Davies becomes owner of state's only Swiss-style CNC machine | News | valleybreeze.com

Valley Breeze Staff Writer

Isabel Camacho, a senior in the advanced manufacturing program at Davies, operates the state’s only Swiss-style CNC machine.

LINCOLN – Representatives from William M. Davies Jr. Career and Technical High School say a new Swiss-style CNC machine will allow students in the manufacturing program to receive the most advanced education possible.

The CNC (computer numerical control) machine is a precision manufacturing machine using a special type of lathe to create small, intricate parts with great speed and accuracy. Thanks to a donation from the Robert E. Morris Corporation, Davies becomes the only educational facility in the state to own a CNC machine of this kind, they said.

Last Wednesday, Oct. 16, David Chenevert, president of the Rhode Island Manufacturer’s Association, along with Brad Morris, president and CEO of the Morris Corporation, unveiled the $150,000 machine to local officials and members of the Davies Board of Trustees.

During the event, officials such as state Reps. Seth Magaziner and Gabe Amo, among other speakers, emphasized the importance of the next generation of manufacturers.

“I’d be shocked if they don’t all get a job the day they graduate,” Morris said of the advanced manufacturing students.

Briar Dacier, an advanced manufacturing teacher at Davies, said having the new CNC machine is “game changing,” and “bar none, the biggest and best technology Davies manufacturing has had to date.”

Since the purpose of Davies is to give students hands-on experience to prepare them for life postgrad, Dacier noted that it’s extremely important for the curriculum to be in alignment with current industry standards.

He explained that having access to technology such as the Swiss style CNC machine allows students to learn and practice using the machine they will eventually be working on once they graduate. Not only does this practice give students confidence, said Dacier, it also gives them a competitive advantage when searching for a job.

“Employers will see that our students have a background in programming and operating this style of machine, and since we’re the only school in the state to have this, it automatically sets our students up to be even more successful than they already are,” Dacier said.

When Isabel Camacho, a Davies senior from Central Falls, was asked about the CNC machine, she told The Breeze that she had “no words to describe how incredible it is.”

“This machine is so advanced, and I think once we graduate and we’re in the workforce, these will be the types of machines that we encounter daily. Having the chance to learn with this now, and even running into issues and learning how to problem-solve, is so crucial, so once we are in a work setting, we know exactly what we’re doing,” she said.

Through the advanced manufacturing program, Camacho has become a quality technician in training at Greystone of Lincoln.

Director of CTE Susan Votto said that so far this year, Davies students have completed about 20,000 hours of work-related learning. She said she and everyone at Davies is grateful for the partnerships between the school and local businesses.

Valley Breeze Staff Writer

This is so awesome to see. I hope these students appreciate this new technology especially made by the Swiss. They manufacture the best machines in the world, top notch equipment. CNC machinist are very hard to find. My word of advice, if you as a student really enjoy running a CNC machine strive to be the best at it. CNC operators are VERY hard to find. You can earn a very good paycheck being a CNC operator, you are worth a lot. Good luck to you all who have the ambition to want to learn CNC..........................

So happy these students have this available to them. Competition for employment is difficult and having this access to new tech is so important. Kudos to Davies!

Log In

Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup.

Error! There was an error processing your request.

We'll send breaking news and news alerts to you as they happen!

Best trending stories from the week.

Best trending stories from the week.

Best trending stories from the week.

Best trending stories from the week.

Best trending stories from the week.

If you're interested in submitting a Letter to the Editor, click here.