Noah Rivenburgh from Sackett Educational Center and Colby Brundige from REC (Berlin CSD) work with Construction Technologies teacher Mike McGillycuddy on a precision setting on the new CNC machine.
The Construction Technologies class is always abuzz with activity. First year students work on building projects that incorporate safety, math, science and blueprint reading that show students what they can create using their minds and hands. Students produce tables, chairs, cabinetry and professional grade sheds weekly in class. In fact, many of the sheds students build are sold to members of the community – for only the cost of materials.
Construction Technologies teacher Mike McGillycuddy instructs students on blueprint drawing programs such as vCard and Sketchup, where students learn how to build from scale.
But what happens when the learning process gets stepped up a notch? What happens when a student can visualize a creative design and then can program a machine to mass produce that item? Students are getting exactly that opportunity with the addition of the Laguna Swift CNC machine. CNC, or Computer Numeric Control, is used in prototyping and full production for cutting, carving and design work used with different materials such as wood and plastic. Students in McGillycuddy’s class are learning on wood. The Laguna uses similar technology as a 3D printer but has far greater production capacity because of its size.
“We can make anything you can imagine on a piece of plywood. If they can create it and see it in their mind’s eye, it can be created on this machine. We can mass produce the same silhouette 100 or 1000 times efficiently and precisely every time,” says McGillycuddy.
Construction Technologies students build sheds like these each year sold to the community for only the cost of materials.
Students Noah Rivenburgh from Sackett Educational Center and Colby Brundige from Berlin CSD enthusiastically talked about enhanced career opportunities.
“Technology and design are the waves of the future. As technology grows, we have to grow. I get excited when I come to class and wonder what I might do today that’s really cool,” says Rivenburgh.
“It’s not a fad, it’s not going away. Computers and machine skills will help me go anywhere I want to in my career. There’s no limit and technology changes every day. We have to keep up. I want to keep up. It’s fun and exciting,” says Brundige.
Kinesthetic learners like Rivenburgh and Brundige thrive in hands-on learning environments. Both students say CTE has changed their perspective on school – and would share their experience with anyone interested in learning about Career & Technical Education.
CNC machines are being used more and more in the field to replace the worker. Does that mean that there will be fewer jobs? McGillycuddy, Rivenburgh and Brundige don’t think so.
“Only two guys will be needed in the production factory, so that means more people out in the field, where they are needed. We’ll always need houses, the trick is keeping up with all the technology everyone wants in those houses. That’s why we are learning these skills today, says Rivenburgh.
The New Laguna Swift CNC machine in Construction Technology classroom at Rensselaer Educational Center.
