Improvement of Undergraduate Education in Advanced CNC and CAD/CAM Technologies

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The college has recently upgraded its science, engineering, and technology courses to offer students comprehensive Associate Degree and certificate programs in advanced machine tool and manufacturing technologies. Because defense industry downsizing is forcing manufacturing and machine tool firms into new markets (e.g., biomed, biotech, electronics), CNC operators and CAD/CAM technologists are needed who can use advanced technology to design and produce small, complex parts. To supply graduates for these jobs, the college is developing its undergraduate Machine Technology program into an Advanced CAD/CAM & CNC Technology curriculum. The college and an industry partner are funding new CAD/CAM software delivering advanced surface modeling capability to DOS and NT platforms; this project purchases machine tool components needed to add 4th and 5th axis movement to the College's 3-axis vertical machining center (VMC). Corresponding improvement of Introductory/Advanced CAD/CAM courses let students use the CAD/CAM software to model and verify advanced CNC surface programs; in improved Introductory/Advanced CNC Vertical Machining & EDM courses, they learn to set up and operate the 5-axis VMC needed to machine their programs. In a new 200 series, Advanced VMC, students use the software and 5-axis VMC to design and execute sophisticated surface models for applied research and industry applications.