ATC Schools Offer Double Dose of CAD/CAM
Something unique to Atlantic Technical College in Coconut Creek, Florida, is that its campus also houses a Magnet High School. Known in the community as ATC, Atlantic Technical College and Technical High School are teaching Computer-Assisted Design (CAD) and Computer-Assisted Manufacturing (CAM) to propel interested students toward rewarding careers in today’s world of factory automation.
Kevin Finan, Instructor in the Machining Technologies Program, brings more than 25 years of practical experience to the school, having worked in automated manufacturing plants both in Europe and America. There are classroom and shop facilities for up to 12 juniors and 12 seniors in the high school and another 12 students in the college-level course. The high school students and the adult students must complete the same comprehensive program. In this Manufacturing News article, CAD/CAM Does Double Duty at ATC Schools, you can learn more.
Finan has established SOLIDWORKS® for the CAD portion of the program and Mastercam® for the CAM portion, because he believes they are the two most prevalent systems in the marketplace and the ones their graduates will most likely encounter in the real world. In addition to using Mastercam, they also purchased Mastercam University® for the students to expand their learning opportunities. Mastercam University is specifically designed to teach Mastercam in an easy, step-by-step procedure through video tutorials right on their computer screen.
Mastercam University provides modules for programming dozens of different parts, but Finan also encourages his students to create their own parts to keep their interest level high. During the past few years, all of Mr. Finan’s high school seniors and most of his tech college adults have been awarded Mastercam University Certificates, attesting to their newly acquired skills in CAD/CAM programming.
While many of ATC’s graduates are going on to 2- and 4-year colleges, the rest are being recruited into well-paying jobs in local and regional industry. Finan believes his students are embarking on exciting career paths that he has found even more exciting with each advancement in automated manufacturing.