| Program turns unemployed into machinists | ||
Gateway Technical College in Racine, Wis., is turning dislocated workers into CNC machinists—in less than 4 months. The agent for change is the school’s 3-year-old CNC Boot Camp program, a collective effort spearheaded by the college and two government agencies, the Kenosha County Job Center and the Racine County Workforce Development Center. The impetus for the camp stemmed from two converging needs. From 2002 to 2004, “a dramatic number of companies closed their doors [and] we had a huge number of dislocated workers,” said Ed Knudson, executive director of Gateway’s workforce and economic development department. At the same time, area manufacturers were clamoring for employees to run their CNC machines. In 2004, Knudson’s department estimated that there were more than 200 openings for operators. There was little question as to how to fill that need. “We focused on underemployed and unemployed individuals—dislocated workers. We’re trying to get them back into the workforce,” said Kundson. In January 2005, the CNC Boot Camp welcomed its first class. Each 14-week camp trains up to 20 people to operate and troubleshoot CNC lathes, drill presses and mills. Students work 8 hours a day, 5 days a week. The first 8 weeks entail classroom instruction in math, including trigonometry, blueprint reading, part measurement, safety, and writing programs and running them on simulators. During week nine, students move to the machining lab, where they accumulate more than 100 hours of experience operating Gateway’s tools. “We really do a lot of run-time stuff in the boot camp; a lot of hands-on making pieces, measuring those pieces,” said Knudson. The camp is valued at about $2,500 a person, but dislocated workers who qualify attend free, the cost being covered by state job-training grants obtained by Gateway and the Kenosha and Racine centers. Before each boot camp, prospective employers meet with the students to explain what they can expect to do as CNC machinists. Students also take the National Occupational Competency Testing Institute’s assessment for entry-level machine tool operators. This test is based on what an operator’s knowledge and skills should be after 2 years on the job. Students then take the assessment at the end of the camp, so Gateway can see what they learned. Employers often attend the camp’s graduation ceremony to interview graduates. Out of about 160 people who have started the program, more than 100 people have completed it, a graduation rate of about 60 percent. About 90 percent of graduates are hired as machinists. “Some people get jobs as soon as they graduate,” Knudson said, “and some people may take several weeks because they’re choosing between what they want to do.” The Racine and Kenosha centers then follow up with the graduates who get jobs. The follow-ups occur 3, 6 and 9 months after each camp. “The follow-ups have shown that 90 percent of the people have stayed with their employer once they’ve gotten out of the boot camp,” Knudson said. According to the centers, most graduates start at $10 to $12 an hour. Gateway offers the CNC Boot Camp twice a year, summer and fall. Its ninth boot camp started Sept. 2. —Cutting Tool Engineering, October 2008 |
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| Kaiser celebrates 60th anniversary | ||
Heinz Kaiser AG celebrated its 60th anniversary July 3 with an all-day event at its headquarters in Rümlang, Switzerland, for employees, customers, guests, salespeople, media and licensed partners from around the world. Executives from Kaiser and its strategic partner, BIG Daishowa Seiki Co., Japan, provided an overview of the company’s operations and products, and attendees later toured the Kaiser manufacturing facility in small groups. A formal reception was held in the evening, which included traditional Swiss music and other entertainment. Kaiser specializes in the development and manufacturing of precision boring systems. On Jan. 1, 2008, Chris Kaiser, Karlheinz Kaiser and Gabriela Brasher-Kaiser assumed ownership of the company from their father, Heinz Kaiser, who founded the company in 1948. “In a parting letter to the company, my father wrote that this company has come of age, but he hopes it will always stay young,” said Chris Kaiser, co-owner and chairman. “All of us, the board of directors and the stockholders, are dedicated to keeping this company moving forward. The metalworking industry does not allow us to sit back—we need to reinvent this company by developing new products and competing in new markets. We will make additional investments that allow us to maintain production in Switzerland and in the U.S. to ensure that we produce boring systems and tools that are consistent around the world.” Kaiser AG is represented in the U.S. by BIG Kaiser Precision Tooling Inc., Elk Grove Village, Ill. BIG Kaiser offers brands such as Kaiser, BIG Daishowa, Speroni, Unilock and Sphinx. In addition to serving as Kaiser’s chairman, Chris Kaiser is president of BIG Kaiser —CUTTING TOOL ENGINEERING, October 2008 |
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| E-Z Burr showcases products with 3-D animation | |
Deburring tool manufacturer E-Z Burr Tool Co., Plymouth, Mich., has launched a new Web site at www.ezburr.com that incorporates 3-D animation to showcase its tools in action. According to Bill Robinson, E-Z Burr owner, the site “was developed with manufacturers and distributors in mind. Our goal was to create a way for manufacturers to see exactly how our deburring tools work.” The Flash animation provides viewers a look at the inside workings of a deburring tool, including the patented locking systems and adjustable blades. The result, said Robinson, is a Web site that helps clients make informed purchasing decisions and, correspondingly, saves them time and money. —CUTTING TOOL ENGINEERING, October 2008 |
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| Lockheed Martin, MAG form global alliance | |
Aerospace manufacturer Lockheed Martin Corp., Bethesda, Md., has awarded MAG Maintenance Technologies, Hebron, Ky., a global contract to maintain its manufacturing equipment. According to Gary Finney, MAG’s director of sales for North America, the agreement includes interactive diagnostic help, preventive maintenance, field service, training, replacement and spare parts, productivity improvements, machine rebuilding, machine and system relocation and setup. The agreement also covers machine tools produced by MAG’s family of companies, which includes more than 50 different brands, and Lockheed Martin’s large installed base of specialized MAG Cincinnati machines and composite fabrication equipment. —CUTTING TOOL ENGINEERING, October 2008 |
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| Methods opens Arizona technology center | |
Machine tool builder Methods Machine Tools Inc., Sudbury, Mass., is opening a new Technology Center in Tempe, Ariz., with an open house set for Oct. 14 to 16. The 18,000-sq.-ft. facility will enable the company to expand its parts department by 80 percent, add a spindle rebuild area and allow customers to see some of its metalworking technology in a 5,200-sq.-ft. showroom. Machines on display will include a Matsuura 5-axis machining center, Citizen Swiss-style turning centers, Nakamura multitask turning center, a Fanuc RoboDrill eco and a Fanuc wire EDM —CUTTING TOOL ENGINEERING, October 2008 |
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