After the recent acquisition of the HAAS Vertical Machining Centre, engineer Ricardo Barrera from HI-TEC enterprise attended to the facilities of the Technological Innovation Park (Parque de Innovación Tecnológica, PIT) of the Autonomous University of Sinaloa (Universidad Autónoma de Sinaloa, UAS)to impart training on how to use this machine. A total of 10 attendees came together at the Prototypes Workshop, stood out the participation of PIT-UAS collaborators like PhD in Biosystems Carlos Duarte Galván from the Instrumentation and High Energy Physics Laboratory, as well as personnel from the Prototypes Workshop and the Design and Modelling Laboratory, in addition to students who are currently collaborating at Projects Development area and postgraduate students from the Faculty of UAS’ Physical-Mathematical Sciences.

The function of a CNC milling machine is realising mechanised works by using a gyratory tool of several cutting edges called milling cutter that offers the possibility of working diverse materials like steel, bronze, woods and plastics. The model recently acquired by the PIT-UAS is the VF-1, which has an additional fourth angular axis, important particularity that allows to position the piece to be worked in different angles to realise more operations.

When talking about the purchase, PIT-UAS general director, MBA José Ramón López Arellano, emphasised the great support gave to the Park by the university Central Administration in order to make the acquisition of this specialised machine. It should be mentioned that this equipment will not just be for the benefit of the PIT-UAS but also for the University’s, since the milling machine will be employed in the development of applied research projects that aim to solve specific problems of Sinaloense industry, projects in which both university researchers and students will participate and thus improve or get into practice their skills for the usage of this tool.

In interview, engineer Jesús Lafarga, responsible of the Park’s Prototypes Workshop, specified some advantages brought by the acquisition of this machine for the university organisational unit he belongs to: «Here in the workshop we make prototypes, with this machine we’ll be able to make more complex prototypes, even reach the final phase of the product».

The training sessions took place from February 27^th to March 3^rd and consisted of the explanation of basic programming and operation principles of the milling machine; besides, each participant realised practical exercises, supervised by the engineer Ricardo Barrera, responsible of the course.

Written by Alfredo Careaga (Communication and Diffusion, PIT-UAS), translated by Belem Ruiz (Edition and Communication, PIT-UAS).