GibbsCAM training
From your first part to full 5-axis
Structured courses for CNC machinists and shops, on demand or live online. Built and taught by machinists, so what you learn holds up on the floor.
2014
Teaching since
8,176
Machinists trained
50
Hours of training
314
Training videos
Past students are programming at
The problem
Most shops run GibbsCAM
on half of what they paid for.
Not because the programmers are not good. Because hardly anyone gets taught the software properly in the first place.
Learning happens on live jobs
A couple of days with a reseller at install, a manual, then years of working it out under a due date with material on the line.
Everyone solves it differently
Two programmers at the same bench take two different routes to the same part, and neither one is the fastest way through it.
The advanced modules sit unused
Multi-axis, VoluMill, solids-based programming and Multi-Task Machining are all in the seat. Most of them never get switched on.
Structured training fixes all three. It is also the cheapest line item in the whole setup, next to the seat, the machine and the tooling it makes better use of.
See the coursesTwo ways to learn
Same curriculum. Your call on pace.
Both formats follow the same curriculum and both finish with a certificate of completion. The real question is whether you set the schedule or we do.
On demand
Learn at your own pace
The full curriculum, recorded and cut into short lessons you can stop, rewind and repeat as many times as it takes.
- Short 10-minute recorded lessons
- Starts the moment you order
- Periodic quizzes throughout
- 365 days of access from purchase
- Over 50 hours across 314 videos
- Certificate of completion
Live online
Learn with an instructor
Scheduled Zoom classes over two weeks. The instructor works in GibbsCAM on screen while you follow along and ask questions as you go.
- Attend from the shop or from home
- Two-way screen sharing, so the instructor can see your work
- Questions answered in real time
- Milling courses run 8 classes over 2 weeks, turning courses 6
- Add the matching On-Demand course at 50% off
- Certificate of completion
Want the best of both worlds? Live Online students can add the matching On-Demand course at half price, so the class is the deep end and the recordings become the reference they keep all year.
The Cognus curriculum
Start with the fundamentals.
Then pick your track.
Every Cognus course builds on GibbsCAM Essentials. Where you go next depends on the parts you cut, and every course ends with a certificate of completion.
What do you cut?
Choose one and we will highlight the path that fits your shop.
GibbsCAM Essentials
Part setup, toolpaths, and 2-axis milling and turning. Takes a new hire from their first part to confident, independent programming.
Milling track
Your pathAdvanced Concepts
Advanced coordinate systems, solids-based programming, VoluMill, machine simulation, and an introduction to 5-axis.
4 & 5-Axis Machining
Program complex multi-axis parts with confidence, from indexed work through full simultaneous 5-axis motion.
Turning track
Your pathAdvanced Turning I
The full range of the GibbsCAM Turning module: mill-turn with live tooling, high-speed roughing, and advanced threading.
Advanced Turning II
Confidently program complex Multi-Task Machines: multi-axis turning, sub-spindle work, and Sync Control.
Proof of competency
Every course ends with a certificate.
Finish a Cognus course, in either format, and the student receives a certificate of completion in their name.
For a lot of shops that is the part that matters most. Quality systems, customer audits and aerospace approvals all ask the same question: show me the training records. A certificate per programmer per course answers it on paper.
Issued in the student's name
Individual to the programmer, not to the company, so it travels with them through review cycles.
Both formats, every course
On-Demand and Live Online both issue one. Five courses means five certificates on the way to full 5-axis.
Backed by quizzes, not attendance
Periodic quizzes run through the courses, so completion reflects the material actually going in.
Documentation for the whole team
Train a floor and you end up with a record for each programmer rather than an undocumented skill gap.
Teaching machinists to program GibbsCAM since 2014. Our students program at some of the largest aerospace, defense, and precision manufacturers in North America.
8,176
Machinists trained
82
Years of shop expertise
50
Hours of training
314
Training videos
Why Cognus
The most complete GibbsCAM training program on the market.
Cognus training is built to help programmers unlock the full potential of GibbsCAM, which means faster, more efficient workflows and better use of a seat the shop is already paying for.
It is taught by working professionals who understand the intricacies of GibbsCAM and its real-world applications, so students can apply what they learn to live jobs immediately.
Meet the instructorsBuilt by machinists
Our instructors work in GibbsCAM every day and carry 82 years of shop experience between them. They teach the way a part actually gets made.
A path, not a pile of videos
Courses build on each other in a deliberate order, so you always know what you are ready for and what comes after it.
Progress you can see
Every student gets their own account, with progress tracked across hundreds of videos and quizzes, on any device, from the floor or the office.
For shops and teams
Get your whole floor programming the same way.
When every programmer learns GibbsCAM from a different source, the same part gets solved three different ways. Train the team on one curriculum and you get consistent methods, faster ramp on new hires, and a certificate on file for every programmer.
Request team pricingVolume discounts
Per-seat pricing that drops as your team grows.
Quote, PO, Invoice, Credit Card
Buy the way your company already buys.
Certificates for every seat
Documented competency for your quality system and customer audits.
In cooperation with GibbsCAM
No commercial seat? You can still practice.
The GibbsCAM Student License is a dedicated learning seat that unlocks every advanced module, so every exercise and toolpath example in our courses behaves exactly as shown in the lessons.
$150
USD per seat, per year
A learning seat, not a production seat. It does not post G-code and does not save to commercial file formats. Keys arrive by email after a GibbsCAM compliance check taking 3 to 4 business days, so order ahead of the date you plan to start.
Common questions
Before you buy.
Do I need my own GibbsCAM license?
To follow along hands-on, yes. Most students use their shop's commercial seat. If you do not have one, the GibbsCAM Student License is $150 per year, unlocks every advanced module, and is built for exactly this.
On-Demand or Live Online, which is right for me?
Both follow the same curriculum, so you cover the same ground either way. Choose On-Demand if your schedule is unpredictable or you want a reference to keep for the year. Choose Live Online if you want to ask questions in the moment and have a fixed schedule keep you moving.
Live Online students can add the matching On-Demand course at 50% off, and many do.
How long do I have access?
On-Demand courses come with 365 days of access from the date of purchase. Live Online students get access to the matching On-Demand course for one week before and one week after their class, and can extend it to the full year at half price.
Do I get a certificate?
Yes. Every course in both formats ends with a certificate of completion issued in the student's name, backed by quizzes throughout the course rather than attendance alone.
Can I buy for a team on a PO?
Yes. Volume discounts start at three seats, and we can quote and invoice against a purchase order. See For Business or request team pricing.
Where do I start if I have never used GibbsCAM?
GibbsCAM Essentials. It covers part setup, toolpaths, and 2-axis milling and turning across 14 hours and 86 videos, and every other course builds on it.
Unlock the full potential of GibbsCAM.
Start with GibbsCAM Essentials, or browse the whole catalog and pick the track that matches the parts you cut.
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