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Acu-Rite Solutions
Acu-Rite Solutions

Precision in Education

How Bates Technical College and ACU-RITE SOLUTIONS Carry Forward a Legacy of Accuracy When you step into the machine shop at Bates Technical College in Tacoma, Washington, the hum of machinery is matched only by the energy of students learning to bring precision to life. For Program Director Tim Bacon, machining education goes far beyond teaching students how to cut metal. He believes it’s equally important to prepare them to thrive in a field where accuracy, adaptability, and innovation define success. A Program Built on Purpose Bates Technical College’s machining program operates with a clear vision: to be a leading technical education program that shapes the future of machining. It does this by fostering expertise, embracing advanced technologies, and cultivating a culture of excellence and adaptability in the global manufacturing landscape. That vision is reflected every day in the lab. Students come from all walks of life — from hobbyists and career changers to aspiring entrepreneurs — united by a shared interest in learning the art and science of machining. “Our goal is to establish a solid foundation of high-demand skills that form the basis of future learning,” says Bacon. “We’ve designed our projects and activities to mirror current industry practices and standards, so our graduates are ready to step directly into professional environments.” Most of those graduates go on to find careers in aerospace, a dominant industry in the Pacific Northwest, while others find their paths in medical and construction manufacturing. Regardless of where they land, they leave Bates equipped with confidence, accuracy, and a deep understanding of how precision drives production. Empowering Learning with ACU-RITE SOLUTIONS Accuracy is at the heart of every machining operation — and at Bates, that principle is reinforced daily through the use of ACU-RITE SOLUTIONS technology. ACU-RITE SOLUTIONS, a valued member of the HEIDENHAIN family of brands, plays a key role in supporting that mission. The college’s lab is equipped with a total of 24 ACU-RITE SOLUTIONS digital readouts, including DRO102, 200, 203, and 300 models, which have transformed the way students learn and work. “Typical manual machines in industry are equipped [...]

2025-12-09T20:56:59+00:00

8 Applications for the MILLPWRG2 CNC Mill Control

Machining possibilities are endless when manual machine tools are optimized for quality and efficiency. That’s why manual machine tool operators of all skill levels use the Acu-Rite Solutions MILLPWRG2 CNC mill control. The MILLPWRG2 supports professionals seeking higher production, educators inspiring the next generation, and hobbyists pursuing their passions. Keep reading to explore the advantages of machining with a MILLPWRG2 in various manufacturing applications. What Is the MILLPWRG2 CNC Mill Control? The MILLPWRG2 is an entry-level CNC retrofit system designed, built, and supported in the USA by Acu-Rite Solutions. It’s compatible with knee and bed mills with two to three axes. The MILLPWRG2 is ideal for applications requiring both manual and automated machining. It can operate as a full-function DRO system, a programmable CNC control, or both. Automating manual processes right at the machine eliminates the need for external setups. Acu-Rite Solutions developed its CNC mill control so every manual machine tool operator can quickly learn, understand, and use it—from machining students to experienced machinists. The MILLPWRG2 can also integrate with nearly all the most popular machine brands, new and old. Why Use the Acu-Rite Solutions MILLPWRG2? The MILLPWRG2 powers precision in every manual milling application, including automotive, aerospace, and beyond. With the Acu-Rite Solutions MILLPWRG2 CNC control, users can produce superior workpieces and greater efficiency. Superior Workpieces HEIDENHAIN powers the advanced technology of the MILLPWRG2. It enhances machining capabilities and accuracy, resulting in less scrap and tighter tolerances for shapes from simple to complex. Real-time Feedback: MILLPWRG2 achieves greater consistency and fewer mistakes because it provides accurate real-time feedback on tool positions and movements. 3D Graphics System: The 3D graphics system also improves accuracy. Users can program cycles using conversational language prompts. Plus, they don’t need multiple screens, thanks to the streamlined navigation. Resolution and Repeatability: Precision and consistency are essential for quality control in machining. When paired with an Acu-Rite Solutions linear encoder, the MILLPWRG2 produces repeatable precise measurements. Greater Efficiency The MILLPWRG2 is durable. Many customers who purchased a first-generation model are still using it decades later. The CNC mill control can maximize machine lifespan and throughput, [...]

2025-06-25T18:55:29+00:00

The University of Pittsburgh upgrades research machine shop with MILLPWRG2

“Most people don’t realize that large universities have five or even ten machine shops throughout their campus. Some are education centers where students are trained on machinery. Other shops work for the university or even lend themselves outside of the university.” This insight was shared by our valued distribution partner, Gary Kinkela, President of Kinkade Inc. when he was discussing his recent installation of two Acu-Rite Solutions products at the University of Pittsburgh. Gary visited the University of Pittsburgh to meet with familiar faces and discuss their machine shop needs candidly. It became apparent that one of the shops faced challenges with its current equipment, particularly with a bed mill that featured an out-of-date control system. “The previous setup was old. It was aging technology. Parts could not be replaced, and the capabilities just weren’t there,” shared the shop manager, Shawn Artman. Shawn’s machine shop supports the unique machining and assembly requirements for the University’s Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts & Sciences. He elaborated, “We support the labs and research teams. We’ve built parts to support research for Quantum Physics and, we’ve created equipment for the Geology department to study frogs and fish underwater. Anything the school needs to be fixed or built, we do it.” After their initial shop walkthrough, Gary recommended replacing their legacy bed mill control with the MILLPWRG2. The MILLPWRG2 is a powerful yet easy-to-operate CNC retrofit system for knee mills and bed mills. The MILLPWRG2 offers faster set-ups, shorter run times, and a major boost in productivity. The upgraded MILLPWRG2 also opens the door to more advanced machining capability at the University of Pittsburgh. “We use MasterCAM, and the old system did not work with that, but Acu-Rite Solutions does,” Shawn shared. Gary further explained, “Many controls cannot locally handle the data loaded into machines from the central computer systems. G2 can. We have leapfrogged over the capability of the previous system. The G2 is also really simple for machinists to work with, and it can easily bridge to HEIDENHAIN controls. So if they ever [...]

2025-06-25T19:03:20+00:00

MILLPWRs are vital at UNC Biomed Engineering Lab

“I’m an engineer that likes to make things,” says Steven Emanuel, who holds a Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering and is employed as a Laboratory Education Specialist in the University of North Carolina’s (UNC) Biomedical Engineering Department. “And with access to seven Acu-Rite Solutions MILLPWRs, I can do that every day.” Emanuel explains that for seventeen years he has worked in a university setting, predominantly assisting engineering students bring their design projects to life in a fabrication laboratory. These projects are most often prototypes of biomedical devices and/or parts to support their ideas of something new to possibly assist mankind in the future. “I am not a trained machinist myself, though I’ve learned by doing,” says Emanuel, who while working on his masters at the University of Michigan in (2005) was first given the opportunity to work in an engineering lab. There, Professor Robert Dennis mentored him while they supported students who needed to manufacture their engineering designs. “We had a MILLPWR control on a Bridgeport mill in the lab, along with a few other tools and were able to make all kinds of things. Right off the bat, I was able to grasp the conversational programming on the MILLPWR since it’s like having a discussion with someone. For example, if you were asked ‘where would you like your circular pocket on this piece of aluminum’ and you simply point out which coordinates. The MILLPWR basically does that then programs it and it gets done. This makes perfect sense to an engineering student. Now if you asked them to put in G-code, they’d be glassy-eyed and would need more training to do that. “From a teaching standpoint, it’s so powerful to be able to be productive so quickly,” adds Emanuel. “Not to sound cliché, but the MILLPWR control really is extremely intuitive. I can take an engineering student and in under an hour of pushing buttons, put them in a position to where they have a basic understanding of what the machine can do, including how to access and add certain features [...]

2025-06-25T19:01:37+00:00

DROs used in SIU’s College of Engineering

Did you know that Acu-Rite Solutions DROs are used daily within Southern Illinois University’s (SIU) College of Engineering in Carbondale, IL? Found in the SIU Teaching Machine Shop as well as the general college machine shop, these Acu-Rite Solutions DROs are helping students prepare manufacturing and design projects and ready them for in-field work. And to support those ongoing efforts, last year Acu-Rite Solutions of the HEIDENHAIN Group donated two new DRO 200S and supporting scales to SIU, as well as supporting brackets and parts to repair some existing equipment. The 2019 equipment donation was in appreciation of the many years that SIU has partnered with Acu-Rite Solutions, as well as part of a corporate effort to support schools in manufacturing. Acu-Rite Solutions also offers a deep discount program available to all schools. “All the digital readouts here are Acu-Rite Solutions because they are well-known and a staple in this industry,” explained Nick Sjoberg, SIU graduate assistant completing his masters in Workforce Education. “Besides schooling, I have interned and worked at a variety of jobs in manufacturing and the Acu-Rite Solutions DROs are the industry mainstay.” The two new DROs have been put on a lathe in the SIU Teaching Machine Shop to support student courses such as IMAE 209 (Industrial Management & Applied Engineering) and on a Bridgeport knee mill in the college-wide general machine shop where engineering design teams use it daily. “The new Acu-Rite Solutions DRO on the mill in our general shop was put on one of our least-used pieces of equipment, which has now turned it into one of our most used!” said Sjoberg. “We are very thankful to have this.” Sjoberg added that the Teaching Shop with the new Acu-Rite Solutions DRO on a lathe consists of many pieces of equipment from other manual lathes, large knee mills, CNC lathes and a CNC plasma table to smaller drill presses and welding equipment to name a few. The students using the Teaching Shop and attending the IMAE course and similar are tasked with taking drawings [...]

2025-06-25T18:59:32+00:00

The perfect choice for educators

As an emphasis on North American manufacturing continues to grow, so does the need for skilled staff. That’s why one of the goals of Acu-Rite Solutions management continues to be supporting area schools’ manufacturing programs with its U.S.-made and easy-to-use products for controlling machine tools, as well as offering deep discounts to educators to use them. Backed by HEIDENHAIN’s constant innovation and made in America for over 60 years, Acu-Rite Solutions high quality digital readouts (DROs) and CNC controls are regularly making their way into school machine shops and manufacturing programs. This includes being found in high schools, vocational training centers and colleges. Educators using Acu-Rite Solutions often comment that they like the large product line and long-lasting, reliable options available, from both the entry-level and complex digital readouts to CNC controls for mills and lathes. Other comments include that they are keen on the fact that all the products are designed in a logical progression, so they build upon each other making it easy to transfer existing skills and to develop a practical machining curriculum. According to Acu-Rite Solutions Product Manager John Parker: “Other DRO and CNC manufacturers can’t say that.” Horry-Georgetown Technical College One example of a successful manufacturing education program in operation is Horry-Georgetown Technical College (HGTC) in South Carolina. Here, Acu-Rite Solutions DROs and controls are on much of the equipment in their large Machine Tool Lab in their Advanced Manufacturing Center. “Our program actually takes you from the foundational skills all the way through the actual completion of programming of a CNC,” said HGTC Machine Tool Instructor Richard Brown. “The Acu-Rite Solutions is good to teach on because it gives the student right in their face what is happening as they move the dials. And once they get that, you no longer see them watching the dials. You see them just watching their screen and they know exactly where it’s at as they are cutting the part. It takes a student about 15 minutes to learn the Acu-Rite Solutions.” According to HGTC’s Dean [...]

2025-06-25T19:02:25+00:00

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