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One of the three main machines that we have in our work cell in the Integrated Manufacturing
Centre here, are the Nakamura Tome Lathes.
It's one of the top of the line model lathes, it has two spindles, two turrets, and eight
axis in total.
We have the capability of running live tooling in there as well, so if you want to machine
something such as a hex shape or a slot on a part with a milling tool, you can actually
do that in this machine as well.
Very versatile, very high end equipment, a lot of expertise to program it, thats what
the students are learning about.
In the lab today we working on a pen set, which includes three parts.
Base, pen holder, and then the name plate.
With the group project we split it up into a few parts, so we had a couple people making
a program for the base.
I made a program for the EDM machine, and the two others made the program for the lathe
to do the pen set.
Program's awesome.
I come from a little bit of machining background, so I know what I was getting into when I came
in here.
Plus i'm going to be taking a degree program later on, so this is perfect.
Gives me all hands on experience that I need.
Everything that I put in now is going to help me in the future.
Also one of the higher end machines that were using in the work cell.
What it has is the capability of fourth axis, as well as our x, y and z, we have c axis.
Which is a rotary axis, so we can do tapping of hardened parts.
It's also got a fifteen change tool changer.
Very high amperage on this machine, again one of the higher end machines that were available.
And this is one of the machines that students use in their projects in third year.
What I really like about the program is the actual hands on experience we get to, incorporate
both our theoretical and our practical knowledge in one.
If were learning something, we can actually physically apply it in another class.
Thats the main thing I really love about this program.
Professors are really good, they really in-depth in what they teach.
The equipment we use is up to date equipment.
I mean the software we use called Unigraphics, is probably one of the best 3D, and most expensive
3D software that we use.
One of the only colleges that offered this program, and had the best technology to help
me learn a much as possible.
So when I go out into industry or whatever job i'm going for, that it's basically like
walking from one step to another.
The transition is a lot easier.
What this is, is basically a lab that you would see in a manufacturing environment today.
That's ready to compete or is competing with markets that need to reduce labor costs.
We have automation such as the gantry robot in here that will load and unload parts from
the machines.
And the students are learning to work with that automation to produce parts for their
projects, and learning about how that process comes together with interfacing the robotics
side of automation to the machining side, and the cam-processing side which they learned
in great detail.