What began as a project in ET 554 Advanced 3D Metal Manufacturing continued through the summer for Alex Borrelli, a Master of Science in Engineering Technology student at Western Carolina University.
The project, a detailed eagle machined from 6061 aluminum, was originally started during the spring semester as part of coursework with Dr. Yang Zhang. Though similar to a machining project developed by Titans of CNC, Alex developed the programming and machining process for his eagle independently.
Completing the project required approximately 30 hours of programming in Mastercam and 14 hours of machining time on WCU’s HAAS UMC-500 5-axis mill.
For Alex, who earned an undergraduate degree in Engineering Technology from WCU and is originally from Florida, the project provided an opportunity to apply and expand the machining, CAD, and CAM skills that led him to pursue a master’s degree. The completed eagle also serves as a demonstration of the capabilities of advanced 5-axis manufacturing technology.