CNC - CAD/CAM courses, programs | Metro College Toronto

INTRODUCTION TO CNC TECHNOLOGY & CAD/CAM

Computer Numerical Control (CNC) is the numerical control system in which a dedicated and stored program is built into the computer to perform basic and advanced NC (Numerical Control) functions. CNC controls are also referred to as soft-wired NC systems because most of their control functions are implemented by control software programs. All numerical control machines manufactured since 1970’s are of CNC type. With the development of computer technology, CNC machines become more and more important and indispensable in the manufacturing industry. The main benefits of using CNC technology are as follows:

Increased productivity
Reduced production costs
Facilitating complex machining operations
Improved production planning and control
Facilitating flexible automation
High accuracy and repeatability
Reduced indirect operating costs
Greater flexibility
Lower operator skill requirement

CAD/CAM technology has emerged as one of the major driving forces in our modern manufacturing industry. Due to increased computer capacity and the advancement of CAD/CAM software, manual CNC programming has been replaced by CAD/CAM programming in recent years. Especially in aerospace, automotive and mold industries, CAD/CAM software is an indispensable tool for designers and CNC programmers. For example, the new generation of airliners such as Air-Bus A380 and Boeing 787 uses CAD/CAM software from the initial design phase to final manufacturing. The advanced and complicated software CATIA plays a very important role from design to manufacturing in those large projects.

There are a number of CAD/CAM products on the market, such as CATIA, UG, Pro-E that are advanced and have powerful functions. CATIA is the leading product. After twenty years of advancement, CATIA covers almost all aspects of the mechanical engineering industry, for example: CAD, CAM, CAE, CMM, robotic control programming and so on. The others are specified in CAM but also have fundamental CAD functions such as MasterCAM, Delcam, Edgecam, Surfcam and so on. Amongst them, MasterCAM is one of the most popular CAM/CAD programs. It has been on the market for over 20 years and it has strong CNC programming functions including milling, lathe and EDM. The NC function covers 2D, 3D and multi-axes programming and machining. Most of the smaller companies use MasterCAM to create CNC programs to machine various products used in almost every industry. Now MasterCAM CNC programming software has become the leading PC-based CAM software due to its power and easy use. The CAM software is one of the two strong legs for CNC programmers. You cannot move freely without CAM software. Furthermore, the advanced CAD/CAM software will equip the students with the proper wings and engines to soar the skies of CNC Programming.

Nowadays many kinds of CNC machine tools are used in various manufacturing industries, such as automobile, aerospace, aircraft, ship-building, medical devices, moulds, tool & die, telecommunications components and so on. Here is a brief list of some of the groups in which CNC machines are integrated:

Mill and machining center
Lathe and turning center
Drilling machine
Boring mills and profiler
EDM machine
Punch press and shear
Grinding machine
Water jet and laser profiler
Welding machine

There are a number of CNC machine shops and mechanical companies in Ontario, especially around the Greater Toronto Area, Kitchener-Waterloo & Cambridge area, Windsor, etc. The CNC manufacturing industry creates a great number of employment opportunities that include CAD/CAM process engineer, CNC programmer, CNC machinist, CNC set up person and CNC operator. The current and potential CNC job market is pretty promising in North America.

A CAD/CAM process engineer or CNC programmer is responsible for preparing mechanical drawings and part programs, NC documents concerning setup instructions and processing plans if necessary. The CNC machinist or CNC setup person is responsible for setting up fixture and cutting tools on the machine, coordinating the machine, determining and entering offset and compensation values, correcting errors in tooling and programs, performing test runs on the program and finishing the first part. A CNC operator is responsible for loading and unloading work pieces, monitoring the machining process, inspecting the finished parts, SPC charting and regular check-ups.

We provide professional CNC/CAD/CAM training programs in a real production environment. You will learn a lot of theoretical knowledge and hands on skills on CNC machining and programming through intensive practical exercises. We will also investigate hands-on with machined parts from drawing to completion from which the students will get much more experience on CNC milling and CNC turning skills, GD&T and measuring knowledge. In final, it is our mission to assist students in becoming qualified CNC programmers and operators.









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