Starting a machine shop can be an overwhelming task. There are many factors to consider while keeping it running efficiently. Besides the operational tasks, we have broken it down on what it might take to have a steady stream of work in your machine shop.

Cardinal Manufacturing in the Eleva-Strum School District in Wisconsin is a student-run manufacturing business that has repair services, welding services, woodworking services, machining services, design services, and 3D printing services.

Communication and collaboration are important in the manufacturing industry. If we want to grow the industry, we need to keep up on the communication and collaboration. We must Communicate, Collaborate, and Connect and do it on a Consistent basis.

When I got started in machining, I really didn’t know what kind of tools to purchase. There is a vast variety of tooling to use in the shop, from inspection tools to hand tools. While having a limited budget, I had to choose to first buy the tools that I thought that I would use the most. This will vary from machine shop to machine shop often dependent on the type of work that the machinist does. Here is a list of some of the more popular choices for tools:

I recently had an opportunity to work with the technical education program at Eleva-Strum School District in Wisconsin. The project that I had for the students was to modify a few parts for a mechanical clock. It was an amazing experience to be greeted at the door by a student and the student gave me a great handshake. The technical education class teaches these soft skills to the students, starting in seventh grade.

Within the manufacturing industry there are many sectors and a lot of terms to know and understand. Here we will define what some terms are and how they relate to manufacturing.

• Manufacturing Automation: Is the use of technology and advanced machines to control the manufacturing of products. It may include the use of robotics or other equipment to aid in manufacturing.

• Manufacturing Business: An organization that uses raw materials, parts, or other components to make products. To make the products they use automated systems and advanced equipment.

In today’s competitive job market, more people are looking for careers that offer stability, good pay, and room to grow. Modern manufacturing is a high-tech, fast-evolving field that plays a critical role in the global economy. If you're weighing your options, here’s why manufacturing is a smart career choice.

Cardinal Manufacturing in Strum Wisconsin is a school-based manufacturing program that operates both as a class and a business as well. The students gain real world life experiences while enrolled in the program. These experiences include problem solving and working in professional roles.

In my twenty-four years of manufacturing experience, I have discovered that manufacturing can be a great industry to work in. I started as a youth apprentice in machining and then served a registered apprenticeship as a Tool and Die Maker. Over the course of my time spent in manufacturing, I was a team leader and a manufacturing engineer.

Machining and Tool & Die Making is what I have spent most of my career doing. There is something to be said for being able to turn a raw piece of material into a complex finished part. Through all my roles in the machine shop environment, I have identified a few soft skills, hard skills, and technical skills to have mastered if you want to be a great machinist.

A few years ago, I learned about the Cardinal Manufacturing business in Eleva-Strum High School in Wisconsin. I was invited to attend their workshop on how they built their program in their technical education department. It was such an inspiration to hear how engaged the students were and how they were learning solid employability skills.

CNC is an acronym for Computer Numerical Controlled. CNC is a type of machining practice. Besides CNC the other type of machining is manual machining. In CNC machining the workpiece is held in the machine and the CNC Programmer writes code so that the CNC machine can machine the workpiece. The CNC Machinist sets up and operates the CNC machine and oversees the machining process.