Machine tool program buys new equipment
Flint Hills Technical College
Originally published 01:56 p.m., April 18, 2008
Updated 01:56 p.m., April 18, 2008
The machine tool technology program at Flint Hills Technical College recently received a grant allowing it to purchase a Mazak CNC lathe with a Nexus conversational controller and a HAAS mill.
“Now our students will have the opportunity to train on a wide variety of equipment found in industry,” said Ron Cahoone, machine tool technology program instructor.
The Mazak CNC lathe with the conversational controller provides advanced programming techniques widely used in industry.
“Mazak programming greatly cuts down on programming time in industry,” said Cahoone, “I would like to thank my advisory committee members (comprised of industry representatives) who recommended these two machines and supported us in purchasing them,” he said
The Mazak lathe and a HAAS mill were both recently purchased in part through funding from the State Technical Education Technology and Equipment Grant through the Kansas Board of Regents. The grant provided two-thirds of the funding and FHTC provided one-third.
Students are definitely benefiting from the training on the new machines.
Wesley Shepherd of Emporia currently is employed at Detroit Diesel while attending the machine tool technology program.
“Training on the Mazak and Haas mill will help make me a more valuable employee and give me the confidence to operate and program the majority of CNC machines found in industry,” said Shepherd.
Daniel Stair of Emporia also is a student in the machine tool technology program and is working at Vektek while attending college.
“When I started at Vektek I didn’t know how to program the Mazak, but the training I’m receiving at Flint Hills Tech will teach me not only to run it, but program it as well.” said Stair.
Machinists design and fabricate parts used in a wide array of products varying from the space shuttle to airplanes, cars and all of the injection molds use to make plastic products. The machining industry is involved in the making of nearly every manufactured product that the public uses.
Students enrolled in the machine tool technology program learn technical skills needed by individuals to enter the work place as machine tool technicians. Students spend approximately 20 percent of their time in the classroom and 80 percent in the lab. Courses include Intro to Mastercam, Manual Machining I & II, Basic Mill and Lathe Programming, Computerized Machine Operation, Advanced Machine Operation, Advanced Mill and Computer Measurement Programming, Advanced Lathe Programming, Computer-Aided Machine Development, Live Tool Operation, Computerized Measurement Inspection and Computer-Aided 3-D Machine Development.