MACH 110
Machining Fundamentals 250 Hours | $3,592 | No Prerequisites | FAFSA Eligible
MACH 110 establishes the foundational skills all Advanced Manufacturing students develop before progressing to mill or lathe operations. Students earn their OSHA-10 safety certification, learn to read and interpret manufacturing blueprints, apply basic GD&T, and develop hands-on proficiency with precision measurement tools. Math is taught as a shop-floor skill covering arithmetic, fractions, unit conversions, and trigonometry as direct preparation for the technical work ahead. Students are also introduced to cutting processes, cutting fluid selection and handling, and the workholding devices used to secure parts during machining.
By the end of the course, students will have completed hands-on projects in benchwork, manual layout, drill press, and introductory mill operation, all evaluated against NIMS performance standards. These projects serve as the first demonstration that students can perform at workplace-ready levels and establish the groundwork for every credential earned from MACH 120 onward.
MACH 120
Manual Mill Operator 350 Hours | $5,030 | Prerequisite: MACH 110
MACH 120 develops hands-on proficiency on the manual milling machine, with students learning to set up equipment, select tooling, apply speeds and feeds, and machine surfaces and features to print specifications. GD&T callouts are applied in practice as students read and inspect for flatness, perpendicularity, and positional tolerances on real parts. The course also introduces surface grinding as a precision finishing process, covering abrasive theory, wheel selection and dressing, machine setup, and grinding a rectangular workpiece to specification.
Upon completion, students will have finished milling and surface grinding projects evaluated against NIMS standards and earned the NIMS Measurement, Material & Safety Certificate, a nationally recognized industry credential that demonstrates readiness to work at a professional level on manual equipment.
MACH 130
Engine Lathe Operator 350 Hours | $5,030 | Prerequisites: MACH 110 and/or MACH 120
MACH 130 shifts focus to cylindrical machining on the engine lathe, with students progressing through turning between centers, chucking operations, facing, tapering, grooving, and cutting both internal and external threads. Threading receives dedicated attention as students learn thread geometry, standards, tooling selection, and methods for cutting and inspecting threads to specification. Cutting tool materials and insert geometry are covered in depth, equipping students with the knowledge to select appropriate tooling for any operation and material.
Upon completion, students will have finished turning and chucking projects evaluated against NIMS standards and earned the NIMS Job Planning, Bench-work & Layout credential, demonstrating the ability to plan, set up, and execute machining operations on cylindrical parts at a workplace-ready level.
MACH 140
CNC Production Technician 600 Hours | $6,789 | Prerequisites: MACH 110, MACH 120, MACH 130
MACH 140 brings together the skills developed across all prior courses and applies them to CNC machining. Students learn to program, set up, and operate both CNC lathes and CNC mills, writing programs from scratch, managing offsets, applying workholding principles to CNC production, and performing real job setups on Haas equipment. Cutting tool technology is examined in depth from carbide grades and ANSI insert selection to lathe, mill, and drill tool geometry, equipping students to make informed tooling decisions in a production environment. GD&T is applied at an advanced level and inspection of both prismatic and cylindrical CNC parts is integrated throughout.
Upon completion, students will have earned the NIMS CNC Turning and CNC Milling credentials, the capstone of the RVCC Advanced Manufacturing program and nationally recognized proof of the ability to program, set up, and operate CNC equipment to industry standards.
