b'Traditional skills could help modern training.By Christopher Tate from working on machine toolsof people in the labor market. Man-from the 1940s and 50s when Iufacturers need employees in front Iwritten articles for Cuttinglearned the craft. The experiencesof machining centers. It is difficult to have Tool Engineering for a decade. Ifgained on those old machines al- argue that this is the wrong method you have read any of those stories,lowed me to solve problems en- if you have tried to hire a machinist you may have recognized that I pos- countered on modern machines. Aanytime in the past decade. How-sess an affinity for old-school machin- unique symbiotic relationship existsever, I have seen young machin-ing and engineering. I like machinesbetween old-school machining andists and toolmakers struggle signifi-with handles, cranks and scrapedmodern manufacturing that makescantly at machine shops when man-ways. I prefer indicators to controlsme consider how the new and theagers have thought that any young and enjoy the smell of cutting oil. old will interact in the future. person with a certificate from a local Although the art of conventionalI see a gap in the way we are ed- trade school could walk through the machining and toolmaking is myucating the next generation of ma- doorway and be effective.preference,mylivinghasbeenchinists and engineers. Much of ourA conventional machinist or tool-made creating modern machin- vocational education focuses onmaker does more than operate a ma-ing processes and programmingCAD, CNC programming and sim- chine. Machining is a science prac-the most advanced machine toolsilar technologies. Our foundationsticed by artisans. Making chips on a available. Modern technology is theseem to be shifting away from con- conventional lathe or knee mill trains only path to the productivity gainsventional machining methods, es- the senses because machinists use needed to further our economy, sopecially at the university level. most of their senses when making I appreciate the benefits derivedI believe that manufacturers arechips. Sight, sound, smell and touch from up-to-date machining tech- pushing the educational system to- provide a continuous stream of feed-niques and machine tools. ward high-tech manufacturing be- back used to assess the chip-making My love for the old ways camecause of the tremendous shortageprocess. With these sensory inputs, The only way to train the senses to recognize successesand failures is to stand at a machine and make chips. 46 SEPTEMBER 2023Training.indd 46 8/16/23 5:33 PM'