A new facility at Autry Technology Center doubles as a museum on the relatively short history of manufacturing machining.
Creating parts for machines by hand was the only option before 1945, new instructor Jeremiah Reschke said, before analog and digital computers were added to revolutionize the computer numerical control (CNC) machining industry.
“They were large Etch-a-Sketch, really, is what they were,” Reschke said of the several hand-cranked apparatuses sitting in the warehouse facility like time capsules next to their larger, modern-day counterparts bought from major companies such as Duson and Fanuc.
Reschke didn’t rule out using the children’s toys when Autry’s new CNC machining program begins classes next month, teaching students the basics on what he called “the backbone of manufacturing.”
Eight students each can be enrolled in either half-day of the course. The program will run for two years if taking a half-day or one year with a whole day.
Read more: From hammers to computer code: Autry students taking new computer-based machining program