| Programs that teach machine tool processes using hands-on techniques are expensive to maintain due to the cost of industrial size equipment. Therefore many programs cannot continue offering this form of hands-on instruction. While it is true that programs may need to be cost effective to survive, cutting costs at the expense of the quality of programs is not an acceptable solution. To continue offering this form of instruction, programs must explore less expensive alternatives that do not reduce the quality of instruction. Bench top metal lathes offer a possible answer to this problem because they are smaller in size and less expensive than traditional industrial lathes. The purpose of this study was to examine whether bench top metal lathes would prove to be a suitable replacement for industrial metal lathes in an educational setting.;Thirty-three students enrolled in a manufacturing processes course at the University of North Dakota, the entire professional member population of the National Association of Industrial Technology, and the alumni from the department where the survey originated participated in this study. The students all manufactured a bushing for a steam engine commonly used in the manufacturing processes class on both a bench top and an industrial metal lathe. Each student then measured the outside diameter, step diameter, and step length of each completed bushing and recorded the results. Each student then completed a survey, providing feedback about both the lathes. Professional members of NAIT and Technology Department alumni were only given the survey.;The results showed that although in many cases students did not achieve the required +/- .005" tolerance with one or both lathes, statistically there was no significant difference when comparing the two groups. In essence, both machines achieved similar results when used by the group of students in this study. This study suggests that using bench top lathes in educational settings can provide a more cost effective alternative to the use of industrial lathes without impacting the quality of programs. Using bench top lathes seems to be a viable option that will still allow programs to provide hands-on experience with machine tools. |
