Virtual CNC Training Goes beyond Simulation

Raymond Mark, director of education for Machining Training Solutions, conducts an online high school honors CNC training course.

Teaching CNC technology doesn't have to require an actual CNC.

That’s the view of Machining Training Solutions (MTS), a Longwood, Florida, developer of a virtual training system designed to provide an alternative to traditional approaches for cash-strapped educational institutions and risk-averse manufacturers alike.

In addition to MTS’ own CNC simulation software, the instructor-led program instructs students in Solidworks CAD software and CAMWorks CAM software. Virtual training also doesn’t preclude the opportunity to see real metalworking equipment at work. Via a live video feed to a precision machine shop adjacent to the MTS training center, students can see various machines and tooling in action and even ask questions.

This brief article offers more details on the program.

Related Content

Manufacturing Madness: Colleges Vie for Machining Title (Includes Video)

The first annual SEC Machining Competition highlighted students studying for careers in machining, as well as the need to rebuild a domestic manufacturing workforce.
How I Made It: Amy Skrzypczak, CNC Machinist, Westminster Tool

At just 28 years old, Amy Skrzypczak is already logging her ninth year as a CNC machinist. While during high school Skrzypczak may not have guessed that she’d soon be running an electrical discharge machining (EDM) department, after attending her local community college she found a home among the “misfits” at Westminster Tool. Today, she oversees the company’s wire EDM operations and feels grateful to have avoided more well-worn career paths.
The Power of Practical Demonstrations and Projects

Practical work has served Bridgerland Technical College both in preparing its current students for manufacturing jobs and in appealing to new generations of potential machinists.