Hey guys I was looking at getting some clamp machines for our mid sized industrial shop and I was wondering if there were any recommendations.

Please let me know your thoughts and tips / tricks to find a cheap one would be great.

Thank you

Hey everyone!

I'm a freelance CAD designer, and recently I had a couple of clients who needed their STL/3D scan files converted into proper STEP/STP CAD files so they could send them to a manufacturer.

That got me thinking that there might be others here who occasionally need similar help.

I can help with things like:

• STL/mesh → STEP/STP
• Reverse engineering from scans or existing parts
• Part design/modifications
• Creating CAD models from measurements or sketches

I'm still building my freelance work in this area, so I'm always interested in taking on new projects and learning from different types of parts.

If you have something you need converted, redesigned, or modeled, feel free to DM me with some details/pictures. I'm happy to take a look and see if I can help.

Thanks!

If you live in Arkansas and you're in need of a good job opportunity, this is for you, even if you have zero work experience.

The job market right now is... not the best it's ever been, but the industry that everyone's overlooked is CNC machining. No one really knows about this yet because they haven't started advertising beyond their socials yet, but ASU 3 Rivers in Benton, AR just opened up their brand new CNC training course where they teach CNC operating, programming, and 3D design. They offer a certificate of completion you can use to upgrade your resume and give you the edge over the other applicants.

The best part, if you're an Arkansas resident, the Arkansas Workforce Challenge Scholarship can cover up to the entire $3,000 tuition, and the course is only up to 120 hours, so if you're even remotely interested, you might as well give it a shot. It's a stand alone course and it's basically free, so you might as well!

If you wanna give it a shot, here's a link to their facebook post about the course:

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1F24R94vb2/

and here's a link to the scholarship page:

ADHE Scholarship Application Management System - Scholarship - AWC

I’m preparing for an interview for a CNC Programmer role and wanted to know what kind of questions are commonly asked.For those working as CNC programmers or who have recently attended interviews, could you share some questions you were asked?

This is a scenario I have run into a few times designing parts for CNC Machining. I know you need to have fillets on concave vertical edges. But what is the best way to treat the convex edges at the bottom? I have read that you can just keep them sharp but what if I need to add a fillet or chamfer to the bottom edges? Where the interactions get more complex is the corners where the fillets and chamfers meet. I'll start with the simple questions.

1. Is a fillet of chamfer better for the convex edges at the bottom of a pocket?
2. Should the fillet be larger, smaller or the same radius as the vertical edges and/or are there specific sizes that are better (typically work with small ~100mm, aluminum parts, often the pockets can be nearly as deep as they are wide ~20-50mm)
3. Fillets applied first with a chamfer following the fillet at the bottom seems ok to me as long as the fillet is bigger than the chamfer but please confirm. would it be significantly better or worse to put a fillet at the bottom instead?
4. What' do I do when a chamfer meets a vertical wall? I am assuming that the edge selected in the first screenshot with be machined with a vertical orientation since there are 4 of these ribs in a circular pattern around a cylinder.
5. Similar to question 4 is there a way to make it work when two chamfers meet besides filleting the vertical edge before the chamfer is created like example 3?

Sorry if this is a bit long but there are a lot of ways to do this in CAD and I am trying to figure out which ones are possible and which ones are preferable. In some scenarios I may not be able to get around the interaction of chamfers and fillets. The machinists we typically work with don't give us a lot of feedback and I know they have a 5 axis machine so I am wondering if they will sometimes just machine something that is way harder than it needs to be without saying something. I just want to have a better understanding thx.

I handle business development for LNT Machining, a small precision CNC shop in the Bay Area, and I’m trying to better understand how engineers, buyers, and other shops evaluate a new machining supplier.

Obviously quality, price, and lead time matter, but when you’ve never worked with a shop before, what actually makes you comfortable sending them that first RFQ or PO?

Is it certifications, equipment, quick quoting, DFM feedback, inspection capability, responsiveness, referrals, visiting the shop, or something else?

I’m genuinely trying to learn what separates the shops people trust from the ones that just look good on paper.

I was scraping through the website in search of Apprenticeship. For so many reasons options seem less than what I anticipated. Is it better for me to go and join a certificate course and wait two years before entering into the field of CNC machine operator outside.

I came to know about this later during a career test that I am not suited for an accounting job that I was having trouble with.

Many options came, I was looking for a physical active work. That's how I came to the CNC machine operator and came to the understanding of why it suits me .

Specific reason why I asked this is because I only have 3 months Max to convince my family and move out. I need some skills that can actually support me and help me work calmly.

Writing in hope to get an answer

Hi everyone,

I’m 26 and currently considering a career change toward manufacturing and engineering. One of the paths I’m seriously interested in is CNC machining.

[ Removed by Reddit on account of violating the content policy. ]

Finding the right manufacturing partner is about more than getting a competitive price.

For industrial applications, the quality and consistency of individual parts can affect assembly, equipment performance, maintenance requirements, and overall production schedules.

When sourcing machined metal parts, I think businesses should consider:

• Technical understanding: Can the manufacturer understand drawings, dimensions, and application requirements?
• Production capability: Can they handle the required component size, material, and production volume?
• Quality control: Are critical dimensions checked during and after production?
• Consistency: Can similar quality be maintained across repeat orders?
• Communication: Is the supplier responsive when specifications or requirements need clarification?
• Delivery planning: Can production schedules support the customer's supply requirements?

This becomes especially important for industries such as automotive, agriculture, railways, heavy machinery, and other engineering applications.

At Vaani Precision Industry, the focus is on manufacturing industrial metal parts with attention to process requirements, dimensional accuracy, and consistent production.

I spent about two years on the floor at a pump manufacturing place before I started building software, and there was this one thing that always bugged me. The whiteboard schedule is never actually wrong. It's just... old. Someone wrote it at 8am and by 11 a machine's down and now it's fiction, but nobody's touched it yet so it still looks true.

Got curious a few weeks back and actually timed it at a shop I know. Machine goes down, how long till someone can tell you which orders are now going to be late and which customers need a heads up.

Wasn't seconds. Wasn't even a minute. It's a person walking the floor, checking what's queued behind that machine, doing math in their head about which jobs shift where, and usually this is the same person who's also the one who'll get the angry call later. Ten, fifteen minutes if nothing else interrupts them, which it usually does.

For a shop running 4-5 machines that's annoying but fine, the owner probably already half-knows the answer. Once you're past 10-12 machines with a real order book it's a different story, that 15 minutes is now happening multiple times a day and the schedule is basically never accurate for more than an hour at a stretch.

The spreadsheet crowd doesn't actually have it better btw, just thought that was worth saying since I hear "we moved to Excel" a lot like it's the fix. It's the same manual re-sequencing, just with more columns.

Not selling anything here, just been in my head lately about how normal it is to eat that 15 minutes as a cost of doing business when it doesn't really have to be one. Curious if this matches what other shops deal with or if I'm overthinking a problem that isn't actually that common.

https://reddit.com/link/1w0lmlw/video/daujxdst23mh1/player

A short video explaining how ultra-precision motion technology is used in areas like semiconductor manufacturing and healthcare. Worth a watch if you're interested in engineering or motion control: https://youtu.be/fihkpYRQ7MI

Hello everyone, I am a brazilian guy and im doing SENAI that is basically a famous training company and im doing a operator, preparator and programmer training with 3 months of duration so I can work in the area of CNC.

Im very interested in the area and im thinking in start a cad/cam training after ending that and try to become a professional in the field, I want to know about people already working in the field how rewarding CNC field can be, is really good to make a future? to work at it?

Sorry for mistakes at the text, i maded it solo without translator.

My family runs a toolroom (multiple machines including CNCs, VMCs, lathes, hydraulic presses, Zeiss CMM for inspection) that's been doing automotive gauges, jigs & fixtures for the domestic market for years. I'm considering building an export-focused business around this, sourcing from our shop plus eventually a small network of other certified toolrooms, selling to automotive OEMs/Tier 1s/Tier 2s internationally.

Before I go deep into certification (IATF 16949) and outreach, I want an honest reality check from people who actually buy or sell in this space:

• Are Indian toolrooms genuinely competitive for gauges/jigs/fixtures internationally, or is this space already crowded/commoditized?
• If you're a buyer (sourcing manager, quality engineer, procurement), what actually makes you trust a new supplier enough to place a trial order? Certifications alone, or something else?
• If you're already exporting similar products, what's your honest experience been? Worth it, or more trouble than it's worth?
• Any specific markets (Europe, US, SEA, Middle East, Germany) where this kind of precision tooling is in more demand right now than others?

Not trying to sell anything here, genuinely trying to figure out if this is a real opportunity or if I'm romanticizing a niche that doesn't actually have international pull. Appreciate any honest take.

When companies source machined components for industries such as railways, automotive, aerospace, defence, and agriculture, the lowest price is not always the most important factor.

A reliable manufacturing partner should be evaluated on factors such as:

• Consistency in production quality
• Ability to maintain dimensional accuracy
• Suitable VMC and CNC machine capabilities
• Material and process knowledge
• Inspection and quality-control practices
• Capacity to handle repeat and bulk requirements
• Clear communication and dependable delivery schedules

The manufacturing process also matters. A component may look simple, but its performance can depend on tolerances, surface finish, material selection, machining accuracy, and proper inspection.

At Vaani Precision Industry, the focus is on supporting industrial requirements through the manufacturing of machined metal parts and components for different application areas. For buyers and procurement teams, choosing a supplier with the right technical capabilities can help reduce production issues and improve long-term supply reliability.

So ive been working at a shop for a couple years now amd they've had me looking after the cnc machine. It's been mainly hands on learning but I want to go to school so I can get a better understanding/education for it. What degree/classes would I be looking for?

**Saskatoon/Saskatchewan employers! I’m trying to help my friend find a new home in the machining industry.**

I’m posting this personally because I genuinely believe this guy deserves a chance, and I’m not willing to sit back and watch him lose the life he has built here.

My friend Anto is a **CNC machinist in Saskatoon** who was recently laid off through no fault of his own. He is originally from India and is currently in Canada on a **Post-Graduation Work Permit** that expires October 17, 2026.

He already has a **Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP) nomination and federal PR application in progress**, but unfortunately his nomination is tied to his previous employer. His immigration consultant has advised him that he needs to find a new employer willing to support the SINP employment process and ultimately an LMIA-exempt closed work permit.

His occupation is **NOC 72100 – Machinists and machining and tooling inspectors**.

He has:
• Over 3 years of Canadian work experience in a Manufacturing Environment
• 1.9 years specifically as a machinist
• CNC machining experience
• Manufacturing Management & Design Integration education from an Ontario college
• Additional machining training through his last employer
• Excellent English
• A strong work ethic and a genuinely great attitude

But more importantly, **he’s an outstanding friend and colleague.**

He’s hardworking, respectful, reliable, and has become a part of our community here in Saskatoon. He loves living here, loves the people and culture, and wants to build his future in Saskatchewan.

I’m hoping someone in the Saskatoon/Saskatchewan manufacturing, machining, oil & gas, agriculture, heavy equipment, or industrial sectors might know of a company that is hiring a CNC machinist and would be willing to work with him on the immigration side.

If you are an employer, hiring manager, machinist, shop manager, or know someone who may be able to help, **please DM me.**

I would be happy to put you directly in contact with him and provide his resume.

I refuse to believe that the only solution is sending a hardworking guy back to a country he doesn’t want to return to when he has already built a life and contributed here.

**Let’s see if Saskatchewan can come through for one of its own.**

I am currently going to school for degree in machining and have just gotten a job as an operator at a local shop just so that I have some practical experience with the field.

With the way that technology and automation is heading in this field would it be worth it to take a course in robotic automation systems as well as my degree? Or what other courses would you suggest to "future proof" my education? my schooling is pretty cheap and I enjoy learning so taking more classes isn't an issue for me