News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
The Cumberland Business Incubator in Crossville can now provide residents a unique piece of equipment in its maker space.
The center has received a new four-axis computer numerically controlled (CNC) machining center. Director Holly Hanson said such a system cannot be found anywhere else between Cookeville and Knoxville.
“It can do all of the range of manufacturing,” Hanson said. “It can mill, drill, ream, bore, tap, and just about any of the machining processes. It is a Tormach MX1100 model.”
Hanson said they have already added multiple accessories to expand the center’s capabilities. She said people are already using the center to produce parts for their businesses faster and cheaper than they could get them otherwise.
“Some of our leather makers are actually making forms that they will stamp into leather, and that will give them a guide as they do hand-tooling with their leather work,” Hanson said. “We have some other people that are working on the components for robotic lawnmowers, so soup to nuts our makers are using it for either their business or their own production.”
Hanson said the Cumberland Business Incubator will be having America’s Cutting Edge (ACE) boot camps in June and July to teach people about the tool.
“As we all are pretty aware when we couldn’t even get chips for our automobiles, that we don’t make as many things in the United States as we used to,” Hanson said. “So the ACE program is to introduce people to machining so they can be ready to consider a future in machining or if we all get called up to do our part, we’ll all be running machines just like Rosie the Riveter did one day.”
Hanson said the center works on wood and metal, but they are requesting people only use metal with the machine to prevent sawdust and metal shavings from mixing together.
“I don’t know of any other place, other than the Cumberland Business Incubator’s Maker Space, where, if someone has an idea, that they can go in and learn how to use a piece of equipment and manufacture in metal,” Hanson said.
Hanson said the purchase was made possible thanks to a $52,000 rural development grant from the USDA.
