Designing an open-source CNC milling machine for instructional use: Insights from K-14 educators

Abstract

The advanced manufacturing sector offers myriad career pathways, but students are often unaware of or underprepared for the workforce. A lowcost, open-source CNC milling machine affords K-14 schools with the opportunity to incorporate engineering, computer-aided design, and manufacturing into the classroom and provide students with hands-on experience and real-world skills. This paper describes the design and purpose of a low-cost CNC milling machine created by the U.S. National Science Foundation Hybrid Autonomous Manufacturing Moving from Evolution to Revolution Engineering Research Center. External K-14 educators then built and evaluated the machine to determine its feasibility to be used in classroom settings. Preliminary findings suggest that the low-cost CNC machine is a strong addition to K-14 instruction and helps prepare students for manufacturing career pathways.