Author Archives: David
- October 1, 2021
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CNC Battery Backup
Category : Useful Stuff
CNC Battery Backup
It’s Holiday Time Woopeeee
- Did you set the burglar alarm?
- Switched all the lights off?
- Turned off all the taps?
- Locked up?
- Fed the rats?
Oh just one other thing before you go.
CNC Battery Backup, I had a call from a customer the other day about a mysterious battery warning on the screen of his Haas CNC Lathe, it turns out he had been ignoring a battery alarm for a while. Battery warnings are a bit like strange rashes you ignore them at your peril.
I was too late the machine had lost its memory. A bit like the next day after you got drunk and everyone was telling you about how you got naked in the middle of the dance floor and to you it’s like it never happened.
No matter how many prompts you give the machine now, all is lost. When your battery backup goes unfortunately you don’t just loose your CNC Programmes, oh no you should be so lucky. Obviously it depends on the machine and the control and how the moon is aligned with the planets. You can loose all your parameters, all your offsets, all your settings everything. All in all it’s not good.
CNC Machine Parameters
The parameters are the most important one, if you ignore this whole article (like you did all my others) please don’t ignore this. It could almost scrap your machine, I jest not. All your machine backlash parameters would be lost and even if you had an identical machine these parameters would not be the same they are unique to each machine. You should have a disk or a paper tape or DVD, maybe somewhere in the machine cabinet. Make sure you have a copy of this and it is up to date.
On most machines the CNC Battery Backup gets charged when the machine is on and when it’s off that battery keeps hold of all what’s needed for when you switch it back on again. This works fine until the battery gets knackered after a few years. You should get a warning and if you do then you ignore at your peril. The best thing to do now is don’t switch off the machine (the hydraulics is fine to turn off).
Just press the E Stop (the big one shown above) but don’t switch off the main power. Now get HELP. Oh and by the way if your machine has power saving or auto shut-down you may need to turn this off as some do power down the whole system, this will be in your settings.
CNC Battery Backup
It’s particularly worth looking at before a shutdown type holiday. You might not realise it but this might be the only time in a year when the machine is off for more than a few hours, and that’s when the trouble starts.
Even when everything is restored you need to be really careful it’s a bit like restoring factory settings on your mobile phone “yea that’s OK” you say. Then for days you keep finding all those little customization you made and forgot about.
This is my phone (I like to have all the latest gadgets just like you young folk)
Oh By the way don’t forget the new classroom training courses.
If you are not familiar with the basics of Turning or Milling then you may need to take one of the course below before you do the New CNC Training Classes above.
CNC Battery Backup
Lets talk about what we can do with regards to CNC Battery Backup.
- Get your machines on a regular maintenance contract.
- Make sure you have an up to date backup of your machine parameters.
- All backups should have an extra copy off the premises or in a fireproof safe
- Always read alarms and don’t procrastinate, it can make you blind.
- Never ignore warnings on the screen and keep your eyes out for quick flash warning as the machine comes on.
- Don’t just keep programs in the machine you may have got away with it for years but one day……..
CNC Program Backup
The method I have found to work the best with regards to CNC program backup is to only keep in the machine the program you are currently using. That way you always have the most up to date program and it prompts operators to update the backup system after alterations. Also it will stop you relying on the machine memory.
There are many very good backup systems you can buy and I would recommend you get one. They usually have a way to quarantine a program so that the programmer can decide to update the master after alterations.
Make sure you have drawing issue numbers etc. on your programs and this covers you for ISO 90001 thingamy or whatever. Most machines have a way of saving all the programs at once and this is often a good temporary measure if your in a rush. On a Haas CNC Machine it puts them all into a single program.
Most machines have a way of saving your offsets either separately or with the programs and this is well worth checking out.
Read The Manual, CNC Battery Backup
This is not just an old man repeating himself yet again. It will tell you how to backup your parameters and offsets etc.
CNC Probes, Auto tool Measure, Lathe Measuring Arms
You will have to re calibrate these as the settings will be lost. Unless you saved your parameters that is. It is a good idea to write these figures down and if you didn’t do it before do it this time.
These settings effectively store where the probe is in relation to the coordinate system. If you don’t know how to calibrate your probe etc. it’s time to learn it is not only expensive to get this done it will stop you getting round to doing it. Once you have done it you will be surprised how easy it is.
If you are not familiar with the basics of Turning or Milling then you may need to take one of the course below before you do the New CNC Training Classes above.
Please contact me if you require:
- Fanuc training.
- CNC programming training.
- Want to learn CNC programming.
- Fanuc programming training.
- Yasnac programming training.
- Any type of CNC course.
Don’t forget to watch my Tutorial Videos
Services offered at CNC Training Centre
Classroom programmer training.
CNC Training on all controls and machines.
Mazak Training Fanuc Training
Don’t forget we offer training on all types of Mazak Machines and all Fanuc Controls 6m to 31i Oi old to young.
- September 30, 2021
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CNC Machine Training Classes
Category : Training
CNC Machine Training Classes now running at the CNC Training Centre
Beginners
Setter Operator Beginners Turning
Setter Operator Beginners Milling
These two courses are designed for beginners who want to learn how to set and operate a CNC machine and are for students with very little engineering experience.
Learn to Programme
Learn To Programme Turning
Learn To Programme Milling
If you already work on a CNC Machine but you want to learn to programme then the two courses above are for you.
Absolute Beginners
I have added these courses which are for students with very little engineering experience. They cover the basics of milling and turning in preparation for learning to programme.
Beginners turning
Beginners Milling
They are two day courses but pack a lot in, covering tooling and measuring instruments. I am drawing from my vast experience in industry, on the coal face as it were, and knowing the very basics skills that are needed by a CNC operator before he begins to learn about programming.
The New CNC Training Classes and Courses focus very much on the basics giving a solid understanding of the nuts and bolts of CNC programming on an ISO Fanuc Haas type control.
The Story
I am going to ramble on, because I always do, but it made me think of when I worked with my dad many years ago. My dad was a brilliant old school engineer and he worked for Alfred Herberts from boy to man, apart from a brief period in the RAF.
He got made redundant and had his pension robbed when AH finally went bust. I was running an engineering company so it seemed obvious to have him working for me.
I learnt so much from my dad about the basic principles of machining (this is the link to the training courses) albeit tenuous. His claim to fame was that he worked the first Cri Dan machine. This was an amazing innovative machine that could hold it’s own, until fairly recently, against a CNC lathe for high-speed threading. There are still a few about now.
My dad often joked that he could offhand grind a 1/16 of an inch drill and read a steel rule to a thousandth of an inch which I am sure was bullshit although I would never dare to say. I remember we were trying to turn and bore some motor bodies on a Mori Seiki lathe and we could not get them round. Anyway he told me to weld up some jaws so that they would fully envelop the part.
Basically it had nowhere to go it was like a big collet and it worked. But there was another lesson to learn. Our inexperienced inspector was trying to measure roundness with a micrometer which I am sure you all know cannot be done.
An argument ensued and profanities were exchanged. We ended up buying a Talyrond roundness checker which is the correct tool for the job.
As it happens the same thing cropped up in a customer’s only a few months back. I caught them trying to measure roundness with a micrometer. Back to basics again.
These days I have a much better way to prove my point than shouting and swearing and it’s cheap 50 pence to be precise.
I threw them a 50p piece (UK Currency) or even a 20p for the real cheapskates. “Is that round” was my question. They laughed
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“Here is a micrometer now check it for roundness”.
Mmm it’s dead round when you check it with a micrometer.
The smart arses amongst you will know that a 50p piece is an “equilateral curve heptagon“. And it measures the same across any two points you care to choose. It proves that you can’t measure roundness with a micrometer.
I won’t be teaching you about roundness on these courses ,that would be silly you already know, but if you are interested in learning basic CNC Programming for a Lathe or Milling Machine look no further.
The New CNC Training Classes focus very much on the basics giving a solid understanding of the nuts and bolts of CNC programming on an ISO Fanuc Haas type control.
See all The Courses
If you want to learn to program CNC Machines
If you want to learn to program CNC Milling Machines
If you want to learn to program CNC Lathes
Look no further Contact CNC Training Centre
Please contact me if you require:
- Fanuc training.
- CNC programming training.
- Want to learn CNC programming.
- Fanuc programming training.
- Yasnac programming training.
- Any type of CNC course.
Don’t forget to watch my Tutorial Videos
Call David 07834 858 407
We offer training on all types of CNC Machines and controls check em out.
Or fill out the contact form below
Use What You Have
Category : Useful Stuff
Use what you have, 10 years ago my big gripe with companies when I was looking at increasing productivity and improving production methods, was that there was little investment in new technologies.
I think that now things are a bit different, although there is still room for improvement.
Being the grumpy old, ageing, failed, rock star that I am, my moan now is that the technologies that people have invested in are not being used to the maximum capabilities.
These are some of my suggestions and your MD will love the fact that they all cost little or no money:
(1) Read the manuals on your CNC machine just the first few pages (not the boring health and safety shit, the next bit) bet you will learn something you didn’t know.
Maybe there are a few little gaps in your basic knowledge of CNC Programming?
(2) Now, about that probe in the carousel (covered in swarf and coolant) that no one knows how to use. Learn to use it. Come on there are loads of idiots like me posting free videos on this stuff. Once you use one I will guarantee you will never go back.
(3) Use What You Have and check out the settings on your Haas machine (I can always get people excited about what these can do) look at the Haas tips n tricks page on their website (you will learn loads of stuff to impress your mates, not at the pub though please.
(4) Make sure you are using the latest version of Edgecam (or your chosen CAM system). Edgecam and all software is evolving rapidly and you’re really missing out. Oh and if you have a maintenance contract check it out there is all sorts of free stuff (like training and user meetings).
(5) Try to make a point of learning something new every day. (I am 86 and I still do) write them all in a book so you can look back.
Please let me know how this goes, enter your comments below.
Please contact me if you require:
- Fanuc training.
- CNC programming training.
- Want to learn CNC programming.
- Fanuc programming training.
- Yasnac programming training.
- Any type of CNC course.
Services offered at CNC Training Centre
Classroom programmer training.
Onsite CNC Training on all controls and machines.
Call David : 07834 858 407
Mazak Training Fanuc Training
Don’t forget we offer training on all types of Mazak Machines and all Fanuc Controls 6m to 31i Oi old to young.
Fanuc Display – Relative Position
Category : Fanuc Mill Fanuc Turn
Fanuc Display (Relative Position) is used only by the operator.
You can reset Fanuc Display (Relative Position) just like you would on a manual machine with a DRO. So use it for setting or even measurements. One thing to remember is it will not retain it’s position when you turn the machine off. The control in the video is a Fanuc 18i on a big vertical lathe but all other Fanuc controls are similar.
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