More About MTT

Department Statement

The goal of the Machine Tool department is to provide students with the knowledge and opportunities to successfully enter the precision metalworking trade.  We believe in giving graduates as much experience as possible to enter the workforce.  We do this in as many ways as we can including a variety of the following; computer controllers on the CNC equipment, brands of CNC machine tools, types of machine tools, cutting tools, work-holding equipment, fixturing types and techniques, etc.  Our curriculum is arranged so the training is more fun as the training progresses.

Typical School Day

A typical machine tool student’s day starts at 7:00 AM in the classroom.  We spend as little time in the classroom as we can.  Most of our learning is done on the machines in the shop.  We do cover the theory in classroom presentations and are moving to interactive training and review as quickly as possible.  The typical daily schedule is as follows:

• 7:00 Start in Classroom (Start with a 5 point quiz)

• 7:50 Breakfast break

• 8:10 Work in shop

• 11:00 Lunch

• 12:00 Work in shop

• 2:00 End of MTT school day

Many of our students have part-time jobs after school so they enjoy being done with school at 2:00.

Job Shadowing program

The goal of the Job Shadowing Program is to give students insight into the various aspects of the precision metalworking profession, and to make contacts with experienced metalworkers.

Length: One day each semester

When: Each of the first three semesters

Requirements:

A different facility each time

• Production machining
• General tool-room
• Stamping die-shop tool-room
• Molding shop tool-room

Special Projects

The machine tool department works on various projects.  One of the interesting ones is the “Triangular and Square bolts” the department is manufacturing these to give away to promote the program and school.  The bolts have threads all the way around the shank, including the flats, and Yes the nuts screw on.

The students built the components for a part transfer system for a local business.  The machine removes the parts from a vertical mold machine, knocks off the runners, cuts another part and places the molded parts on a conveyor.

Our department corresponds with a many schools with related programs including a school in Tielt, Belgium that has an identical machine.  We share projects, experiences, and ideas.

Solid Edge Software

Solid Edge donated a site license to our school.  Although not part of our curriculum students can learn to use Solid Edge mechanical design software to aid in the design and manufacture of their projects.  Our goal in machine tool is not to train designers, although many of our graduates will do design work.  The following are pictures of some of the parts and assemblies drawn by students and staff of our machine tool program.