• Design and create the highly detailed parts used worldwide in cars, laptops and everyday products

• Manipulate steel, aluminum and plastic to solve complex engineering problems

• Work with the same CNC machines, lathes and milling machines as industry leaders

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If you dream it, the students in our Precision Machine Tool Technology program can machine it. That’s why the Lehigh Valley’s biggest manufacturers begin vying for their attention as early as 10th grade, often hiring them for internship or co-op positions that lead to well-paying jobs after graduation. Program students develop the following skills and more as they learn to turn raw materials into precise parts:

• Program and operate computer numerical control or CNC machines
• Operate a drill press, using it to center drill, drill, counterbore and countersink
• Operate a surface grinder, using it to grind surfaces flat and parallel, square or with precision angles
• Operate a lathe, using it for facing, knurling, tapping, turning, threading and boring
• Operate a milling machine, using it for face, plain, angular and form milling

Students hone their skills on the latest Haas CNC machining centers, as well as manual machines from Clausing, Kingston and Sharp, some retrofitted with ProtoTRAK equipment. After mastering the production of simple items like dice, spinning tops and wrenches, students tackle projects that require more accuracy, like automotive parts, bicycle sprockets and cellphone cases.

They often partner with peers in other LCTI programs — auto technology, engineering, drafting, etc. — to design and make custom parts. Benchwork, blueprint reading, machine maintenance, metallurgy, safety and learning to use Mastercam software are important elements of the program, too.

Our Precision Machine Tool Technology program is nationally accredited by the following organization:

National Institute for Metalworking Skills

Industry Credentials

Precision Machine Tool Technology students can earn the following certifications and credentials in high school:

• NIMS® Machining Level I Certifications
• OSHA Certification via CareerSafe®
• Pennsylvania Skills Certificate via NIMS

College Credits

Statewide and local articulation agreements known as SOAR and ACES, respectively, allow students to earn college credit for their work in the Precision Machine Tool Technology program.

This program also has an articulation agreement with Lincoln Technical Institute.

Career Pathways

with industry credentials:

• CNC Machinist
• CNC Programmer
• Tool & Die Maker

with associate degree:

• Industrial Engineering Technician
• Mechanical Drafter
• Mechanical Engineering Technician

with bachelor’s degree:

• Industrial Designer
• Industrial Production Manager
• Mechanical Engineer