Pierz Schools received an incredible boost to their technology program late last spring with the generous donation of two CNC Metal Mills from Boston Scientific. This week, those state-of-the-art machines are officially up and running, and students are already using them to program and create.
From Concept to Coaster: Students Master Advanced Manufacturing
Students in Mr. Brisk's CNC Cutting and Fabrication class recently put the new machinery to the test, designing and producing their very own aluminum coasters using advanced manufacturing processes. This exciting project provided a complete hands-on experience with the entire digital manufacturing process, from initial design to a 'polished' final product.
The project began with students diving into CAD (Computer-Aided Design) software, where they meticulously crafted precise digital models of their coaster designs. This step allowed them to visualize and refine their ideas before any material was cut.
Next, students transitioned to Fusion 360 CAM (Computer-Aided Manufacturing) software. This crucial step involved generating the intricate toolpaths and G-code – the specialized programming language that controls the Haas CNC milling machine. It's like writing a detailed instruction manual for the machine to follow.
Finally, the students loaded their programmed code into the Haas CNC mill. With impressive precision, the machine followed their instructions, cutting, shaping, and finishing the aluminum blocks into professionally machined coasters.
This project is a fantastic example of the complete digital manufacturing process in action, giving students invaluable hands-on experience with industry-standard CAD/CAM software and advanced CNC machinery, all thanks to the generous donation from Boston Scientific and the expert tutelage of our Mr. Brisk!