The benefits of precision engineering are being passed on to a new generation of students following an investment in CNC machining at a school in the US.

Pupils at Charles M Russell High School in Great Falls, Montana have been given a new Haas CNC milling machine following a $36,000 (£21,000) investment, the Great Falls Tribune revealed.

The machine, which is the size of "two Mini Cooper cars stacked on top of each other", has been used in a number of ways, such as producing belt buckles out of soft aluminium after planning coordinates on a PC.

This investment has paid off in a number of ways, according to the newspaper, with the milling machine leading to more studies of trigonometry, geometry and computer programming all being essential to produce well-worked pieces.

Drilling, shaping, routing, contouring and shaving are also major topics covered through the new installation, it added.

A similar initiative might be seen in the UK in the near future following comments earlier in the year by business secretary Lord Mandelson, who highlighted the need for the UK to focus its efforts into precision engineering.

If you're searching for machining centres visit our preferred supplier list.ADNFCR-1982-ID-19169275-ADNFCR

http://www.machinetooldirect.co.uk/machine-tool-news/Haas-partnership-with-US-school-pays-off-2009-5-14.asp