Steps to Career Success in Machining

Steps to Career Success in Machining

Matthew Schowalter, CMfgT

THE STEPS TO CAREER SUCCESS IN MACHINING

  1. Get a Technical Degree – A solid educational foundation is a critical building block, you will make a lot more money in your career if you follow through with a Technical College education.

  2. Serve a State Sponsored Apprenticeship – This is an excellent way to learn the skills of the trade and climb the pay scale also. It also will ensure that you are viewed as a professional in your career. By finishing an apprenticeship and becoming a journeyman, you will be put in a position to make a good wage for the rest of your career.

  3. Never Stop Learning – Enroll in at least two specialized classes per year. It is an excellent way to build a great resume also, as it shows future employers that you are a dedicated career professional.

  4. Become Proficient in Working with Others – This is the most important factor of the six steps. You will have more opportunities presented to you if you have the ability to work with everyone effectively.

  5. Gain the Ability to Turn Manufacturing Issues into Career Opportunities - Some may look away from the major issues that hinder the shop. These are the challenges that build a great resume, so ask your boss how you can help fix the major issues they encounter throughout the shop.

Giving A Technical Education Class Presentation

Giving A Technical Education Class Presentation

Matthew Schowalter, CMfgT
Apprenticeship, CNC Machining, CNC Programming, Collaboration, Machining, Machinist, Manufacturing, Soft Skills, Technical Education, Worker Shortage

I was provided with a few opportunities to talk about my STEM project and my career in several schools. It can be a very rewarding experience to a part of. I never saw myself as a speaker or presenter but with my deep knowledge in the subject, I developed a passion for sharing my experiences in manufacturing.

Cardinal Manufacturing Open House Event

Matthew Schowalter, CMfgT

Cardinal Manufacturing is a student-run business in the Eleva-Strum High School. In a student-run business the students are responsible for all aspects of the business. It is a custom job shop that makes manufactures parts for community members and people throughout the country.

They are having an open house event on May 8th, 2024, from 4pm to 9pm. Come checkout what makes this program so great!

How Manufacturers and Schools Can Work Together

How Manufacturers and Schools Can Work Together

Matthew Schowalter, CMfgT
Collaboration, Machining, Machinist, Manufacturing, Worker Shortage

With the shortage of manufacturing workers in the United States we must start to investigate the situation closer to fill the jobs of today and tomorrow. Besides the worker compensation, benefits, work environment, and career development topics that may influence career decisions in manufacturing, we should now look closer into the following topics.

Growing the Lathe Department

Growing the Lathe Department

Matthew Schowalter, CMfgT
CNC Machining, CNC Programming, Machining, Machinist, Manufacturing, Manufacturing Engineer

While spending much of my career working in the medical machining industry, it was an education into complex part machining. What is being done today in the machining industry is exceptional. Now a highly engineered part can be made compete in one setup in a machine that can turn, mill, drill, hob, broach, thread whirl, and gun drill parts. I have implemented lathes from 5-axis models up to 11-axis models. Here is a breakdown of what it might take to implement advanced lathes.

The Evolution of 3D Printing

The Evolution of 3D Printing

GSC

The concept of 3D printing anything and everything is a common thought amongst many individuals. While that hasn’t occurred and probably won’t for a long time, additive manufacturing is quickly becoming a need for many manufacturers, and it’s easy to understand why.

Although 3D printing originated over 40 years ago, at its inception, it was predominately used for prototyping. Today 3D printing is no longer utilized solely for consumer base purposes such as printing one-of-a-kind objects. It is now being used heavily in manufacturing settings to produce functional, large-scale, and end-use products.

Popular Machinist Tools

Popular Machinist Tools

Matthew Schowalter, CMfgT
CNC Machining, Machining, Machinist, Manufacturing

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:

What it Takes to Become a Machinist

What it Takes to Become a Machinist

Matthew Schowalter, CMfgT
CNC Machining, Machining, Manufacturing, Technical Education

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.

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