help me on cnc

Acquiring any additional skill is always beneficial. Even if you never uses it directly you would be aware of the restrictions, problems and requirements imposed when parts for machining etc is designed.

All Mech engineers SHOULD understand the process of CNC machining.

BUT-- What you need is an OVERVIEW-- not the detail of CNC proramming.

CNC processes now employ specialists in programming. Actually, few of these people actually DO the programming. They use software that translates the desired operations into machine-specific code. This is a VERY narrow niche.

The engineer needs to be aware of things such as:

- The capabilities and limits of the equipment at the client's fabrication site(s).

- The relative efficiencies of CNC v. other fabrication methods for the product in question.

- The process effects of CNC upon the intended material, and special handling considerations necessary in the specification process.

Many other general factors are also important to the ME. Still, it is amazing to discover how many ME's simply pass these problems on to the production or CNC departments.

A course in PROGRAMMING? probably not-- unless that is your career target. The best way to learn what an ME needs to know about CNC? SPEND A 6-MONTH INTERNSHIP IN A LARGE CONTRACT CNC HOUSE WHICH DOES A WIDE VARIETY OF WORK IN A WIDE VARIETY OF MATERIALS FOR A VARIETY OF CLIENTS. You will see first-hand what affects product outcomes in the CNC process. You will also learn just how much "gets lost" between the engineer's desk and the shop floor!

There is NO substitute for this kind of experience. It will tell you exactly what kinds of courses you need to take when you go back to school. It will serve you for years as a reminder of thousands of little things that you need to keep in mind as a successful ME--THE KINDS OF THINGS THAT REALLY AFFECT PRODUCT OUTCOMES, BUT WHICH NEVER MAKE INTO TEXTBOOKS!

Good Luck!

Internship/apprenticeship.

YES YES YES YES.

Did I say YES?!

Experience on the shop floor wouldn't hurt much most engineers. My dad and son are MEs, I went the software route (to the dark side) but do have a minor in ME.

As a software geek, I have found a better understanding for both customers and production folks after spending time observing and 'helping' them in their production environments. Spending a month on a oil drilling rig (working on an inventory system) gave me a real empathy of what it is like if they run out of something out in the middle of nowhere (100mi east of Brazil in this case), or watching a 'child advocacy center' work while I was installing a new phone system (social workers work harder for their folks than I ever thought they did before seeing it happen).

In any case gaining a 'real life' understanding of what the 'customer' does, and how they do it, can and often does effect what kind of a product or system we deliver.

Yes, we can all take a set of spec's and give the customer a product based on the specs, but often they do not communicate the 'whole story'. A engineers and analysts it is up to us to make sure that we do deliver what is needed to allow the customer to deal with problems in their life.

So if possible, each engineer IMHO should spend some 'quality time' with their customers (physically or virtually) to ensure that systems do fulfill the real need, not just the perceived want.

I totally aggree, all MEs need to understand the materials, the programming needed, the shop floor, and the fabricators/assemblers part in the process in ADDITION to the customers end use and how/who is using it. Some understanding can come from textbooks and labs, but real learning comes from handling and 'walking it' through the entire process from beginning to end at least once in a carreer.

I could not agree more. And conversely, I wish the same of HR folks. I am empathetic to their cause, however they fail to readily accept the value of an employee who is heavy on experience and light on formal ed. So often a Bachelors is non negotiable. Yes I am aware of year to year trades of exp to ed but really if the job wants a BS that is who gets first consideration. Even over someone with 2 Associates of Applied Science degrees.

Now I am ranting again......blue pill....where are the blue pills?

cr3

The actual CNC coding is very easy and could be mastered in a day.

Hopefully the course you want to take includes:

Overview, coding set, alternatives, theory of programming, velocity profiles, acceleration, de-acceleration, type if cuts, inertia of the machine etc.

Optimizing tool paths can be beneficial, The output of a CAD/CAM program can sometimes be optimized. a 10% decrease in machine time means 2 or 3 additional days of machining time per month.

Certain tool paths can be created much faster by hand.

As the others have previously stated, it is ALWAYS good to aquire the new skills. Just to mention another benefit, this could give you a basis for other numerical programming applications, like robotics which are similarly programmed. You are looking at x,y,z coordinates, optimal paths for the end affector, etc...

You also need to think about what direction you want to take upon graduation, because it sounds like you are getting into selecting your technical electives.

Good Luck...

CNC should be helpful since it is related to CAD programming and CAD is definitely of great value in todays world.

My daughter was a machinist with CNC programming skills, she went to work for Caterpillar as a CAD program learned on the job and now is a Manager.

Hi Pankaj,

I would advise you to learn the basics of CNC programming. Though CNC programming was considered as hitech Job 5 years back, the growth potential is very less. Companyies now-a-days consider Diploma engineers for these kinds of jobs.

You can verywell pursue a course in CAD, learn tools like Pro/e, Catia etc. But once you get trained in these courses join a company that is product design oriented (like Honda, LG etc) and not service oriented (like TCS, Stayam etc).

Or else, Pursue MBA or MS. That is more apt now-a-days for Engineering Graduates.

There have been some excellent comments on this already. Fabman had some particularly good comments. I would like to add a few. To learn CNC programming by it self will be nearly useless. However I believe that anyone earning a BSME should get at least some general machining experience including basic CNC programming. I have worked with far too many engineers who have none. I have also had to work with drawings and designs produced by engineers with little or no such experience. The result is that they do not fully appreciate the properties of materials, the impact of tolerence call outs, proper dimensioning and tolerencing, or the processes required to make their products. I could write a book just on the horror stories I have encountered.

It takes a day to learn "basic" CNC programming. In another day you could learn how to operate a CAD/CAM system to produce a "basic" CNC program. Six months or so in a job-shop type machine shop especially if they are willing to teach you would be most useful. You will not be a machinist! That takes 4-5 years of real experience, and not just as an operator. The difficulty in acquiring that experience is that it costs the company to train you, which cost goes down the drain when you leave.

My answer to your question is yes, but not by itself.

If you want to be a good Mechanical Engineer:

Learn basic 3D CAD, Drafting. (AutoCAD, Solidworks Etc.)

Do some layout work and pickup GD&T experience.

Get some "hands on" manual machining experience even if you have to do it for free. *Do simple production work to start with and later on apprentice with an old tool and die maker if you can. (watch and listen - ask questions and take notes)

After this something like MasterCAM, GibbsCAM or SurfCAM will be a walk in the park.

when I first started machining CNC was brand new and we used tape or card readers. But not until after becoming extremely proficient in manual work. Now of course the user interface is so easy that many people call themselves programmers or machinists even when they nothing of the work as a craft or discipline or skill as it was.

Granted technology is great. But, to be really 'beneficial' one must know how to calculate feed rates, rake angles, set up principles, cutting speeds and more. Knowing G codes and M codes and interpolation commands has it's place. The real value to me is being able to discuss, undrestand and resolve issues (including estimating and inspection methods).

Again, to be 'beneficial' it isnt the software, its the principles that add personal value.

You could sit down at a Mazak VMC or TC and be making parts that you programmed in less than a week. But to really understand how the machine is working and where the values are coming from is another matter. Often times a material is not in the library or something abby-normal has to be done and the computer can't think like a good, well trained machinist.

And finally, it is just a heck of a lot of fun to be able to make what ever I want.

CR3

ps as was prior stated, SmartCam or PathTrace or Mech Desk or AutoCad or others is a whole different matter and I agree it is always good to know design software.