BERT MAES

The Future of CNC Manufacturing Education – CNC Manufacturing, Education Reform & Change Management News.

Posts Tagged ‘video’

[VIDEO] Why Manufacturing is so Important to Each of Our Lives

Posted by Bert Maes on June 8, 2011


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[VIDEO] Craig Barrett: “To be able to go forward, you need knowledge of Engineering”

Posted by Bert Maes on April 21, 2011


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If you have a few minutes of time, please listen to Craig R. Barrett, former CEO of Intel Corporation about Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) – or read his main thoughts below:

  • Science, Technology, Engineering and Math is the foundation of what the 21st century has to hold in terms of economic development. It is the foundation of the future.
  • Every industry you can think about that is really key for the 21st century is founded in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.
  • Science, Technology, Engineering and Math are required to go forward. The economy’s future is very dependent on the quality of the workforce. They are the ones that add more value. To be able to innovate, to be able to add value, to be able to do something new, you need the best educated workforce WITH knowledge Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.
  • The most common educational background of the Fortune 500 CEOs today is in fact engineering education. It shows that problem solving and math is driving business going forward.
  • The only way to go forward is improving STEM education. That is not only the role of government or a school district. The private sector needs to get involved and rally together with financial support, advocacy support and program support.

Craig R. Barrett hits the nail on the head, isn’t it?

Have a look what Haas Automation is doing in the field of CNC Manufacturing with the Haas Technical Education Center program: http://haascnc.com/htec/ebook/ It brings Craig Barrett’s vision into practice.


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The World’s Fastest Car – To Inspire Engineers

Posted by Bert Maes on February 8, 2011


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Construction work formally begins this week on what is expected to be the world’s fastest car. Called Bloodhound, the vehicle has been designed to reach 1,000mph (1,600km/h).

Even cooler is this: the project has been conceived to inspire school children around the world to take up science and engineering.

BRILLIANT UK MANUFACTURING!

‘to inspire engineers’

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[VIDEO] European Commission Promotes Metalworking

Posted by Bert Maes on December 1, 2010


Besides a European manufacturing Strength, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) analysis, the European Commission now developed a video promoting the EU metalworking and metal articles industries.

Aimed at secondary school graduates and students, the clip illustrates that the metal-transforming industry offers a dynamic environment where innovation, development and potential for exciting careers are the reasons for continuing investment.

Illustrating a series of shots of young people enjoying leisure activities, the video clip projects them into a near future in which their career in the metalworking industries will have a significant impact for all of us.

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Machine tool manufacturing and 15-billion years of cosmic evolution

Posted by Bert Maes on November 18, 2010


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Story by Matt Bailey

If you are machine tool manufacturing specialist or a student considering a long-term career as a CNC technologist, the following might spur you on and add a little inspiration to your day.

MATT BAILEY - Technology marketing communications and PR professional

In 1979, American astronomer and astrophysicist Carl Sagan co-wrote and presented an epic, 13-part TV documentary called Cosmos, in which the Cornell professor contemplated the origins and the immensity of the universe, the wonders of the solar system and the possibility and likelihood of extra-terrestrial life. The show was a huge success, on both sides of the Atlantic, due in no small part to its host’s ability to communicate complex and fascinating concepts.

In the very first episode Sagan used the familiar Roman calendar to illustrate the enormity of time since the universe was formed, during what astrophysicists refer to as the ‘Big Bang’, 15-billion years ago. He asked his audience to imagine that each month, from January to December was equivalent to one-and-a-quarter-billion-years. Each day using this scale is ‘worth’ approx 40-million years and each second, 500 years.

Sagan went on to explain that if we imagine the Cosmos began on January 1st, it was in May that the Milky Way was born and September when our Sun and Earth were formed. Early life, he explained, began soon after, but the first humans only appeared on the cosmic scene sometime around the penultimate day of the year. It wasn’t until December 31st 11:59 and 20 seconds, however, that humans applied their ability to make and use tools, organised themselves into societies and built cites. ‘We humans, appear on the cosmic calendar so recently,’ said Sagan, ‘that our recorded history occupies only the last few seconds of the last minute of December 31st.

The first, primitive tools were found in Tanzania, on the African continent, and have been dated at around 2 million years. Using Sagan’s scale, CNC machine tools, and all of the modern accoutrements and conveniences that we create with them, including aircraft, motor vehicles, domestic appliances, computers, medical devices, space craft and satellites – we’ve engineered and manufactured in the last seconds, just before the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve, where we live now.

We owe our standard of living to tools and their evolution and our future depends on how we choose to use them. When Sagan recorded Cosmos the world had a stockpile of 50,000 nuclear warheads, also made using numerically controlled machine tools, capable of destroying every city on the planet several times over. Thankfully, the world’s nuclear arsenal has been reduced dramatically and the global arms race is, we hope, forever behind us. But, unless we find new and better ways to engineer and make the things we take for granted; ways that do less damage to the environment and use less of our irreplaceable resources, we still run the risk of what came to be known in the Cold War as Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD).

We are the legacy of 15-billion years of cosmic evolution,’ said Sagan. ‘We have a choice: we can enhance life and come to know the Universe that made us, or we can squander our 15-billion year heritage in meaningless self-destruction. What happens in the first few seconds of the next cosmic year depends on what we do in the last few seconds of this one.

CNC machine tools, and the people who operate them, will play a vital role.


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[VIDEO] CNC machines have shaped our lives, our history and our future!

Posted by Bert Maes on November 5, 2010


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What an AMAZING video, and what a SUPERB message:

For over 200 years, man has been surrounding himself with machines.
They shaped our lives. They shaped our history. And our future.

They changed the very nature of our being.
Everything we touch
is touched by them first.

They are everywhere.

They redefine the boundaries of what is possible
and they push back the edge of our experience.

[CNC] manufacturing is the backbone of our society:
[CNC artists are] engineers, designers and programmers all wrapped in one person,
using processes and technology for extreme achievement.

Turn up your sound for this:

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A video highlighting manufacturing career opportunities

Posted by Bert Maes on October 11, 2010


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Lots of highly skilled people will be needed to program and operate robots

Posted by Bert Maes on August 6, 2010


Nigel Platt, Sales & Marketing Manager for ABB Limited’s UK robotics, firmly believes that manufacturing presents a massive opportunity for achieving a more balanced and prosperous economy. But the challenge now is to make sure that the growth that has been achieved continues to be sustained and built on. That is why robots should be a key part of our industrial future.

Over the past 20 years, robot capabilities have evolved massively. Especially in the areas of precision, repeatability, flexibility, simplicity and affordability there has been vast improvements.

The interesting thing is that robots and other automation technology don’t necessarily threat manual labour. “Robots may have video guidance and intelligent path control, and might perform better than the most skilled manual workers, but they still require lots of highly-skilled people to program and operate them,” says Platt. With the high level of deskilling in recent years, the vanishing of traditional manual engineering roles (resulting in a shortage of skilled operators), there are not a lot of other ways than robots and automation to protect the future of our economy’s manufacturing base.

Also with our high costs for raw materials and energy in particular, it’s vitally important for manufacturing companies to get products right first time while doing things better, more quickly and for less cost in order to outperform the next best company.

Whether it’s reducing breakages in a food packaging line or cutting and finishing metal products, robots can deliver precise and consistent performance at a much higher speed, enabling companies to increase yield and reduce overall production times whilst typically enhancing product quality. Even the smallest operations can now benefit just as much from robotic technology as a large automotive company. Introducing even just one robot to the factory floor resulted in benefits, ranging from reduced production costs even through to reduced energy consumption by turning off lighting and heating in the area where the robots are installed.

For manufacturing enterprises, technology start-ups or technical educational establishments there are ‘10 good reasons to invest in robots’:

1. Reduced operating costs
2. Improved product quality and consistency
3. Improved quality of work for employees
4. Increased production output rates
5. Increased product manufacturing flexibility
6. Reduced material waste and increased yield
7. Compliance with safety rules and improved workplace health and safety
8. Reduced labour turnover
9. Reduced capital costs
10. Optimising space in high-value manufacturing areas

Where training is concerned, ABB is actively fostering partnerships with technical colleges throughout the UK to help equip the next generation of engineers with the skills to operate, program and integrate robotic equipment into industrial applications. An example is our work with the New Engineering Foundation (NEF), where we run master classes in robotics for lecturers from technical colleges demonstrating the application of robotic technology, which they can then teach to their own students.

We also have the largest, dedicated industrial robot training school in the UK, based in Milton Keynes, which has recently invested £100,000 in new robots for some of its 10 cells, along with classroom materials. This school is open to representatives from any company wanting to get a better perspective on what robots can do.

With the right education and with the right technology investments we will be able to have a sustainable manufacturing base, producing innovative goods at competitive costs on home turf.

>> READ the full story: How robots could help sustain the UK’s manufacturing growth

PS… Wouldn’t it be cool if you could program a robot to play a musical symphony?


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[VIDEO] Right on! The Problems and Solutions in Manufacturing

Posted by Bert Maes on July 28, 2010


Outsourcing is not sustainable, it is not a business strategy.


To overcome the cost difference with low wage countries, businesses can be competitive by investing in technology, training and new manufacturing methods to raise productivity.

Innovation, high productivity, quality and more skilled workers are critical for keeping businesses competitive internationally.”

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[Video] Commitment to Manufacturing in Austria

Posted by Bert Maes on June 23, 2010


ÜAZ Metall Vorarlberg in Austria joined the Haas Technical Education Center (HTEC) program; THE partnership concept and international network for advanced, industry-relevant, inspiring CNC (Computer Numerical Control) manufacturing education across Europe.

Script in English:

This is the ÜAZ technical training establishment, in Vorarlberg, in the western-most region of Austria. On May 7th the school held a celebration to mark its fifth anniversary and the official opening of its Haas Technical Education Centre, which was set-up with the help and support of the Austrian Haas Factory Outlet – a division of Wematech.  The new, benchmark facility is part of the ÜAZ Metall department and boasts 28 Haas CNC machine tools, making it one of the three largest HTECs in the world.  Haas Automation launched the HTEC programme in 2007 to counter the shortage of young people with CNC machining skills who were entering the precision engineering sector. ÜAZ Metall offers practical training to youths who are socially or economically disadvantaged. “Our goal,” says Manfred Gollob “is to provide a top-quality technical education for youngsters who have fewer opportunities than others. We try to give the best technical education to students who are unfamiliar with the metalworking sector. We’re grateful to Haas for their help and support and we hope our collaboration continues for a long time to come.” The ÜAZ Metall HTEC will give 100 students a year the hands-on experience they need to make better lives and successful careers as CNC technologists.

Script in German:

Das ist das überbetriebliche Ausbildungszentrum (ÜAZ) in Vorarlberg in der westlichsten Region von Österreich.  Am 07. Mai beging die Schule feierlich den 5. Jahrestag ihrer Gründung und die offizielle Eröffnung ihres HTECs, das mit Hilfe und Unterstützung durch das österreichische Haas Factory Outlet (HFO), einer Sparte von Wematech, eingerichtet wurde.  Diese neue, Maßstäbe setzende Einrichtung ist Bestandteil des ÜAZ-Metall und gehört mit 28 CNC-Werkzeugmaschinen von Haas zu den drei größten HTECs weltweit. Haas Automation hat sein HTEC-Programm im Jahr 2007 ins Leben gerufen, um mehr Auszubildende für die Arbeit an CNC-Werkzeugmaschinen in der Präzisionsfertigung zu interessieren und so dem Mangel in diesem Bereich zu begegnen. Das ÜAZ-Metall bietet sozial oder wirtschaftlich benachteiligten Jugendlichen eine praktische Ausbildung an. „Unser Ziel besteht darin“, erklärt Manfred Gollob, „den Jugendlichen, die bisher weniger Chancen hatten als andere, eine technische Spitzenausbildung zur Verfügung zu stellen. Wir versuchen den Auszubildenden, die ansonsten keine Berührungspunkte mit der metallverarbeitenden Industrie haben, das bestmögliche technische Wissen vermitteln. Wir bedanken uns bei Haas für die Hilfe und Unterstützung und hoffen, dass unsere Zusammenarbeit noch lange andauern wird.“ Jedes Jahr werden in dem HTEC des ÜAZ-Metall 100 Auszubildende genau die Erfahrungen sammeln, die sie für eine erfolgreiche Laufbahn als CNC-Spezialist und ein besseres Leben benötigen.

Script in French:

Le centre est implanté à l’établissement de formation technique ÜAZ, basé à Vorarlberg, dans l’extrême ouest de l’Autriche. Le 7 mai dernier, à l’occasion de son cinquième anniversaire, l’école en a profité pour inaugurer son centre de formation technique Haas, mis en place avec l’aide et le soutien du HFO (Haas Factory Outlet) autrichien, une division de Wematech. Ce nouveau site étalon fait partie du département Metall de l’établissement ÜAZ et compte 28 machines CNC Haas, faisant de lui l’un des trois plus grands centres HTEC du monde. Haas Automation a lancé le programme HTEC en 2007 afin d’endiguer la pénurie de jeunes gens dotés de compétences d’usinage CNC dans l’industrie de la mécanique de précision. ÜAZ Metall propose une formation technique aux jeunes socialement ou économiquement défavorisés. « Notre objectif est d’offrir une formation technique de haute qualité aux jeunes jouissant de moins d’opportunités que les autres, » explique Manfred Gollob. « Nous visons à inculquer à des étudiants étrangers au secteur du travail des métaux la meilleure formation technique possible. Nous sommes reconnaissants à Haas pour son aide et son soutien et espérons que notre collaboration durera encore très longtemps. » Chaque année, le centre HTEC ÜAZ Metall permettra ainsi à 100 étudiants d’acquérir l’expérience pratique dont ils ont besoin pour parvenir à une vie meilleure et embrasser des carrières florissantes en tant que technologues CNC.

Script in Italian:

Si tratta dello stabilimento di formazione tecnica ÜAZ a Voralberg, nella regione occidentale dell’Austria.  Il 7 maggio la scuola ha festeggiato il suo 5º anniversario e l’inaugurazione ufficiale del suo centro HTEC che è stato allestito con l’aiuto e il supporto dell’Haas Factory Outlet austriaco, una divisione di Wematech. Il nuovo impianto di riferimento fa parte del dipartimento ÜAZ Metall e vanta 28 macchine utensili CNC Haas, il che lo rende uno dei tre più grandi centri HTEC al mondo. Haas Automation ha lanciato il programma HTEC nel 2007 per contrastare la carenza di giovani con competenze di lavorazione CNC che accedevano il settore dell’ingegneria di precisione. ÜAZ Metall offre corsi di formazione pratica ai giovani provenienti da ambienti socialmente o economicamente svantaggiati. “Il nostro obiettivo”, spiega Manfred Gollob, “è offrire un’istruzione tecnica della massima qualità ai giovani che dispongono di meno opportunità degli altri. Cerchiamo di offrire la migliore istruzione tecnica agli studenti che non hanno dimestichezza con il settore della lavorazione dei metalli. Siamo grati ad Haas per il suo aiuto e per il suo supporto e speriamo che la nostra collaborazione possa proseguire a lungo in futuro”. Il centro HTEC ÜAZ Metall offrirà a 100 studenti l’esperienza pratica di cui hanno bisogno per migliorare la loro qualità di vita e crearsi una carriera come tecnici CNC.

Script in Russian:

Это техническое учебное заведение ÜAZ в Форарльберге, на самом западе Австрии. 7 мая в данном учебном заведении проходил праздник пятой годовщины с момента его открытия и официального открытия Центра технического обучения Haas, который был создан благодаря помощи и поддержке официального представительства Haas в Австрии – отделения Wematech. Новый эталонный центр образования является частью факультета ÜAZ Metall и обладает более чем 28 станками Haas с ЧПУ, делая его одним из трех самых крупных HTEC в мире. Компания Haas начала реализацию программы HTEC в 2007 году с целью противостоять нехватке молодых людей в точном машиностроении, обладающих навыками работы на станках с ЧПУ. ÜAZ Metall предлагает практическое обучение для молодежи из малоимущих семей или социально неблагополучной среды. «Наша цель, – рассказывает Манфред Голлоб (Manfred Gollob), – обеспечить высшее качество технического образования для молодых людей с меньшими возможностями, чем у других». Мы хотим предоставить лучшее техническое обучение студентам, незнакомым с сектором металлообработки. Мы благодарны Haas за помощь и поддержку и надеемся на достаточно продолжительное сотрудничество». ÜAZ Metall HTEC предоставит 100 студентам год практического обучения для улучшения их жизни и построения успешной карьеры в качестве технологов ЧПУ.

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[VIDEO] Manufacturing necessary for sustainable healthy economy

Posted by Bert Maes on June 21, 2010


The Alliance for American Manufacturing (AAM) interviewed a wide range of individuals from professionals in the field, students, professors, think tank scholars, etc.

The video is geared to a variety of audiences including but not limited to student groups, faith-based groups, environmentalists, policy makers, retirees and general interest groups.

Source: ReliablePlant.com

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[Video] CNN Showcases the True Face of Modern Manufacturing

Posted by Bert Maes on April 20, 2010


AT LAST! Major media is finally portraying today’s manufacturing careers correctly!

CNN’s Tony Harris reports on the new high-tech jobs taking the place of old-style manufacturing. He has seen the company ADEX Machining Technologies in South Carolina USA from the inside, making metal parts for the aerospace and energy industries, via CNC programming and CNC machining.

The employees here, the video shows, spend as much time in the office as on the shop floor. They don’t just push the buttons of the machines, they also program the machines using CAM computer systems. Each worker is a highly competent programmer, machinist ànd quality control engineer. What typically was three different jobs, is now wrapped into one… That is what is called “lean manufacturing“.

And exactly THAT is extremely satisfying and empowering for the workers: “We take what is on paper and we can bring it to life“.

Using their computers to tell the machine where to drill holes in the piece of metal, going to the factory floor and actually making it happen, while still stimulating their brains… that is what the workers love about their modern high-tech manufacturing job.

This “New Face of Blue Collar Workers” is commonplace for the people who know today’s manufacturing companies.

But I’m 100% sure that the CNN video is  highly revealing to the general public and goes a long way in dispelling the old stereotype of manufacturing.

>> CLICK HERE TO SEE THE  CNN VIDEO FOR YOURSELF <<

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VIDEO: A Short Video of Making a BMW Motorcycle

Posted by Bert Maes on March 16, 2010


Via: changetheperception.com

This is just a short video about making a motorcycle. I like the integration of hands-on workers and robotics. You can really appreciate the programming and technology involved.

A comment from a viewer:  “Great bikes, of course, but big bummer to have so many robots replacing middle class jobs“.

An answer:

True, but a massive shortage of manufacturing workers forces us into dependence on technology, particularly robots. There will be many jobs for those people that have knowledge and skills in advanced, high-tech, sophisticated, highly automated manufacturing; for those people that create and program these powerful robots.

Manufacturing like this, with robotics will play an ever bigger role in health care, motorcycle building and lots of other industries.

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CNC Machining: Making a Bowling Pin

Posted by Bert Maes on February 1, 2010


Machined on: a Haas SL-20

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From Unemployed to Machinist to Businessman: A Training Success Story

Posted by Bert Maes on January 20, 2010


Need a machinist? So do a lot of other companies. The problem is finding available, qualified machinists.

Even under the current economic downturn, the demand for engineers, machinists and machine operators remains high. Those three professions have made Manpower Inc.’s “Annual 10 Hardest Jobs to Fill” list in each of the past four years.

But, that concern is not as acute in the Los Angeles area as a result of a series of training centers operated by the Haas Technical Education Center: National Tooling and Machining Association (NTMA). Since the facilities opened in 1968, over 15,000 machinists and operators have used the centers to learn their trade.

A case study: Shawn Gorman

When Shawn Gorman was laid off from his last job, he saw it as an opportunity to reflect upon what he really wanted to do with his life. He realized he’d always liked working with his hands. He had taken classes in auto mechanics while in high school, but had always wanted to take a metalworking class.

So, finding himself with free time on his hands, Shawn enrolled in a training program at the NTMA Training Center in Fremont, California. In August, Shawn joined a class with 19 other students, and together they learned the fundamentals of machining on manual mills and lathes. After learning the basics on manual machines, Shawn was prepared for the automated controls of CNC machines. “It was a very easy transition,” he says.

In module one, we teach students with no knowledge of machining that ‘this is a mill, this is a lathe.’ When they finish all five modules – which is 725 hours – they’re well prepared to start their careers,” said Jim Ragaisis, director of training for the NTMA Training Centers’ Ontario campus.

Right from the start, we emphasize application mathematics,” says Ragaisis. “We tell students we’re going to use a lot of math and trigonometry. That scares them a little, but they can get past that. We bring it to life for them. We show them the academic math, bring it into a technical arena, then take them into the shop and demonstrate how to apply the math and make it work for them.

The training center takes people who are unemployed and, if they qualify, trains them free of charge. This makes the goal of the program simple – train people to become employable machinists.

Shawn Gorman graduated from the program in December, and in just a few months he became a full-time CNC machinist, and a part-time businessman making his own parts. He was employed by a fellow graduate of the NTMA training center. “I made 12 calls to machine shops in the area,” explains Shawn. “I went to two interviews, and at the second one, the guy hired me. He was a graduate of NTMA and he knew the kind of intensive, relevant education I had gotten there.”

Shawn wasn’t even sure what a machinist did when he discovered the training center on the Internet. “The perception I had of a machinist was kind of the one you would see in an old textbook. You open up a book and see an old guy with glasses, a long shop coat and old equipment,” says Shawn. “But when I got into the course, I realized there’s a lot of technology behind it. It’s a completely different world than I imagined. This is really high-tech stuff.

The training center offers extensive hands-on training in entry-level machining, as well as advanced courses in CNC machining, programming and inspection, using Haas Automation vertical machining centers and turning centers, and Haas CNC control simulators for classroom instruction. ”We have six simulators for students to practice programming, along with seven Haas vertical machining centers  and eight Haas CNC lathes. We wouldn’t have any CNC equipment without Haas,” said Tony Tammer, former director of training.

The NTMA training center in Fremont is also a Haas Technical Education Center (HTEC), meaning it has an official partnership with the local Haas Factory Outlet. The goal of the HTECs is for students to take theory out of the classroom and apply it in a manufacturing environment.

The NTMA training center works closely with the Haas training department to improve instructional materials, so that students are prepared to enter the workforce. “It has been great to work with Haas to make sure the students are getting the best training available,” says Tony.

We specialize in machining,” says Ragaisis. “We have no other subjects. Our instructors have many years of experience in the industry. They all come from the field and teach practical, useful knowledge and application. Some instructors have their own shops or consult for industry, and some have European experience. We bring all that experience and knowledge to our students. That’s what we do best.”

Shawn feels the training was just what he needed. “I use another brand of machine where I work now, but when I started the job, I didn’t know anything about them,” Shawn says. ”I wish I could have stayed on Haas machines, but the training prepared me for any type of CNC machine.”

Shawn now works at Omega Precision in Tracy; he loves working in a job shop. “I love being a machinist,” he says, “and it took me all of about two months to get into my own enterprise through the shop. I’m working at the shop, but I’m also designing and making my own aftermarket automotive parts.

The training center prepared Shawn to be a machinist, and from there he has been able to apply the skills to his own interests. So far, Shawn has designed five types of gearshift knobs that he machines out of 304 stainless steel.

For Shawn, the NTMA training center was the perfect fit of technology and hands-on application. With his new love for machining, he hopes to expand his own business of aftermarket auto parts. ”If things keep going the way they are,” Shawn says, “maybe someday I’ll have my own shop and Haas machines.”

_

ORIGINAL ARTICLES

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Guitar body machined from acrylic using a Haas CNC machine

Posted by Bert Maes on January 13, 2010


I have been writing about producing your own guitars earlier:

But this one is pretty inspiring too:

The process of making a guitar body from ACRYLIC using a Haas machine

The result:

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[Video] Mouthwatering Manufacturing

Posted by Bert Maes on January 7, 2010


What is it about INTENSE CYCLES that causes their bikes to be so irresistibly mouthwatering? How did they come to represent all that’s appealing about mountain biking’s high-end?

Intense Cycles Inc. is one of the last companies to produce 100% (hand)made in the USA.

Every frame of each Intense “down hill” bike is handcrafted, in-house, each step of the way with the precision and love only a true artisan can appreciate.

See how their Intense 951 was created – Note the great soundtracks!

Each Intense is built with the eyes and hands of a sculptor:

And it comes down to  superior CNC machining skills to make it to the quality top 3 in the world:

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Crazy, dangerous but smart: Engraving your school logo into a laptop [Video]

Posted by Bert Maes on January 6, 2010


Tired of using those expensive little etch-on stickers for safety?

We now present to you a solution that not only pays of each time you use it, but can do much more damage.

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Learn how to make wind turbines in 6 weeks

Posted by Bert Maes on January 4, 2010


This is a compilation of activities that occured during the 3rd CNC Fast Track training program at Macomb Community College in 2009.

Students with a Machinist background registered for a 6-week (180 hour) program to learn how to program, setup, and operate CNC Machining and Turning Centers.

Their class project was to develop programs and CNC machine 50 small scale Wind Turbines.

Thanks to Gary Walters, Macomb Community College.

Great video and wonderful soundtrack, Gary!

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An inspiring school building

Posted by Bert Maes on December 3, 2009


The newly opened Langley science academy in Slough has just about everything to motivate, inspire and excite students to study science.

The building is:

  • airy
  • light
  • open
  • eco-friendly
  • full of modern technologies

Read more about the impact of the school infrastructure on student outcomes…

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