CNC Plasma Cutter

Posts Tagged ‘machine’

Here is another machine that we tested before we shipped out to our customer. We use 2×4’s for support so we don’t cut up their new grate table to pieces, I am sure you would appreciate the same. We love making these signs!

Tags: 2x4, customer, grate, machine, signs, support

Manufacturing anything that requires exact measurements requires cutting edge precision and nimbleness from the worker. Most of the time manufacturing these kinds of products requires weeks or months to finish therefore slowing down productivity as well as consistency of the manufacturers.

Computer Numerical Control or more commonly called as CNC’s are the new trend in machine shop manufacturing and practice. Any manufacturing environment owns one or is basically acquainted to this kind of device because of its capability to increase productivity as well as consistency on the products being produced.

Benchmarked from Numerical Control (NC) during the late 50’s, Computer Numerical Control incorporate the functionality of a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC), meaning you could program it to execute different functions depending on the type of manufacturing that the industry needs.

Given this kind of quality what does the Computer Numerical Control do in the practical application concept? CNC can do a variety of things depending on how the machine operator would program the system. The more acquainted the machine operator is to the CNC machine the more complex applications as well as programming can be made. Practical applications of CNC range from drilling, lathes, multi-axis spindles, milling machines, laser cutting machines, and wire electrical discharge machines.

Let’s discuss some of these common applications further. In Metal fabrication, Computer Numerical controlled Lathe’s are used to fabricate metal sheet by shearing, flame or plasma cutting, punching, laser cutting, forming and welding. Most CNC Lathe’s are used for designing modern carbide tooling. The design could be created with the Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM) process, and when done, the CNC could start creating the product automatically with little supervision from the machine operator.

Electrical discharge machining (EDM) is the process of removing metal with the use of electrical sparks to take away the metal. These Electrical Discharge Machine has two types, the vertical EDM and wire EDM. Vertical EDM uses an electrode that is the shape of the cavity to be machined into a work piece. Wire EDM is used to create punch and die combinations in the fabrication industry. Computer Numerical Control EDM’s are not usually known because it is mostly incorporated to other CNC process.

Drilling is the most common machine process. Computer Numerical Controlled Drilling is used to create precise right circular cylinders over a certain material, the CNC could be programmed to create holes on different standards, most of the time this is the gaps between these holes. Drilling is commonly used in wood working manufacturing process in which other process is also involved such as milling, turning and grinding.

Several tools for creating holes with CNC’s involve varied hole sizes as well as drill press for creating different depths on its holes. CNC drills are equipped depending on the type of hole that the machine operator is drilling.

Applications stated above are just a few examples on what the Computer Numerical Control could execute. Depending on how you want it to perform, more complex designs can be made and a lot of things can be made in a shorter period of time, therefore the key concept for the proper use of CNC’s is that the machine operator must know what he or she wants to do.

This makes the CNC an indispensable tool for the Manufacturing Industry nowadays.

Tags: cnc, cnc lathe, computer, computer numerical control, machine, programmable logic controller

After World War II, people realized that they have to manufacture goods at a faster rate and at a lower cost. Hence, mass production trending came to be. Those events led to the development of the Numerical Control (NC) machines which in turn led to the Computer Numerical Control (CNC).

HOW TO PROGRAM A CNC MACHINE

CNC programming uses a code similar in structure to BASIC. So, if you know how to construct a simple counting program, chances are, you already know what a G-Code looks like. However, there a few other things you have to consider before you start encoding instructions.

The first thing that you have to do is to assign values for each of the variables. These variables include the programmable motion directions (axes), and the reference point for the axes. The values that you assign to these variables dictate the movement of the machine.

The next thing that you have to do is to take into account the accessories of the machine. Many machines have accessories that are designed to enhance the capabilities of the basic device. However, using these accessories requires you to include them in the coding system. This means that if you want a more efficient machine, you will have to know the machine inside out.

READING CODES

After those steps, you have to create a subprogram that will deal with the math. This step will then allow your machine to compute the necessary variables and effectively operate without stopping to ask the operator what the limitations are.

To show you what these codes look like, here’s an example from Wikipedia:

#100=3   (bolt circle radius)
#101=10  (how many holes)
#102=0   (x position of ctr of bolthole)
#103=0   (y position of ctr of bolthole)
#104=0   (angle of first hole
Tool call,
spindle speed,and offset pickup,etc
G43 in some cases (tool length pickup)
G81(drill cycle)
call sub program
N50
G80
M30

Subprogram
N100
#105=((COS#104)*#100)    (x location)
#106=((SIN#104)*#100)    (y location)
x#105 y#106   (remember your G81 code is modal)
If #100 GT 360 goto N50
#100=(#100+(360/#101))
Goto 100

In the code above, the machine is a drill. The operator utilized a loop in order to keep the machine from stopping. The subprogram then governs the cycle of the machine. This code is still quite a simple code. Other machines require the inclusion of the maximum RPM in the coding.

An easier way of programming CNC machines would be the use of Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM). This system takes on the brunt of programming so that it doesn’t seem so tedious and frustrating. It is still similar to BASIC.

Another programming enhancement that was developed was the parametric programs or the logical commands. These programs were designed to shorten lengthy codes in order to make them user friendly. However, these codes do not always use the same language with every machine. The language and sequence often varies depending on the typ of machine you will be working on.

The operator has to know what the machine can do or what it was made to do before attempting to program it. You should be able to visualize the machine doing what you want it to do.

But, you don’t have to be a math wizard or a programming genius. You just have to know what your machine does and what you want it to do.

Tags: code, computer numerical control, machine, necessary variables, programming, spindle speed

If you think that you will just sit back and relax when you have a CNC machine in your shop, think again. CNC may help you speed up your operations and even make them more efficient. However, CNC is not a “wonder robot” which will make you disregard all your employees and expect your shop to run on auto-pilot.

Though you will need more people without the CNC technology, you will need only three very, very skilled people. Call these people your friends, your team, whatever. In the long run, they might be just all you need to keep the shop in good shape.

THE PROGRAMMER

The first person is the CNC programmer. S/he is like the “playmaker”.  S/he will create the programs that the CNC machines are intended to execute. Since the programs are in the form of CNC codes fabricated like sentences, he should have mastered these codes because they work like a different language. The regular CNC machine can use up to 50 codes, so that’s like learning 50 new words for the newbie.

Also, the programmer should have at least and engineering or machining degree. Remember that the CNC machine will only execute WHAT IT IS PROGRAMMED TO DO. If the program is wrong, the whole operation goes down the drain with it. Moreover,s/he should also be flexible and have a fast turn-around because a CNC machine is often used to machine a huge selection of different work-pieces.

THE OPERATOR

The second person that you need is the CNC operator. S/he will simply recheck the programs loaded to the machine and push the right buttons to get the work done. However, thinking that a CNC operator can have little or NO SKILL AT ALL is wrong. A CNC machine operator must have at least basic machining skills and s/he should have undergone some form of training to run a CNC machine.

These machines can produce very intricate motions, making it possible to make shapes that cannot be created on conventional machine tools. So, the operator should foresee this complexity and know how to cruise with it. The skills that an operator must have though, are lesser compared to the operators of conventional machine tools.

THE TECHNICIAN

The third person that will need is the CNC technician. Although this may still be the programmer, it’s more convenient to always have a technical expert on-call because in the long run, you may have more than one CNC machine and you may need to prioritize over the other in case both gets crippled at the same time. Just like the programmer, the technician should also be flexible and articulate. CNC offers a lot of complexity when it’s running right, how much more if it’s behaving badly?

So, if you are having job openings for positions that need to be handling a CNC machine, ask the applicants first to do a demo for you and make sure that during the demo, they know what they’re doing. An exam may also do wonders too. If they have no experience with any kind of CNC machine, it is advisable that you encourage them to take short courses on CNC.

Eighty-hour courses are available online and hey, it’s better than nothing.  Experts even encourage employers to hire CNC machinists who have finished AND PASSED the National Occupational Competency Testing Institute (NOCTI) assessment just so they could be sure that their CNC machines will go to good hands. After all, a CNC machine is still an asset.

Tags: cnc, cnc machine operator, cnc programmer, conventional machine tools, machine, operator

The advent of Computers lessened the need for human intervention in almost all aspects of our daily lives. This is especially true in the industrial sector now that production is virtually automated.

Precision and accuracy

Computer numerical control has been able to help companies in terms of precision. With the need for more complex designs and more complex operations, human workers could not cope with the required precision that comes with advancement. CNC machines were able to alter that idea by allowing increased precision and lesser error ratios with regards to production.

Another important improvement that CNC has brought with it is the increased accuracy. The dimensions of components have to be very accurate. And since an increase in production speed also increases the error ratio, CNC has helped lower that ratio by the increased level of automation and the error detection capabilities that computers have.

Speed

In the industrial sector, speed is of the essence. With CNC technology, the normal production capacity has been increased exponentially. This means that effective and accurate production methods have been developed. Mass production requires more scrutiny for errors and mistakes. However, anomalies can also be corrected. The programming structures of CNC machines can be altered in a fast way. This means that mistakes do not have as serious an impact as they had before CNC was improved to this level.

Machine versatility

CNC machines have become very versatile with regards to the tools that they use. They can easily be assigned to different tasks and thus can be very productive. Tools and networks can be switched without compromising the speed of the production. Aside from this, one machine can do more than one task at a time. This exceeds the normal human capacities as it allows more tasks to be accomplished at a faster rate than before.

Furthermore, when one machine tool breaks down, it can easily be pulled off the grid to prevent it from affecting the whole production cycle. It can then be replaced or repaired on the spot.

Lesser human intervention

Since component production is a very tedious and repetitive operation, human error skyrockets as time passes. This is due to fatigue and other factors. Furthermore, the ability of a person degrades due to psychological and emotional factors. This means that if a person works on the same job for a certain amount of time, the person may eventually get bored or tired or both. This increases the possibility for the human to commit an error and thus causes a drop in the efficiency rating of that person. A machine, however, does not get tired or bored. A machine does not have any concern at all.

Therefore, a machine increases efficiency ratings by speeding up production and eliminating or reducing factors that threaten efficiency. In this case, one must simply program the machine to start a cycle. Furthermore, humans have to be fed, paid, and rested. Machines only have to be rested when failures occur to often and they do not need to be paid or fed.

This brings us to the conclusion that companies will be able to save a lot in the long run. While investing in CNC machines is not cheap, maintenance will only cost a fraction of what will be paid to manual laborers.

Tags: cnc, cnc machines, computer numerical control, detection capabilities, machine, production

The acronym CNC means Computer Numerically Controlled. Before, the professional craftsmen made high quality goods with the help of hand tools such as hand routers planers, circular saws and others. It was really so a hard job to do the entire things by means of the hands. Because of this cause, the delivery of products on time is impossible to do.

At present generation, computerization is everywhere. Everything happens automatically and people are addicted badly with automation scheme. The wood steering machines came up with CNC. This machine can drill automatically, routes, cut and carves that can supply with unbelievable accuracy and velocity to add productivity not sacrificing quality.

The modern CNC routers use computers in informing the control scheme and motors what to cut and the distance to move, while old CNC routing devices operated by using punch tape. These machines can rotate whole material to finished products based on the design given by the software.

CNC routing devices cut the timber in 3 diverse directions instantly. It can produce patterns and shapes rapidly because it moves in some directions quickly.

Fundamentally, the software used in CNC routing machine is CAD (Computer Aided Design). It aids in designing the goods then sends commands to PC controller in CNC machines. The controller brings directional sign to motor drivers then the device moves in answer to produce a finished design.

The CNC routing devices begin the work through the attached computer which controls the movement, design and cutting. It may put the machine to work in fresh designs while it is being used.

The CNC wood routers make use of CNC and are like comparable to metal CNC mill but they have the following differences: the wood router spins typically faster having a range of 13,000 to 24,000 revolutions per minute, it usually uses little tools with distinctive shank size of 20 millimeters or a maximum of 25 millimeters and it typically utilizes little tool holders MK2 (Morse taper number 2 – an older machine), ISO-30, HSK-63 or the devices get hold directly to spindle nose.

There is much CAM software like Artcam, Featurecam and Mastercam purposely made for wood routers. Wood with diverse grain should be advanced with exceptional strategies. Wood router is often utilized to machine some pliable supplies like plastics at high velocity.

A CNC router may twist raw manufacturing supplies like aluminum or wood into finished goods based on thorough designs you produced with the use of accompanying software.

CNC Routers have important responsibilities in markets like furniture design, manufacturing of circuit board, plastic and foam production and education. They may permit you to finish projects within few hours that previously took you for numerous days. The advantages of having one CNC router, what it may do, choosing a vendor and a Variety of costs involved is the fundamental features of CNC routers.

Tags: cnc, cnc routers, machine, Morse, professional craftsmen, software cnc, wood

I have an older System48 router made by Gerber. We are having issues with the machine after installing new software in a post computer crash issue.
Can anyone supply me with some info on this machine? I have tried Gerber and they don’t have info on a machine this old.

This is CAR MAINTENANCE , not computer maintenance. I see why your computer don’t work.

Tags: computer, computer crash, crash issue, Gerber, installing new software, machine

CNC stands for Computer Numerical Control. It basically means that a computer interprets a program to determine how to move the machine. A design for a component would be developed on a CAD/CAM system (computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing) and the CNC machine would interpret that design into the sequence of movements the machine would need to make to make the part.

A router is a machine tool that can make free form, curved cuts and can cut out complicated shapes. It can also use a number of differently shaped cutting bits that can cut complex shapes into the edges of the material.

Tags: cad cam system, cnc, computer aided manufacturing, computer numerical control, Design, machine

great machine try searching the web..i am a mason and would love to see your work…modern age chisel your looking for….lol

Tags: machine, mason, searching the web, try, web

TGI Machine Sales is a good place to start. Their web address is www.RouterCenter.com. They have a large inventory of used CNC Routers – in addition they retrofit older machines with new controllers.

Tags: machine, place, routers, TGI