Teaching the Teachers

Precision machining instructors from Nebraska, Massachusetts and Connecticut recently completed teacher-training programs at Central Maine Community College (CMCC) in Auburn.

Troy Davis from Central Community College in Nebraska and Jeffrey McCall from Tri-County Regional Technical Center in Massachusetts completed a course in 4-Axis Milling, designed for computer numeric control (CNC) machining teachers who have an operational understanding of a Haas 3-Axis CNC Mill. Davis and Daniel Coffin from Asnuntuck Community College in Connecticut completed the Intermediate Spindle Probing course.

Led by Richard Bolding, chair of the Precision Machining Technology (PMT) program at CMCC, each four-day course included both theory and hands-on lab time and gave participants the opportunity to learn new skills in advanced precision machining.

The PMT program at CMCC, one of the largest in the Northeastern U.S., offers a two-year associate in applied science degree and a one-year certificate. Graduates of the program are employed as machine operators, CNC machinists, quality control inspectors, machine assemblers, machine tool designers, CNC programmers or field service representatives. Named the Northeast CNC Teacher Training Center for the Haas Technical Education Center Network, the College also provides high-level CNC training classes for teachers through the National Science Foundation ATE program. In addition, CMCC offers customized training in basic to advanced CNC programming, and inspection to companies in New England.

Photo: These machining instructors have earned certificates in advanced precision machining at Central Maine Community College. Left to Right are Daniel Coffin, Asnuntuck Community College, Enfield, CT; Jeffrey McCall, Tri-County Regional Technical Center, Franklin, MA; and Troy Davis, Central Community College, Nebraska.