We are located in North Orange County just North / West of the 91 and 57 freeways. We are one of the largest and best equipped machinist trade schools in the State of California. Fullerton College is also the oldest community college in California and strongly supports vocational programs along with exceptional academic programs. The students attending Fullerton College are more likely to transfer to a four-year university than any other community college in the state.
The majority of our courses are offered Monday through Friday in the evening from 6:00 to 9:50pm. We also offer some entry-level morning courses Monday through Thursday and sometimes on Saturday from 8:00 to 11:50am.
We stress conventional machining skills on engine lathes, milling machines and grinders as core skills for our intermediate and advanced courses along with CNC machining and CNC programming courses. Typical courses will have up to twenty students and have a combination of lecture and hands-on laboratory.
Students are eligible to receive any of our six certificates after successfully completing specified courses. We also offer an A.S. Degree in Manufacturing Technology with Machining as an area of specialization.
We offer mini-certificates (6 units each) in MasterCam and SurfCam that can be earned by taking beginning and advanced courses of each software program.
Our CNC Operator certificate, (14 units) consists of four courses and can be earned in two semesters. Our central location, high-tech laboratory facility and equipment, and our well prepared faculty are just three reasons why Fullerton College has remained a strong force for serious vocational preparation in the machining trades.
The Gainful Employment regulation requires Fullerton College to provide consumer information to prospective and current students for vocational and certificate programs. For detailed information, click here.
Instructional Philosophy
We have chosen to stress the learning of functional tasks rather than to promote an environment where students choose their own projects. All of our laboratory exercises are designed to introduce students to a broad scope of tasks typically performed on conventional or CNC machines.
Most of the projects are useful tools or game pieces one can use on the job and admire for years to come. Our vocational advisory group annually reviews our curriculum. They guide our decisions to include new topics, delete out-of-date ones, and to continue those that are still viable.
Our conventional machining program stresses the set up and operation of lathes and vertical mills for a wide variety of processes.
The classes provide instruction in blueprint reading, shop math, measurement and inspection, job planning, safety, and general machining theory. Our CNC program also emphasizes the set up, operation and programming of vertical mills and lathes.
In manual programming courses students learn proper formatting of CNC code, calculations related to determining coordinate data, proper use of programming techniques such as the use of sub programming, and experience cutting parts using their own programs on our CNC machines.
In computer assisted programming classes students learn how to use software such as SurfCam or MasterCam to generate machine code for CNC mills and lathes. All classes are structured with time allocated for lecture/demonstrations and hands-on laboratory time.
About Our Lab
We have a full laboratory of Pentium level computers licensed with AutoCAD, Solidworks, MasterCam, and SurfCam software (24 each). Computer lab includes one CNC tabletop mill. A full inventory of hand and inspection tools, optical comparator, surface plates, CMM, height master, profilometer, hardness testers, etc. are available.
Our high-tech laboratory equipment inventory offers students the opportunity to practice their skills in an environment that is maintained with attention to safety, using equipment typically found in local machining facilities. All in all, we have over $1,000,000.00 invested in our laboratory and equipment to provide services to our students.
Machine Tool Inventory
12 Conventional Engine Lathes
11 Bridgeport & Lagun Vertical Milling Machines
3 Okamoto Surface Grinders
6 Pedestal Grinders
2 Drill Press
1 Horizontal Bandsaw
1 Vertical Bandsaw
4 Darex Tool Sharpeners
1 Optical Comparator, Scherr Tumico 3500 with Quadra Check Computer
2 Coordinate Measuring Machine with PC DMIS Software and Pendant System
1 Haas SL10 CNC Lathe
1 Haas ST20Y CNC Lathe
4 Haas CNC Mill Control Simulator
2 Femco HL-25 CNC Lathes (Fanuc OT-C and OiTB controls)
4 Haas CNC Mini Mills, 3 & 4 axis
1 Haas VF2 Trunnion , 5 axis
2 Hurco CNC 5 axis Vertical Milling Machines
1 Haas OM2A Office Mill
1 Cress Heat Treat Furnace, Dual Chamber
2 Proto-Trak Milling Machines
2 Proto-Trak Lathes
12 Romer Arms with Laser Scanning
Courses
MACH 101 F Introduction to Machine Tools (formerly MACH 091 F) 5 units 3/6
MACH 102 F Intermediate Machine Tools (formerly MACH 092 F) 5 units 3/6
MACH 103 F Advanced Machine Tools (formerly MACH 093 F) 5 units 3/6
MACH 104 F NEW – Advanced Topics in Machine Technology 5units 3/6
MACH 110 F CNC Machine Set-Up and Operation (formerly MACH 086 F) 3 units 2.5/1.5
MACH 115 F Computer Numerical Control Parts Programming (formerly MACH 087 F) 3 units 2.5/1.5
MACH 116 F Machine Tools 2 units 1/3
MACH 120 F Advanced CNC Machine Set-Up and Operation (formerly MACH 088 F) 3 units 2.5/1.5
MACH 130 F Multiple Axis CNC Set Up & Operation (formerly MACH 090 F) 3 units 2.5/1.5
MACH 140 F NEW – CNC Swiss style set-up and operation 3 units 2.5/1.5
MACH 142 F NEW – Advanced CNC Swiss style set-up and operation 3 units 2.5/1.5
MACH 145 F NEW – CNC Swiss style programming 3 units 2.5/1.5
MACH 150 F CNC Programming using MasterCam (formerly MACH 050 F) 3 units 2.5/1.5
MACH 152 F Advanced CNC Programming using MasterCam (formerly MACH 052 F) 3 units 2.5/1.5
MACH 154 F CNC Programming using SURFACAM (formerly MACH 060 F) 3 units 2.5/1.5
MACH 156 F Advanced CNC Programming using SURFCAM (formerly MACH 062 F) 3 units 2.5/1.5
MACH 180 F NEW – Introduction to Metrology 3 units 3/0
MACH 182 F NEW- Intro to CMM and Romer Arms 3 units 2.5/1.5
MACH 184 F NEW –Advanced CMM and Romer Arm Inspection 3 units 2.5/1.5
MACH 185 F NEW – CMM and Romer Arm Application 2 units 1 /3
Links
Business and Industry
CNC Concepts, Inc.
MasterCam
SurfCam
Employer Groups/Trade and Professional Associations
Society of Manufacturing Engineers
American Precision Museum
American Machinist Magazine
Economic and Workforce Development
CACT - Centers for Applied Competitive Technologies @ the North Orange County Community College District
Contact Us
Fullerton College – Machine Technology
321 E. Chapman Avenue
Fullerton, CA 92832
Dan O’Brien, Department Coordinator
Instructor, Machine Technology
714.992.7586
dobrien@fullcoll.edu
George Bonnand
Instructor, Machine Technology
714-992-7576
gbonnand@fullcoll.edu
James Duarte
Adjunct Instructor, Machine Technology
714.992.7595
jduarte@fullcoll.edu
Dan Carter
CAD Drafting Instructor, with Autocad & Solidworks
dcarter@fullcoll.edu
Cesar Renteria
Adjunct Instructor, Machine Technology
crenteria@fullcoll.edu
Mike Benson
Adjunct Instructor, Machine Technology
mbenson@fullcoll.edu
Marty Anderson
Adjunct Instructor, Machine Technology
manderson@fullcoll.edu
Phil Barna
Adjunct Instructor, Machine Technology
pbarna@fullcoll.edu