Would learning to operate a MPCNC be positive in terms of competence acquisition as a cnc operator on complex industrial machines?
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I would expect that the knowledge of gcode and programming, work holding solutions, basic machine operations (homing, squaring, rapids, touching off, etc.) will be transferrable to some level, but it’s my understanding that industrial machines often have custom “dialects” of gcode, or specialty operations they support. I’m not sure where CAM skills land in the continuum between “operator” and “programmer” in the industry, but as an MPCNC user you’ll have a great understanding of the process from beginning to end.
I’ve been in interviews (not for CNC, but other industries) where the interviewer either embraced the “enthusiastic hobbyist” mindset as a plus, and others where what experience I had managed to gain was berated as “just playing with toys.” It took me a little while to recognize that this was 100% the interviewer’s issue, all I could do was be myself and be honest about my journey so far.
I’ve never run a CNC in a professional/industrial setting, although I have worked in theatrical carpentry shops. There are definitely folks here on the forums who have CNC experience, so I hope they’ll weigh in on your question. Some of the biggest concerns I saw were self-taught folks who hadn’t had the same level of safety consciousness drilled into them as was expected in the workplace, either in terms of sketchy machine setups, use of PPE, or moving heavy stuff in ways guaranteed not to cause damage as opposed to “winging it.”
My recommnedation is to be proud of what you’re able to do and the experience you’ve gained, and don’t be afraid of learning new stuff.
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There are a lot of transferable skills.
Operating CAM at all is a plus. But just a few things that immediately come to mind:
- Designing parts for manufacturing (and evaluating designs for manufacturing).
- Coordinate frames
- Feeds and Speeds
- Effective testing
- Machine debugging/troubleshooting
- Mechatronics maintenance (do’s and dont’s of machines and electronics)
- Detail oriented setup/checklist creation
Using something like Mach or LinuxCNC would get you closer. But ultimately, I don’t think learning on an MPCNC would be any different than learning on a Tormach, and then using a HAAS. (There are a lot of YT videos if you want to get a feeling for them).
In industries where labor is very short (software engineering is the best example), people are moving further away from requiring traditional degrees and allowing more people who go to high-speed learning camps. After 2 years on the job, the person and their experience is going to be worth more than their general education. Maybe someone who has a lot of education on a professional machine would be preferred to someone learning on a sub-$1k machine. But the person with some experience has to be ahead of someone with none. If you need 5 CAM operators, why not take 2x who have experience in hobby machines?
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I would also add: Some people have created successful businesses on an MPCNC. So students would also be in a good position to start a sign shop or something. Even if they weren’t finding the right job at an emplyer.
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Having worked in a machine shop with several big Cnc rigs, and getting my mpcnc going after that job ended… I have to say if I did the mpcnc earlier I would full on have gotten a promo. My boss was begging for even basic understanding of gcode and Cnc operation. Sure a haas is going to take time learning the interface and quirks, but often in a shop the overall basic understanding is all that is required to get you saddled up and started.
That said I have also run into many HR folks who think of it as playing with toys. So it really depends on the individual doing the hiring. Putting your diy Cnc accomplishments on your resume I’d say is overall a good idea as long as it’s filler, and not making up for some core requirements of the job. If you are up against other machinists with zero Cnc experience, it’ll certainly work in your favor. Otoh, it won’t put you on top of a person who has decades of direct experience with specific systems that company is using.
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Definitely agree. Understanding key concepts like how tooth count, tooth load, rpm and speed all relate or trade off vs each other is always going to be helpful. The same concepts apply with design for manufacture and work-holding, especially.
A lot of it is even just going to be in the mindset. I’ve interviewed and been part of hiring decisions a few times over the years and when it comes to technical topics, someone who having self-motivated experience is always an extremely positive sign, even if it’s not directly applicable and somewhat rudimentary. It still shows motivation to learn and an understanding of basic topics that’s a lot easier to expand on than starting from fresh.
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The intention behind the question/post is to set up DIY-CNC courses also targeted at the professional world.
I want to thank you for your useful input and for sharing your personal experiences, which helped me to further investigate the link between DIY experience and career advancement.
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If that’s your focus, reach out to prospective employers and talk with them about the knowledge and skills they would see as a step up/jump start.
I taught at a technical college, and we met twice a year with an advisory board made up of the companies in our area that hired our graduates. It was incredibly helpful to get their reads on what systems and skills we need to keep/add/drop from our curriculum.
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reach out to prospective employers and talk with them about the knowledge and skills they would see as a step up/jump start
That’s a Milestone. Focus being evaluating legal requirements for:
teaching activities,
safety,
work environment,
machines,
course benefits,
while ensuring a non-repayable loan of $80,000 from the Italian government.
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Would definitely put someone higher on my list to hire… unfortunately, my higher priority is just getting people to show up consistently and semi on time…
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Having a course on your resume is also a sign that you’ve thought about it, and you care enough to show up.
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I’ve been a professional software engineer for almost 20 years. While most places I worked for or interviewed with have always required some sort of formal college, not one has ever asked for proof of that education. I’ve never once showed my diplomas or any sort of certificate to any employer or potential employer throughout my entire career. But I agree, real world experience is far more valuable than most college educations.
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I’m sure a lot of skills carry over but it’s a huge jump in complexity from a 3 axis machine to a 6 axis machine.
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Yes and no. The concepts carry over from 3 to more. Just have to take it slow at first and make plenty of notes as you go.
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I’m not directly familiar with it, but I imagine there’s a lot of similarities. Cutting tools behave the same, workholding is likely the same, job optimisation is likely similar.
Also, I’m not sure why it would need to translate directly to 6 axis machining to be valuable? I suspect the dramatic majority of CNC machining is still done on 3 axis machines.
I don’t know what the national, local, or regional regulations or convention are in your part of Italy, but here in the upper midwest of the United States, establishing a relationship with employers is commonly a “bragging point” for programs designed to get people into industrial career positions. You get both the input from the employers for keeping up with the real-world “state of the art” and then those same employers will desire your students/participants as they’ll know the quality of the new-hires they’ll be getting. Then, having a successful employment track record makes your program desirable from a new student perspective.
Non-profit associations organizing courses for own associates have less stringent requirements than istitutionally credited formative institutes which on the other hand manage databases of entrepreneurs seeking employees on dedicated online portals. These entities, Non-profit, may not have communication channels with entrepreneurs.
Requirements are quite strict as you can evidence from this page:
https://www.regione.toscana.it/-/organismiformativi
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I’m glad to see that you are well versed in the regulatory environment in which you’re working.
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Not mush unfortunately. It would maybe take a dedicated course just for that.