A CNC Rock Star is Born FOCUS ON THE
WorkForce “I
t’s amazing what these teenag- ers can do when
they’re committed to do- ing it,” says David Tuttle. “They’re not afraid of technology at all.” Tuttle speaks from experience. He heads the Manufacturing Technol- ogy Department at Platt Technical High School (Milford, CT). In June, Jacob Hudson, his star student, won a Silver Medal and a $1500 prize in Computer Numerically
Jacob Hudson (center) won a silver medal and a $1500 prize in the CNC milling at the National Skills USA Championships in Kansas City, MO.
Controlled (CNC) Milling at the National SkillsUSA Champion- ships in Kansas City, MO. Hudson beat out top competition from all over the country.
SkillsUSA is a partnership of students, teachers, and industry working together to ensure that America will have a skilled workforce in years to come. The 54 state and territorial
won state-level competi- tions in their respective categories. Machining students like Hudson compete against each other and the clock. Of particular interest
to the manufacturing community are the CNC Milling, CNC Turning, and Precision Machin- ing competitions, which were sponsored by Haas Automation Inc. (Ox- nard, CA), the National Institute of Metalworking Skills (NIMS; Fairfax, VA)
and SME. Contestants used 36 Haas control simulators, a Haas TM-1P Toolroom Mill, and a Haas TL-1 Toolroom Lathe for the competition. We asked Hudson whether he expected to do so well at the state and national levels in CNC Milling. “I was not sur- prised,” he said. “I know the basics and built on that. I spent
“My students understand exactly what happens when material is machined. They can make intelligent material choices and troubleshoot machining centers.”
associations of SkillsUSA serve more than 300,000 students and instructors through its 13,000 school chapters. Hudson was one of almost 6000 high school, technical,
and college students who competed in Kansas City in more than 100 contests covering 94 different career categories. The Championships bring together men and women who’ve
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my first two years in Platt’s four-year program working on manual milling machines, drill press, and lathe, and started with CNC in my junior year.” Hudson’s deep knowledge of ma- chine tools—what they can and cannot do—helped him win. Platt’s Manufacturing Technology program is quite demanding. Hudson learned blueprint reading, tech-related
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