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

该学院最近升级了科学、工程和技术课程，为学生提供先进机床和制造技术方面的综合副学士学位和证书课程。由于国防工业的缩编正在迫使制造和机床公司进入新的市场(例如，生物医学、生物技术、电子产品)，因此需要能够使用先进技术设计和生产小型复杂零件的数控操作员和CAD/CAM技术人员。为了为这些工作提供毕业生，该学院正在将其本科生机械技术专业发展为高级CAD/CAM和数控技术课程。该学院和一家行业合作伙伴正在资助新的CAD/CAM软件，为DOS和NT平台提供先进的表面建模能力；该项目购买了为学院的三轴垂直加工中心(VMC)增加第四轴和第五轴运动所需的机床部件。相应改进的入门/高级CAD/CAM课程让学生使用CAD/CAM软件来建模和验证高级数控曲面程序；在改进的入门/高级数控垂直加工和电火花加工课程中，他们学习设置和操作加工程序所需的5轴VMC。在新的200系列高级VMC中，学生们使用该软件和5轴VMC来设计和执行复杂的表面模型，用于应用研究和工业应用。

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.