Page 24 - CNC West April May 2022 copy

CAD/CAM SOFTWARE HELPS TECH PROGRAM OVERCOME REMOTE LEARNING CHALLENGES
Panther Tech students drew the Titan 1M part, programed the toolpaths in Mastercam, then machined the part on Haas Mini Mills.
Between budget constraints, student perception challenges, and the COVID-19 pandemic, RedmondHighSchoolPantherTechhasovercome
numerous hurdles since March 2020. Dan Kernion is the Manufacturing/CTE instructor at the CTE (Career Technical Education) program of Redmond High School, located 144 miles southeast of Portland. For nine years, he has taught students to use CAD/CAM software and CNC machining to prepare them for careers in manufacturing.
Kernion has been using Mastercam® CAD/CAM software since the 1990s, when he honed his skills designing, programming, and making surfboards and guitars. He credits industry partners such as Mastercam for helping Panther Tech maintain and grow its manufacturing program.
“Between Mastercam and SOLIDWORKS®, that’s $5400 a year for the program,” he said. “Having the support of local industry—which provides materials, tooling, and
plant tours—allows kids to see what we can actually do.” The manufacturing program is no doubt a proven success.In2019,theRedmondHighSchoolPantherTech team won a gold medal at the 55th Annual SkillsUSA State Championships. The state champs went on to Louisville, KY, to compete at the SkillsUSA National Conference and finished 13th overall. Despite the event’s 2020 cancellation, the Panther Tech team’s hopes for future competitions remain high. According to Kernion, to attend the national level of the SkillsUSA Championships, he and his students must raise $10,000 for the trip, plus acquire tooling, coolant, and aluminum. Industry partners donate what they can to support the team, which usually competes in both automated and additive manufacturing. The impact of local support on the technical program cannot be overstated. Even the instructor pitches in. For class projects, Kernion has been known to supply wood he has
stored from his days in guitar manufacturing.
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CNC WEST April/May 2022
Article and Photos Provided by Lynn Gorman Communications