring someone that already has the needed experience. It's the pride of apprenticeship programs has been replaced with the bottom line $$$$$
RE: Manufacturing Tech Skills for ME
I’m not so sure if you can transfer manual operation skills to a CNC machine, but I can be wrong. I mean you would know how to do it with your hands and have a feel of what you want to do, but on a CNC you have to either code in what you want or use mastercam to out line what you want. There is no touch or feel just knowledge from experience. I do feel that to have a good part come out of the CNC you have to start with the drawing. Eventually you have to transfer the drawing into master cam and then load it on to the CNC machine and then let it RIP!
Go Mechanical Engineering
Tobalcane
RE: Manufacturing Tech Skills for ME
If that's the case, why would they (the college) requires me to take manual operation before going to CNC then.
I thought that the practical knowledge using manual operation will help you to write better code on CNC. Now this would be different if it was using master cam.
RE: Manufacturing Tech Skills for ME
It's there attempted to make you more skillful with regards to the trade. We hire "machine operators" at a lower rate then a true multi role machinist. You can train a monkey to pick up a block of aluminum, place it in a fixture and push a button that excutes the program.
RE: Manufacturing Tech Skills for ME
You're right.
Andro
RE: Manufacturing Tech Skills for ME
Said "monkey" could not resist the urge to overexert force on the drill press feed, causing 1/4 inch drill bits to wander while drilling through polypropylene less than 1/2 inch thick. Same monkey also had trouble keeping his hand out of moving saw blades.
RE: Manufacturing Tech Skills for ME
RE: Manufacturing Tech Skills for ME
RE: Manufacturing Tech Skills for ME
RE: Manufacturing Tech Skills for ME
RE: Manufacturing Tech Skills for ME
Alternatively, a short stretch in any state penitentiary could net you some valuable shop courses :)
RE: Manufacturing Tech Skills for ME
The classes addressed the theory of machining (tooth loads, cutting tool geometry, economics, etc) as well as practical skills that included things such as fixture design, survey of inspection techniques, SPC, CNC programming (g-code and CAM) and lathe, mill, grinder, and EDM operations.
The ME students were required to take a survey class and had the option to take as many of the major classes as they chose.
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Bring back the HP-15
www.hp15c.org
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RE: Manufacturing Tech Skills for ME
Cal Poly no longer offer the Engineering Technologist programs as of 1990 according to a friend who was in that program.
RE: Manufacturing Tech Skills for ME
I think most people agreed that the strong hands-on approach was one thing that set Cal Poly apart.
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Bring back the HP-15
www.hp15c.org
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RE: Manufacturing Tech Skills for ME
Any time I have a "personal" project that involves some aspect that I might get advice from one of them about, I go ask and it has been amazing the things I have learned.
Brian