What is CAD/CAM Software?Computer Aided Design. In reference to software, it is the means of designing and creating geometry and models that can be used in the process of product manufacturing. Computer Aided Manufacturing. In reference to software, it is the means of processing a designed part model, creating machine toolpath for its various components and creating an NC program that is then sent to a CNC Machine tool to be made.The purpose of CAD-CAM is to automate CNC programming and allow innovators, designers and cnc businesses to manufacture products, bringing them to market faster and more profitably than ever before. It is the concept of producing goods faster and for less.Manufacturers of The FutureIn 2013 and beyond, thousands of students in North America alone are currently planning to enter careers in Manufacturing. From Advanced Mechanical Design, Fabrication, Aerospace Engineering and Aircraft Manufacturing to Industrial Engineering, Automotive and CNC Machining, these students will be the future of Manufacturing moving forward. They will be the innovators, the creators and architects that will design and make all of the products we use on a daily basis. As design and manufacturing technology advances, so does the look and usability of the products we buy and use. Costs are driven down and the speed in which products are brought to market increases. This means that we can buy products from dishwashers to cell phones cheaper while enjoying a broader selection to choose from.While software providers are constantly moving forward in the development of CAD/CAM software, adding new automation and making it more intuitive than the last software revisions, you will agree that there needs to be a swiftly moving system of keeping these students on par with the cutting edge of CNC automation. Thus ensuring their survival once they land in shops and manufacturing businesses around the world.Here are some of the real-world challenges that educators and schools face when including manufacturing CAD/CAM technology in their curriculums.Focused Manufacturing CurriculumsA common challenge for CAD/CAM in Education has to do with the type of applications or even industries being taught along with the curriculum segments revolving around software as it relates to that specific industry or application. In 2008 a panel of manufacturing and business professionals were interviewed by O & P.com, an online resource for Orthotics and Prosthetics companies. The interviews focused on CAD/CAM software in education and the results were surprising. These business professionals really felt that there was a serious lack of professional training available in the area of CAD design and CAM machining technology.Some of them had even gone so far as to provide seminars on the subject at schools and universities in an effort to get educators more involved in the subject so that there would be some support for the industry moving forward. It makes sense. Even now in 2013 there is no CAD/CAM software product that caters to the design and manufacturing of prosthetics as an example. The closest form of CAD/CAM for a specific application would be special dental prosthetic products that cater to the dental industry. But what about the rest? Software is used for CNC automation in just about every available type of application today without schools having to find custom-specific application type systems.The solution has to be available where CAD/CAM providers work directly with the educator, teacher or school to develop curriculums that deal with specific applications in order to tune down the product and be more application focused. While many CAD/CAM providers will help, education still suffers because of budgets and the high price of implementing software for such cases.Educational Budget CutsMany states are currently looking at budget cuts for fiscal years 2014 and 2015 that will drop higher education budgets below 2008/2009 levels. The dollar amount spent per student in 2013 is down by more than half in over 50% of the US. In fact, 26 states will spend less per student in fiscal year 2013 than the year before and 35 are still spending at levels lower than before the recession, after adjusting for inflation. The truth is, we are going nowhere fast when it comes to financially investing in the manufacturers of our future. The solution is for CAD/CAM providers to change the way they think when it comes to supplying education with cutting edge cnc machining software products. We have to be smarter and make technology software implementation easier for schools at all levels than ever before. Many providers offer educational discounts, yet the costs are still well out of range. Not only this but what about the student that graduates and enters the workforce? If the student was trained on a $15,000-$20,000 CNC Programming system, how are they going to take a seat with them to their new employer? CNC Software for milling, turning, routing, water jet, plasma or laser can cost a substantial amount of money. There must be a solution to make NC programming technology more accessible to graduating students.Keeping Curriculums FreshAnother challenge for educators focuses on existing curriculums having to be continuously updated and modified in order to keep them current with manufacturing technology as it is developed moving forward. Again, CAD/CAM providers must have programs in place which not only address educational implementation, but that allow educators to keep them updated on the fly. Ultimately, teachers need an abundant volume of resources available to them, preferably online and accessible by mobile devices. This includes tiered tutorials, corresponding and example CAD Part Files, videos, knowledge based support, help files, Machine Post Processors and all other product support and training resource that empowers the teacher. Educator support should also be a phone call away. Educators that have existing curriculums should be able to easily adapt what they have to include CAD/CAM. This way implementation is simple and saves a lot of time.The SolutionGoing into 2014 the manufacturing industry is experiencing more growth. This means that the demand for CAD-CAM software will be higher. As will the need for CNC programmers that understand and know how to machine with software. This is exactly why a “Manufacturers of The Future” program is needed for education. A program that supports schools, teachers and ultimately the students. Thus, ensuring that these students will have the software they were educated on before they begin their new journey into the manufacturing workforce.Schools & TeachersA”Manufacturers of The Future” program is a solution for schools and teachers at all levels that prepares students for CNC manufacturing because it addresses the challenges that today’s schools and educators face when it comes to implementation, curriculums and plain old affordability when they are already working with tight budgets. A successful program for supporting education would include the following:
Makes individual and multi-station lab licenses very affordable
Access to 2, 3, 4 and 5 axis cad-cam cnc software
Provides no-cost Technical Support and Training Solutions to teachers
Regularly updates training material to add resources
Provides cnc machine post processors
Keeps educators informed and successful
From access to online knowledge based cad-cam support portals to multi-level software tutorials, training video products and specialized one-on-one training, educators need this level of support.StudentsWith a Manufacturers of The Future “Work Ready” campaign, students receive the support they need in low cost professional cad-cam software versions so that they are ready and are more valuable as they start working in manufacturing.
“Work Ready” allows graduating students their software at reduced costs
Available multimedia training solutions that they can take with them
Continued Education & Advanced Online Operator Certification
These three items are critical for success. Students can achieve more in their professions with them. As a student or teacher there are solutions that exist to help teach and educate manufacturing students. A Manufacturers of The Future and a Work Ready type program created and provided by CAD-CAM vendors that get together to provide a dynamic multi-level support system that accommodates all levels of CAD/CAM products will be phenamenal. This would be the most productive and helpful method possible. Who will step up and answer the call? These are exciting times for education and the future of manufacturing.
The Future of Manufacturing Education
The Accidental Project Manager: A Threat or an Opportunity?
Good Day AllAre you an accidental project manager?We hope that no one get offended by this term since the use of this term in our view is not offensive at all, rather it reflects a common reality. However, in case anyone object to the term, we truly apologize in advance and humbly ask you to read on and you might find out that our intentions are good-hearted.DefinitionSo what is the accidental project manager? Is it someone who is clumsy and stumbles into too many accidents? Absolutely not!It is a term that somewhat common to use. It typically refers to a professional who is educated, experienced, and practicing in one function or domain, such as: engineering, programming, marketing, human resources, finance, general business, art, and healthcare, among many other fields. This professional, at one time or another, is tasked with managing a project related to their function or department, such as an engineering related project, learning and development project, a media project, or any other project. Now, the challenge is that more often than none, this professional might not have any experience or education or training in project management yet they are still asked to manage a project.In other words, the professional is accidentally, or by chance/coincidence, get to manage a project although that was not likely a preferred career choice. Managing the project can be on a part-time or full-time basis. Once the project is complete, the professional resume his or her normal functional duties and maybe never manage a project again.The OpportunityFor many professionals the above bring about a great opportunity. An opportunity to take on a new challenge, and acquire new and highly valuable skills; management skills. These skills are in demand in today’s economy and life and are transferable to many domains, including managing personal non-work initiatives.If the person does a good job in managing the first project, she/he might be given an opportunity to manage another, and another, and maybe shift totally into project management and become a career project manager. A career PM is someone who chose project management as a career choice and shifted from whatever career they were in before. The transition might not be easy but would be quite rewarding.The ThreatsThe threat to the professional and the organization is that the accidental PM might not be ready to manage a project and as a result they might not do well on the first project. If the project has a significant degree of complexity, then the project might even fail and we are likely to blame the project manager. Could this be the error of the accidental PM? Basically, the professional is given a new “challenge” as the boss might have said, yet this professional who is given the challenge might not have the characteristics that is necessary for a good career project manager. Further, this person might not have been given the necessary education or know how to manage the projects and would not be fair to blame her/him.Therefore, the threat in this case is double edge: on the personal aspects, the accidental project manager is likely to feel responsible for the failure and this situation might hurt them professionally and personally. In some cases the consequences could be severe and detrimental to the person’s career. The other aspect for this situation is the organizational aspect. Here we have a failed project with cost and schedule impact – at least. If the project is for a client, the damage could be significant.In short, all involved lose in this scenario.The SolutionOne solution is to have all project managers educated and trained in project management but we do not believe this is necessary for all type of projects. For major capital investment projects, and projects that are very important for an organization we need the necessary preparation before we should put a project manager in charge.However, many projects, especially those in our day-to-day life and business, can be managed effectively with accidental project managers with some preparation. But we should not throw the person into the ocean and expect them to reach the shores safely if they do not know how to swim. We need to teach them the necessary to survive, maybe in a large pool and not the ocean; for the ocean we need an expert swimmer.How can we do that? Have the professional works on projects to see what it is like. Provide some basic project management learning opportunities. Have the person work as an assistant project manager under the supervision of a more experienced professional. All of these actions will enhance the chance of success and minimize the chance of failure. This way, we would have effectively managed the risk of the accidental project manager and the professional gain new skills while the organization enjoys the benefits of a new service or product.For all professionals out in the world, welcome the opportunity to manage a project and it may change your life. If the organization gives you the task without getting you ready, prepare on your own – seek the new knowledge and best of all learn how to apply it. We wish you an enjoyable and exciting journey of learning and growth.By the way, the author started his career as an engineer and then moved to projects.
Digital Marketing Training
Hearing a lot of buzz about Digital Marketing? Wondering what’s all the hype about? Read on!As the digital marketing field continues to grow at a rapid pace, marketers are springing with new opportunities. A Digital Marketing Training Course has been created keeping in mind current industry standards. It is an initiative designed to educate students and professors in the field of Digital Marketing. A certification from Google is the best way to make your CV stand out. It will portray you’ve got genuine digital skills, and that you are motivated to work in today’s business world.Digital marketing promotes both products and services using digital technologies, like Internet, mobile phones and many other digital mediums. Students that complete the course and get certified will have skills learned that help them shape their strategy for the competition.Here are few kinds of marketing techniques by which promoting takes place – Your website, Blog posts, eBooks and white papers, Social media channels (Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, etc.), Earned online coverage (PR, social media, and reviews), Online brochures, Branding assets like logos, fonts, etc.Here are some tactics used Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Content Marketing, Inbound Marketing, Social Media Marketing, Pay-Per-Click (PPC), Affiliate Marketing, Native Advertising, Marketing Automation, Email Marketing. The best part about Digital marketing training is that it can work for any business in any industry regardless of what companies are selling, marketing still involves building out buyer personas to identify your audience’s needs, and creating valuable online content.There’s approximately 150,000 digital jobs predicted by 2020 and not enough digital professionals to fill them. This provides those studying digital-marketing course with a unique competitive advantage – you’re gearing yourself up for a career where demand exceeds supply. Always a good move. Rarely a week goes by without a new onslaught of digital Marketing jobs announced for multinationals and national brands.Digital-Marketing training is “Evergreen” career choice. The marketing, technology is constantly evolving, hence need for re-skilling is must these days. Churn your future with an impressive digital job.Search EnginesSince most people enter the web using a search engine, knowing how it works and knowing how to make oneself visible through a search engine is paramount. Through search engine marketing you can create a brand presence, or make a sale, or get a customer lead that can later be closed through direct marketing channels.Knowing all options that are possible for branding and marketing through search engines is necessary to be a good promoter for a company.There are 5 strategies for search engine marketing.Search Engine Optimization (SEO)Pay-Per-Click (PPC)Contextually Targeted Text AdsPaid Inclusion andDigital Asset OptimizationCompanies that use SEO and PPC are the highest.Facebook and other Social Media MarketingOne must understand the complex dynamics of people interaction on social media. People interact with a brand while on social media either by seeing an advertisement, or Facebook page, or a picture etc. and they comment on the product or share or give feedback to other friends and relatives. Cashing in on this social presence is a part of digital marketing.Email MarketingGiving a consumer an option to receive emails about the product, discounts, offers and events. They must be relevant and interesting and motivate the consumer to go to the business website or buy.WebsiteBuilding a website with a logical hierarchy in its navigation based on the goal of the website is an important skill to acquire. Website can be of HTML, PHP or WordPress depending on our interest.Mobile MediaSince most of our population spends more time on mobile phones than on desktops and computers one must learn how to adapt ads, webpages and social media images to the mobile phone.Many companies have a mobile app for purchase of product and that too falls under the purview of digital marketing.To be an expert in the field of digital marketing one must have knowledge on how to bring together a campaign on all platforms simultaneously. Knowing how to link email to Facebook, Instagram, tweeter and your web page.Digital Marketing is a huge and exciting field that is progressing fast. Companies are forever on a quest to find skilled digital media personnel to help grow their business. This is the only way businesses can stay ahead of their competition.