Coaster Project
CNC milled coaster
The coaster project was a part of the Haas CNC Mill Operator Certification process in MECH 200 at CSU. The coaster started as a piece of extruded bar stock, which was then operated on in a Haas TM-1P CNC mill. The other product from this project was a Haas Basic Mill Operator certificate, which is yet to arrive.
Lessons learned
Make sure to study the video content from the Haas Mill Operator course and to be comfortable with it before the exam
Have the fundamentals down, get practice with the CNC and the tools you will need during the exam such as a dial caliper, micrometer, refractometer, and steel ruler
Spend the time before the exam to become familiar with the materials being used for testing
Spend time walking around the CNC and identify the components
Stay calm and collected during the exam and focus on what you need to know
Cost analysis for one coaster
Efficiency improvement proposal
Switching all the tooling to carbide, and using a CNC mill that can operate at the ideal spindle speed for the tooling (probably above the 6000 rpm cap of the Haas toolroom mills) could increase operation speed
Alter workholding such that more than one coaster can be milled during an operation. Ideally, milling an entire bar or sheet of stock at once would be optimal