Disclaimer: CNC Concepts, Inc.
accepts no responsibility for the use or misuse of
techniques shown in these web pages. We simply publish
information we feel will be of interest to CNC users. In
all cases, the reader is totally responsible for
considering the implications, good and bad, of
implementing one or more of the techniques we show.
Everyone's been asking for
this one. It makes an excellent example of what can
be done with parametric programming. And you can
compare different versions of parametric
programming!
If you don't know the answer
to this question, or if you are wondering if you
have applications for this very powerful CNC tool,
be sure to read this tip!
If you have never backed up
your parameters, you could be in for some real
problems if your machine/s ever go down! Be sure to
read this tip to find out what you should do.
If you must measure tool
lengths on line, why not make it as easy as possible
for your setup person to do. Using this advanced
technique with custom macro, you can dramatically
facilitate this on-line task!
How you document within your
CNC program can make the difference between an
operator-friendly program that can be easily run and
a nightmare that no one can understand.
Certain Fanuc control models
will lose track of the zero return position during
the time when the power is turned off (if the
machine axes drift during the down time). Here's how
you overcome the problem.
Here are some questions asked by visitors
to our web site and responses from Mike Lynch. While
some are not actually tips for CNC usage, you should
find the responses helpful.
Can somebody walk me through
the steps to setup the cnc and dnc software so the
machine will run the program directly from the
computer when the machine's memory is insufficient
to hold the program. Thank you, Mike Koch
I can perform a square-root
operation such as #100=SQRT[9] which of course sets
the #100 to 3. However I can't for the life of me
figure out how to do powers such as 3^2=9(squared)
or 3^3=27(cubed). I've read thru Mazak, Hass, and
Fanuc manuals but nothing is shown. How can you do
this? Thanks. Chris
I am a CNC operator who
recently took a job teaching entry level CNC. Some
of the machines here at the training center are
pretty old - and use G50 to assign program zero (not
geometry offsets). I am used to a G50 designating a
max. spindle speed. When it comes to assigning
program zero, I understand the setting of a
reference point but am having trouble understanding
the hows and whys of accumulating offsets. If you
assign program zero with G50, should the geometric
offsets be set at zero? Is that where the machine is
getting these offsets that it accumulates? I'd be
grateful if you can either explain this or point me
in the right direction so I can do some research.
Thank you. M. Piecek
Could you please give me an
example of programming a lathe using mean vs. nominal
one that would include a couple of different
diameters with different tolerances. Also I'm
confused about target values. Thanks in advance. Tom
Conway
We are getting a new MAZAK
vertical and I am wondering if we should switch from
manual g code programming to Mazatrol. Our parts are
mostly simple and we have small runs. I have done a
little Mazatrol programming and it seems like a very
useful tool. Are you aware of any drawbacks to this
method? I looking forward to more great articles In
MMS. Thank you. Darin Brockman
Would like information on
creating more than 6 work offsets on the older Seiki
(Fanuc compatible) controls. Any ideas how to reuse
or create more offsets? Thank you, Eugene Caton
We have 4 Mori Seiki SH-630
Horizontal Machining Centers. They have Fanuc-type
controls (model MSC-502) on them. The question I
have is do you know of a macro program or some way
to do a pallet check at any point in the body of a
program to make sure that the correct pallet is in
the machine at the correct time? We have a very long
program for 2 of these machines and sometimes if the
operator has trouble (i.e....broken tool) he must stop
the machine, fix the problem and restart the machine
at the proper place in the program with the proper
pallet. I need to try and "bullet proof" this issue
if that is possible. This is the first time I have
seen your website and it is very interesting and
informative and I hope that someone there can help
me with this problem. Thanks, Gary Neill,
Consolidated Metco Inc.
Hello Mike. We are trying to
call up our programs from a PC-DNC in my office to
the control out in the shop. We are using a Fanuc 6M
control on an older (1981) Mazak V Micro-Center
Mill. The problem is that when we call up the main
program O1614, only the sub-program O1615 comes up
by itself. As you can see in the following programs
that they are combined in the same file in the PC.
In the past the operator would call up both programs
one at a time and receive both one at a time. Now
when we do it, we call up the main program (O1614)
and only receive the sub-program (O1615). If we try
to call up O1615 by itself, we receive an alarm. We
are using Suburban Machinery software in the DNC
system. Is there a way we can call up both
programs, one at a time to the control and receive
both? Remember, both the sub and main program are in
the same file in the PC, but they have done this in
the past without a hitch. I would appreciate your
help. Thank you, Robert Barker
We are a small machine shop
located in Ohio. I had read an article sometime back
in your newsletter on this subject but I cannot
remember which issue it was in. We do a lot of
turning of parts that have changes in diameter. I
have been trying to get the guys on the floor to use
G96 for these parts but they have always programmed
with G97. I have tried to explain the advantages as
far as the increase of tool life as long as G96 is
used properly but they continue to reject this mode.
I was wondering if you could send me a list of the
benefits between using G96 instead of G97. Also if
you could include how this affects the feedrate on
the part. I appreciate anything you might be able to
send me on this topic. Thank you. Mike Stephens
I have a coworker that always
leaves huge offsets instead of editing the program.
Several times I almost crashed a machine because I
assumed that tool will respond to programmed X or Z.
Andrew J. Rutkowski
I was reading your section on
thread milling, and parametric programming and
noticed that it said there was a difference. Thank
you, Hal Linson, Uriah's Metal Works, Moline, IL
I would like to know if there
is a way to change the value of the rapid clearance
of .100 between pecks in the chip-break
peck-drilling cycle (G73). We are drilling through
plastic, copper and stainless steel tubing. In order
to keep drills from breaking (we are drilling (380)
#30 drill holes .625 deep.) We can only drill at .7
Feed using a 'Q' peck of .03. Therefore with the
.100 Rapid Clearance we are wasting a lot of time
drilling air. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you, Herb Jeffery
I work at Boeing as a
Manufacturing Analyst in R&D. Could you give me a
detailed explanation of a new word going around
called a "nurb" in the machining world? Thanks,
Keith D. Hanson
I was wondering if there is
any difference between NC programming and
conversational. One of my coworkers says NC is more
accurate and faster. Thank you, Duane Miller
How would you go about
programming I.D. chucking on a Fortune V-turn 26
with Fanuc 18 since there is not a physical switch
to change from O.D. chucking. Thank you, Marc Surie
Do you want more tips?
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