Local engineer students build car on campus with advanced machines
Danyelle Burke North
YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – Local engineering students are building new projects with the help of advanced machines.
Northern Arizona University Yuma students have five CNC milling machines on campus. CNC stands for “Computer Numerical Control” and helps cut with precision.
“It knows where the actual material is, and it knows where the actual part is within that material. It just cuts it out. It does all the visualizing for you. All you have to do is program and program it where to cut and how to cut with the right tools,” said engineering student Leonardo Rojas.
Some students are using it to build parts for a car built entirely in house.
“This upper control arm and lower control arm are examples of what we would be sensing, as well as we have our knuckle right here in combination with our 3D printer.,” said engineering student Cesar Duarte.
The students say it’s a great resource on campus to learn industry skills.
“CNC machines are used for a whole variety of different things we make, especially with cars. The spindle, different pieces of the motor,” said engineering student John Beeler. “This would be a broad application to many different parts of different jobs.”
The students will be taking the car to compete in a competition in Washington in May of 2026.