A state-of-the-art machinery laboratory capable of replicating industrial machining processes and integrating microprocessor technology in a computerized numerical control (CNC) production environment is supplementing the theoretical education in Engineering and Industrial Technology laboratories at Trident Technical College. The laboratory introduces CNC principles and practices to machine tool students, automated manufacturing students, mechanical engineering students and computer graphics students. These students experiment with the manual and computer-aided programming theory and setup techniques learned in the classroom. The selected machinery, computers, and tooling replicate machining processes commonly found and performed in industry. To make this laboratory more realistic, manufacturing groups are formed to design and manufacture a given product as a project. Students participating in the manufacturing project come from four separate disciplinary areas: Computer-Aided Design, Automated Manufacturing, Mechanical Engineering, and Machine Tool. This approach of teaching manufacturing from the ground up allows students to see first hand, problems commonly encountered in the first article design, material selection, tooling design, and production planning.
