Machining

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Overview

If you’re interested in working with your hands to turn designs into the parts and products that make the world work, then a career in machining could be for you. Bellingham Technical College’s Machining program will give you training for top jobs in aerospace, manufacturing, fabricating, and CNC custom shops. You’ll be prepared to work right away as a machinist; with experience you can advance to journey-level machining, tool programming, CNC operating, or engineering.

Bellingham Technical College’s labs will train you for your career with high-tech machining equipment. In your classes, you’ll learn how to use machine tools such as lathes, drill presses, and milling machines, in addition to blueprint reading, basic CNC programming and machine processes. Employers who hire graduates from BTC’s Machining program include aircraft, boat, and automobile manufacturers, industrial machinery firms, and machine shops.

Program Outcomes

• Operate machine shop equipment such as manual lathes, manual mills, and band saws.
• Read and interpret blueprints per industry standards with an emphasis on GD&T.
• Develop and execute a plan to create parts to print specifications.
• Read, write, and edit G-code.
• Create CNC programs using conversational programming.
• Operate CNC mills and lathes while using a variety of machine controls.
• Demonstrate competency in CAD and CAM software, with an emphasis on CAM programming to create complex toolpaths for both CNC mills and lathes.
• Validate parts using measuring equipment like calipers, micrometers, bore gages, electronic height gages, and CMMs

Placement Requirements

Admissions application and assessment in Reading, Math, and Writing is required. Your placement will determine where you begin your course sequence. Contact Admissions at 360.752.8345 or at admissions@btc.edu for assistance with academic planning.

Degree and Certificate Requirements

Machining Degree and Certificate completion requires a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher and a minimum grade of C/2.0 for all general education courses.

Programs

• Machining, AAS

• Machining, AAS-T

• Principles of Machining and CNC Operation Certificate
• Quality Assurance for Machining Certificate

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