are you a cnc machinist ?

[rybes]

im thinkin of learnin how to use these lovely machines. whos done a course and whats it like ? i aint gotta clue on how they work but i can use the manual equivelent all be it to a limited capacity. so im hopin that learnin to use these wont be to difficult.

cheers  8)

[Bixxer Bob]

Bit like asking what's it like to ride a bike?  Easy if you start on a twist'ngo, a bit harder if you start on an R1.

The basic machines are very easy to learn and will do most things a hobbyist requires.  Full-on three, four or five axis machines need programming aids.  They in turn vary in complexity.

When I started 25 yrs ago, three dimensional shapes could be worked out with paper pen and calculator but it needed a fair handle on trigonometry to master anything more than simple curves.  Once we got our first programming aid, life got a lot easier.  I've not done it for a long time, but I can't imagine it got harder since.  I should imagine that modern systems even set up speed / feed rates for you depending on the cutter used and the material being machined.  We needed a good apprenticeship in manual machines before being allowed near CNC.

Mustang is also v experienced in this area (I envy his CNC mill at home) What do you have in mind???

[rybes]

cheers bob. im thinkin of retrainin and gettin a job workin them. always loved watchin em work and envious of people who can work em. i been told that in denmark when ya reach my age, nearly 40 people are more likely to give you trainin even if i am english. so im thinkin of retrainin. been a mechanic and a welder with lil bits of engineerin thrown in for good measure. im also thinkin about the parts i can make for me bikes if i can get a job in that industry  :lol:

[Bixxer Bob]

I noticed a local company advertising for weeks for a skilled porgrammer/operator so rang then with a propsal that they give me a kind of internship - 3 months for me to update my skills while they get my output for nothing and then decide whether we go formal with a job offer.  I did explain I was experienced so would be able to produce work from day one, but they weren't interested, said they needed someone who could hit the ground running.  Forgive me if I'm being thick but surely anyone producing something is better than no-one producing nothing if you're pushed ??  :?

[rybes]

3 months work for free  :o  i take it ya turned em down. ya gotta love mangerial logic aint ya. not the best in the world when it comes to the shop floor.  ya defintly not thick either, your right. production is better than nothin

[Mustang]

if you can understand what this means and what its going to make the machine do , you'll be all set , it's not something you can just learn overnight  and trig and geometry help a lot .

G54 ;
G21;
G50 S2000;
G96 S325 M3;
M8;
G0 T0101;
G0 X0 Z0;
G1 Z-.125 F.01;
G0 Z.05;
G0 S0 X0 Z0 T0 ;
M30;

G code is pretty standard for all makes of machines , the M codes are to a point but all machines use different m codes of the machine builders choosing to turn certain functions on or off .
EACH LINE IS A BLOCK OF PROGRAM
the above code is pretty simple  some programs are page after page of code .
The above code will cycle start the machine , start the spindle , turn on the coolant , rapid position to x0 z0 co-ordinates and the feed in towards the spindle in the z axis for .125 thousandths , rapid out and then return to home position and reset and rewind the program . ready to start over again .
The above code is pretty simple for a lathe . machining centers or mills require the additional axis of Y .
but you can also have 2 ,three or more axis on a lathe as well as 4 or more on a mill .

[Onanist]

Oh god that takes me back, I spent 23 years in engineering since leaving school and becoming an apprentice.

Had to manually write programs for the very large Giddings & Lewis machine. Get a G0 code where you should have a G1 was always the best laxative known to man.

But as stated above trig is your friend on any CNC machine, the language is pretty simple after a while, to the point you can actually read the print out and see in your head what it's doing.

[Bixxer Bob]

.... Get a G0 code where you should have a G1 was always the best laxative known to man.....

Wouldn't be the first time I'd rapid fed into the workpiece.  Those old HSS tools do splinter some eh????

[Mustang]

after you send a 2 inch twist drill into 13-8ph stainless steel bar stock on a 50horsepower J&L cnc lathe at full throttle you will have a whole new appreciation for destructive power ,the side benefit being you WILL pay more attention from then on . Exploded that big drill bit like a rice cake. :shock:

[ourade]

Thank god for shear pins and collers. :shock:
Many moons ago i worked on cnc lathes and milling machines at a piston manufacturer, to cut a long story short i managed to rapid traverse the turning tool into a rough cast piston at 2500 rpm - resulting in one almighty bang 2 broken shear pins and one cracked window in the guard.
 :oops:
As stated earlier we all make mistakes, the trick is to learn and not make too many as machine tools ain't cheap.

Cheers Ade.

[Bixxer Bob]

Life got a lot better when we invested in some re-usable machining wax.  Cast a block in roughly the size you need, machine it, measure it then melt it down and use again. Doesn't harm tooling when you get it wrong :D

[rybes]

cheers all. looks like when ive cracked the learnin a new langauge thing im gunna try and see bout learnin how to use a cnc machine. they sound fun :lol:

[Nick Calne]

I was once lucky enough to get a guided tour around the Mercedes F1 engine plant by the chief engineer guy.  (We designed their new manufacturing and R&D factory building at work) Wow! have they got some serious cnc type kit.  All appeared to be CAD driven though.  I think he described the machines as '5 axis' if that means anything to anyone.

[DWNUNDR]

about to finish my first year for Machining... actually typing this sitting at school at the mini mill doing work... (student worker)

Our school is a HAAS certified training center so we use all HAAS stuff....


loving it...

[cosmo]

I think he described the machines as '5 axis' if that means anything to anyone.

Up, Down, In, Out, and TARDIS.

I think.

Cosmo