Simple Steps to Achieve Expertise in CNC Machine Tool Programming

Must be an excellent technician

CNC machine tools integrate drilling, milling, boring, reaming, tapping, and other processes. Technical literacy among technicians is very high. CNC programs are the process of using computer language to reflect the processing technology. Technology is the basis of programming. You need to understand technology to program.

 

CNC Machine Tool Programming Pro3

Choosing the profession of mechanical cutting means that the early days of the industry will be challenging. Mechanical processing engineers are experienced professionals. To become qualified for this role, you must spend time in the workshop operating lathes, milling machines, grinders, machining centers, etc. You will also need to compile processes, estimate material consumption, and calculate quotas in the office.

It’s essential to be familiar with the performance of various machine tools and the skill levels of workshop masters. After 2-3 years of practice, you can become a qualified process personnel. Learn openly from the workers and masters as their decades of experience can help you avoid many detours. This knowledge cannot be gained from books. Selecting processes involves comprehensive consideration of equipment capabilities and personnel technical abilities. With the support and trust of employees, it is possible to become an excellent process technician.Through such a long period of learning and accumulation, you should reach the following technical levels and requirements:

1. Understanding the structure and process characteristics of drilling, milling, boring, grinding, and planing machines.
2. Understanding the performance of processed materials.
3. Solid basic knowledge of tool theory, mastery of the conventional cutting amount of tools, etc.
4. Familiarity with process specifications, guidelines, and general requirements for various process processing and the process routes of conventional parts. Reasonable material consumption and labor time quotas, etc.
5. Gathering a certain amount of information on tools, machine tools, and mechanical standards. Particularly, becoming familiar with the tool system used for CNC machine tools.
6. Understanding the selection and maintenance of coolants.
7. Having a common-sense understanding of related types of work, for example, casting, electrical processing, heat treatment, etc.
8. Having a strong foundation in fixtures.
9. Understanding the assembly requirements and usage requirements of the processed parts.
10. Having a strong foundation in measurement technology.

 

Proficient in CNC programming and computer software applications

There are only a few dozen programming instructions, and various systems are similar. Typically, it takes 1-2 months to become very familiar. Automatic programming software is slightly more complicated and requires learning modeling. However, for people with a strong CAD foundation, it is easy. Furthermore, if it is manual programming, a good understanding of analytic geometry is also necessary! In practice, the standard of a good program is:

1. Easy to understand and organize, and all operators can understand it.

2. The fewer instructions in a program segment, the better, with the purpose of simplicity, practicality, and reliability. From the perspective of programming, the instructions are only G00 and G01, and the others are auxiliary instructions, which are set for the convenience of programming.

3. Convenient adjustment. It is best to keep the program the same when the cnc custom machining part processing accuracy needs to be fine-tuned. For example, if the tool is worn and needs to be adjusted, change the length and radius in the tool offset table.

4. Convenient operation. Programming should be compiled according to the operating characteristics of the machine tool, which is conducive to observation, inspection, measurement, safety, etc. For example, the program is definitely different, with the same part and the same processing content in the vertical machining center and the horizontal machining center processing. In mechanical processing, the simplest method is the best method.

 

Skilled in operating CNC machine tools

This skill typically requires 1-2 years of learning. It’s a hands-on task that demands a sensitive touch. While beginners may know the theory, mastering the practical application is challenging. To excel in this area, you must become proficient in system operations, fixture installation, part alignment, tool sets, zero offset and tool length compensation settings, as well as radius compensation settings, and tool and tool holder installation and unloading.

Moreover, you’ll need to grasp tool grinding and part measurement techniques, which include using vernier calipers, micrometers, dial indicators, and internal diameter lever indicators. The most demanding operations are found in horizontal machining centers and large gantry (moving beams, top beams) machining centers.

Being adept at this skill requires in-depth understanding. Typically, the process from the initial part processing to achieving the required processing accuracy is solely the responsibility of the CNC programming technician. It’s vital to operate the machine tool with precision to reach this level of proficiency.

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Must have a good foundation of fixtures and measurement technology

Fixtures and measurement technology are crucial for ensuring the quality of part processing and the accuracy of machine tools. They also reflect the skill level of the process personnel. The entire cnc manufacturing process system relies on the machine tool manufacturer for accuracy, the tool manufacturer for tool and cutting parameters, and process personnel for specially designing the tooling fixture for specific parts. CNC machine tool parts are generally challenging to process, leading to unpredictable problems.

During debugging, more than half of the reasons for the failure of the first part of processing are related to the improper positioning, clamping points, and clamping force of the fixture. Analyzing fixture issues is difficult as it can only be qualitative and is challenging to quantify, especially without experience in fixture design and part clamping. Seeking advice from senior technicians who specialize in precision coordinate boring machines is recommended. Accurate measurement skills are fundamental for machining and require proficiency in using tools such as vernier calipers, micrometers, dial indicators, internal diameter lever gauges, and calipers. Sometimes, manual measurement is necessary as three-coordinate measuring instruments may not be reliable for part processing.

 

Proficient in the maintenance of CNC machine tools

To be familiar with CNC machine tools, you should be able to:

1. Understand CNC electrical components and control principles. Be able to identify each component in the electrical box, know its function, and interpret electrical schematic diagrams. Also, be able to identify alarm content based on the electrical alarm number.

2. Understand the structure and transmission principle of the ball screw, and know the factors that impact the accuracy of the machine tool.

3. Understand the structure of the bearings at both ends of the machine tool screw and how they affect the accuracy of the machine tool.

4. Understand the machine tool lubrication system, including the lubrication points for bearings, spindles, kinematic pairs, and gearboxes. Also, be familiar with the brand of machine tool lubricating oil and its normal weekly or monthly consumption.

5. Understand the cooling system of the machine tool, including cutting (water, air) cooling, spindle cooling, and electrical box cooling.

6. Understand the main transmission structure of the machine tool and the specific data characteristics related to the speed and torque of each machine tool.

7. Understand the characteristics of the machine tool guide pair, including whether it is a linear rail or a slide rail and its rigidity (load-bearing capacity).

8. Be able to troubleshoot common operating faults such as over-limit errors and tool magazine tool number errors.

9. Proficient in various precision (static, dynamic) indicators and detection methods of machine tools.

10. Familiar with the tool magazine mechanism and tool-changing principle.

It is challenging to meet all these requirements without more than three years of training.

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Post time: Jun-26-2024
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