Hands-on and online learning bring growth opportunities. Programmers, operators, and maintenance professionals can maximize results with a Siemens CNC to become indispensable on the shop floor and in their careers. Owners can maximize ROI in all areas of investment: machines, people, and operations.
CNC professionals from around the world are taking advantage of Siemens’ free training paths: hands-on and online. As an operator, people can gain the skills to maximize the machine output, increase value to businesses, and further their careers. Owners can skill up their staff to generate more shop-floor revenue.
“At the Siemens Technical Application Center, our goal is the education of CNC operators, programmers, and maintenance professionals,” said Randy Pearson, technical application center manager for Siemens. “We aim to enhance and expand the knowledge and capacity of our students on SINUMERIK controls. If you want to become a power user, we have the courses for you. We also provide essential training to machine tool builders, importers, and dealers.”
Through a team of knowledgeable Siemens instructors, users can gain first-hand experience working on the types of machines they will encounter in their own shops. A comprehensive schedule guides the journey from introductory classes through advanced 5-axis programming.
“Every month we provide level one courses on milling and turning,” said Pearson. “Level two courses explore advanced G-Code programming, while level three focuses on multi-axis programming.” Classes are taught by Siemens machining experts, bringing a wealth of real-world experiences to bear, using several different teaching methods including:
- SINUTRAIN PC-based classroom sessions.
- Simulator-based classroom training.
- Hands-on machining using industry-leading brands.
In addition, service and maintenance classes are available to teach personnel how to perform PLC and drive diagnostics, check the topology of the system, commission, and troubleshoot the system.
Getting to a Siemens training center may not always be possible but there are other options. Live, online courses are presented monthly, which include insightful question and answer sessions. Courses are archived and available on-demand, so they can be accessed anywhere, anytime. Siemen’s ever-growing CNC online learning resources are updated with new and fresh courses often. Plus, for larger groups, custom online training sessions are available.
“Our online campus, featuring dozens of technical webinars, is located at usa.siemens.com/cnc4you,” said Chris Pollack, virtual technical application center manager for Siemens. “All of the topics that are covered in our hands-on classroom courses — such as variable-based programming, logic-based programming, and multi-axis milling and turning — are covered online as well.
“We have a strategy for how we want people and manufacturing to excel,” Pollack said. “You may begin with a five-minute how-to video as an introduction. You will then be motivated to immerse yourself in a webinar or two and really start digging into a topic. You can follow that up by enrolling in a self-paced learning module or an instructor-led class to start engaging hands-on with the technology at a high level.”
The curriculum not only provides hands-on experience using actual Siemens CNCs, but it focuses on many of the trends that are shaping today’s machining industry.
Courses are in four main categories: milling, turning, general operations, and maintenance/service. These categories provide everything programmers, operators, and maintenance staff need to advance their careers, and everything a shop owner needs to turn their shop into a competitive powerhouse.
Machine shops are finding that today’s digital-savvy workforce more readily interacts with controls that speak their digital language. The SINUMERIK CNC platform is based on a modern, app-like interface that is easily engaged shop-wide, from 3-axis all the way to full 5-axis machining.
Machine shops are addressing fierce competitive time and cost pressures. Training staff on mixed-technology machines that do the work of two or more machines simplifies scheduling, reduces setups, and accelerates production. SINUMERIK CNC simplifies the integration of automated processes, such as robotics, that allow you to do much more, in much less time.
MORE INFO usa.siemens.com/cnc4you
