Advanced Precision Machining

The Laney College Advanced Precision Machining CA is a career education program which prepares students for the highest level of work in precision manufacturing. The certificate is intended for advanced machine technology students and students with prior work experience as machinists to grow their skill sets to meet increasing demands for precision, miniaturization, complex non-prismatic geometries, exotic materials, automation and quality control in high tech sectors, like medical device, semiconductor, optics and scientific research. The coursework includes fundamentals of precision engineering, multi-axis CNC machining, micromachining, diamond turning, geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T), coordinate measuring machines (CMMs), and noncontact optical metrology.

CA=10

The Laney College Advanced Precision Machining CA is a career education program which prepares students for the highest level of work in precision manufacturing. The certificate is intended for advanced machine technology students and students with prior work experience as machinists to grow their skill sets to meet increasing demands for precision, miniaturization, complex non-prismatic geometries, exotic materials, automation and quality control in high tech sectors, like medical device, semiconductor, optics and scientific research. The coursework includes fundamentals of precision engineering, multi-axis CNC machining, micromachining, diamond turning, geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T), coordinate measuring machines (CMMs), and noncontact optical metrology.

 

Manufacturing is a major component of the Bay Area's economy. Due to high local labor costs, the focus is on high value-added, high tech sectors, like medical device, semiconductor, biomedical, optics and scientific research. The department's graduates are employed by a variety of organizations, including national R&D labs (Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, UC Berkeley Physics/Chemistry/Mechanical Engineering, Stanford Linear Accelerator, NASA Ames Research Center), manufacturing start-ups at the old Alameda Naval Airfield (Astra, Kairos Power, Natel Energy, Saildrone, DOER Marine Operations), other manufacturing companies (Tesla, Amber Kinetics, Arris Composites, Atomic Machines, Zygo Extreme Precision Optics, Applied Fusion) and general machine shops (Oakland Machine works, Diamond Tool and Die, FM Industries, BART Manufacturing, Valence Precision, Terminal Manufacturing, Benchmark Industries, Hawk CNC, Paragon Machine works). In addition, the department is trying to build relationships with medical and semiconductor device manufacturers in the South Bay, as well as the R&D arms of tech giants Google, Apple and Facebook.

 

As an example, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory currently has openings for 40 machinists and another 40 mechanical technicians. They have one of the best apprenticeship programs in the region, but they are unable to meet their workforce development needs with in-house training alone. LLNL and the machine technology department have been developing a mutually beneficial relationship to increase the quantity and quality of job candidates. LLNL has been advising on curriculum, conducting tours of their facilitites for students, providing internships for faculty and donating equipment. Instructor Adam Balogh completed a two week internship during Summer 2022 in NIF Target Fabrication at LLNL where he gained important knowledge and skills in ultraprecision and micromachining. In turn, the machine technology department has been acquiring new equipment and developing new curriculum to better prepare students for the excellent career opportunities at LLNL and elsewhere.

 

The aforementioned sectors are beset by new technical challenges due to the increasing demands for precision, miniaturization, complex non-prismatic geometries, exotic materials, automation and quality control. Parts are often made from hard-to-machine materials like technical ceramics and require complex non-prismatic features which may be as small as a few microns with submicron or nanometer tolerances and subnanometer surface roughness. The technologies and techniques used to work in this realm are qualitatively different than for general machining. The department is developing a course MACH 32 - Multi-Axis Machining which will address the increasing needs for automation and complex non-prismatic geometries in industry. The department is developing another course MACH 214 - Ultraprecision and Micromachining which will address the increasing needs for precision and miniaturization in industry. The department already has a course MACH 75 -GD&T with CMMs which addresses the increasing needs for quality control.

Item 1.            Program Goals and Objectives

The Laney College Advanced Precision Machining CA is a career education program which prepares students for the highest level of work in precision manufacturing. The certificate is intended for advanced machine technology students and students with prior work experience as machinists to grow their skill sets to meet increasing demands for precision, miniaturization, complex non-prismatic geometries, exotic materials, automation and quality control in high tech sectors, like medical device, semiconductor, optics and scientific research. The coursework includes fundamentals of precision engineering, multi-axis CNC machining, micromachining, diamond turning, geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T), coordinate measuring machines (CMMs), and noncontact optical metrology.

 

Manufacturing is a major component of the Bay Area's economy. Due to high local labor costs, the focus is on high value-added, high tech sectors, like medical device, semiconductor, biomedical, optics and scientific research. The department's graduates are employed by a variety of organizations, including national R&D labs (Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, UC Berkeley Physics/Chemistry/Mechanical Engineering, Stanford Linear Accelerator, NASA Ames Research Center), manufacturing start-ups at the old Alameda Naval Airfield (Astra, Kairos Power, Natel Energy, Saildrone, DOER Marine Operations), other manufacturing companies (Tesla, Amber Kinetics, Arris Composites, Atomic Machines, Zygo Extreme Precision Optics, Applied Fusion) and general machine shops (Oakland Machine works, Diamond Tool and Die, FM Industries, BART Manufacturing, Valence Precision, Terminal Manufacturing, Benchmark Industries, Hawk CNC, Paragon Machine works). In addition, the department is trying to build relationships with medical and semiconductor device manufacturers in the South Bay, as well as the R&D arms of tech giants Google, Apple and Facebook.

 

As an example, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory currently has openings for 40 machinists and another 40 mechanical technicians. They have one of the best apprenticeship programs in the region, but they are unable to meet their workforce development needs with in-house training alone. LLNL and the machine technology department have been developing a mutually beneficial relationship to increase the quantity and quality of job candidates. LLNL has been advising on curriculum, conducting tours of their facilitites for students, providing internships for faculty and donating equipment. Instructor Adam Balogh completed a two week internship during Summer 2022 in NIF Target Fabrication at LLNL where he gained important knowledge and skills in ultraprecision and micromachining. In turn, the machine technology department has been acquiring new equipment and developing new curriculum to better prepare students for the excellent career opportunities at LLNL and elsewhere.

 

The aforementioned sectors are beset by new technical challenges due to the increasing demands for precision, miniaturization, complex non-prismatic geometries, exotic materials, automation and quality control. Parts are often made from hard-to-machine materials like technical ceramics and require complex non-prismatic features which may be as small as a few microns with submicron or nanometer tolerances and subnanometer surface roughness. The technologies and techniques used to work in this realm are qualitatively different than for general machining. The department is developing a course MACH 32 - Multi-Axis Machining which will address the increasing needs for automation and complex non-prismatic geometries in industry. The department is developing another course MACH 214 - Ultraprecision and Micromachining which will address the increasing needs for precision and miniaturization in industry. The department already has a course MACH 75 -GD&T with CMMs which addresses the increasing needs for quality control.

Program Outcomes

1.     Demonstrate safe work procedures while operating CNC machine tools and other shop equipment. This includes selection and use of personal protective equipment, disposal of hazardous materials, working around particulates, material handling, parts cleaning, lab hygiene.

2.     Develop a foundation of skills for setup, operation and programming of advanced CNC machine tools and metrology equipment to manufacture complex parts and inspect them to ensure they meet engineering specifications. Machine tools include 5-axis machining centers, turning centers with live tooling, diamond turning machines. Metrology equipment includes high resolution electronic gages, coordinate measuring machines, measuring microscopes, profilometers, 3D optical profilers, interferometers.

3.     Demonstrate technical literacy in reading and writing technical documents and conducting independent research; determining required specifications based on engineering drawings and part function; applying mathematics in problem solving; programming in G-code with macro variables, using conversational programming, using CAM software; applying the principles of precision engineering, such as kinematic design, to work holding and measuring problems.

 

Item 2.            Catalog Description

The Laney College Advanced Precision Machining CA is a career education program which prepares students for the highest level of work in precision manufacturing. The certificate is intended for advanced machine technology students and students with prior work experience as machinists to grow their skill sets to meet increasing demands for precision, miniaturization, complex non-prismatic geometries, exotic materials, automation and quality control in high tech sectors, like medical device, semiconductor, optics and scientific research. The coursework includes fundamentals of precision engineering, multi-axis CNC machining, micromachining, diamond turning, geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T), coordinate measuring machines (CMMs),and noncontact optical metrology.

Item 4.            Master Planning

 

This certificate represents a solution to the high demand for skilled labor in advanced manufacturing in the Bay Area. The courses represent real world models of design and manufacturing; offer students the ability to gain valuable experience necessary for entry-level and apprentice placement in the workforce, as well as upskilling for career advancement.

 

 

Item 5.            Enrollment and Completer Projections

 

Interest in this community based and job-focused certificate of achievement is expected to be modest at first and grow quickly through marketing efforts to bring this program into broader community awareness.  Enrollment and completion of the Advanced Precision Machining Certificate of Achievement are projected to be at least 10 per year after inaugural first two years of this program.

 

Item 6.            Place of Program in Curriculum/Similar Programs

 

a)      There are no active inventory records that need to be changed in connection with the approval of the proposed program.  

b)     This program does not replace any existing program on the college’s inventory. 

c)      Laney currently has a Machine Technology CA and AS degree. .  

 

Item 7.            Similar Programs at Other Colleges in Service Area

 

Laney is the only college in the district that offers machine technology curriculum.  Outside of our district, two other colleges in our service area offer a similar curriculum: Chabot College and Diablo Valley College. Note that these programs are not equivalent in scope and depth to the proposed certificate program.

Requirements	Dept. Name/#	Name	Units	Laney GE	Sequence
Core Courses (10 units)	MACH 032	Multi-Axis CNC Machining	4.0		Yr 1, Fall
	MACH 075	Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing	2.0		Yr 1, Fall
	MACH 214	Ultraprecision and Micromachining	4.0		Yr 1, Fall
Total Units			10

The department has acquired several pieces of equipment which are critical to our ability to offer this curriculum. The department purchased or is in the process of purchasing several machine tools capable of multi-axis machining (Haas UMC500, Haas ST-10Y, Haas ST-10 with live tooling) and accessories which enable our existing machine tools to perform multi-axis operations (Haas TRT100). We also received as donations two machine tools. The first is a Kern microprecision milling machine donated by Kern Microtechnik. The second is a Precitech diamond turning machine donated by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. These machines will allow us to manufacture extremely small and precise parts. The department already has (from previous years of grant funding) two coordinate measuring machines (Mitutoyo Crysta, Zeiss Duramax). And we are currently working on acquiring two critical pieces of metrology equipment: a digital measuring microscope (Olympus/Evident STM7) and a 3D optical profiler (KLA Filmetrics ProFilm3D). A digital measuring microscope combines the functionality of a conventional toolmaker's microscope with advanced image analysis. It's a critical tool for noncontact, nondestructive inspection of very small dimensions, like center positions of holes, radii and other complex 2D profiles. A 3D optical profiler uses white light interferometry to generate 3D images of surfaces and measure height variations to sub-nanometer precision. It's a critical tool for noncontact, nondestructive characterization of surface roughness and topography. The Advanced Precision Machining Certificate is an exciting opportunity for Laney College to be at the cutting edge of new manufacturing technology. It will play a critical role in the development of the Bay Area's economy. It will also attract students and employers from other parts of the state and neighboring states.

Chabot College: Adam Hathaway, Machine Tool Tech Instructor, 510-723-2673, ahathaway@chabotcollege.edu; emailed and called them; as of 12/13/22 no reply Diablo Valley College: Jeffrey George Smith, Robotics & Advanced Manufacturing, 925-969-2382, jsmith@dvc.edu; emailed and called them; as of 12/13/22 no reply