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I've been an Mazak u44 cutting laser operator for about 3 years. Two weeks ago the plant manager took me aside.

He informed me that my team leader of the laser department that I worked in had just quite. He wanted to know if I had been doing any set ups. I informed him I had been doing minor set ups for about a year but no major set ups and only played with programing on the computer on my lunch hour.

He asked how long it would take me to learn what I needed to learn. He wanted an approximate amount of time. I told him about a month. He stuck out his hand and said I was now the team leader and had two months to bring my knowledge and department up to snuff.

Am I in over my head? (Oh yes I am)
Will I make this work? (oh yes I will)

chances like this don't happen every day. I am glad I found this web site. So does anybody else run the SpaceGear-U44?

Any advise will be help full. We do a lot of adjusting at the laser instead of the computer so I am very familiar with the g-codes. how ever mazak has a good cam program and would like to start doing most adjusting there. Is this wise?

Hi dannos, congrats on your new position! Read read read ... See if there are any books stuck in a file cabinet where you work about this machine! Sorry I can't help with it. Maybe some other members have experience with it. Seems you've already looked online about it... thats how you found this site lol Lots of luck.

It is scary to get a promotion without having the opportunity to prepare yourself, but what I have learned in this field is that you learn by doing.

I would just say, take a deep breath and just go forward. Ask questions from everyone, even if you don't think someone knows as much as you, they might know something you don't.

Remember, even though it's hard to think of the shop floor as a "Team Environment" like all companies think they have, because it's mostly every man for him/herself, use everyone around you. You are in a position to pool the collective talents and move forward.

I know exactly how you feel, been there a couple times.

Sorry I don't have the specific background you are looking for, but just keep your head up.

Congrats dude.

Take it as your time to shine, one step at a time.

I was recently headhunted from South Africa and now living in Tasmania, Australia.
Been here 4 months and they promoted me to the CNC Shop Supervisor, yeah the locals are not happy, but hey its my time to shine.

Stick it out dude one day you gonna be famous.

I am a CAD/CAM manager.
What I can tell you is it takes a little more time to make any adjustments on the computer end instead of the machine end but in the long run you will eventually end up with programs that run with out any need for adjustments. Take your time and document any little changes you make. When it comes to setting up lasers make adjustments in very small increments. Ask all the questions you can.

Rob