Category Archives: Fanuc Mill

CNC Programming Basics Letter O Number Zero

Category : Beginners Fanuc Mill Haas Mill

CNC Programming Basics Letter O Number Zero

CNC Programming Basics, in my very early days of CNC I got to do quite a lot of work for Hitachi Seiki the Japanese machine tool maker that unfortunately no longer exist.

CNC Programming Basics

Many of their machines are still around and running. I was fortunate enough to be trained by a Japanese engineer who focused on the CNC programming basics.

The control was called Seicos which I think was based on the Fanuc control which Hitachi made themselves.

Anyway they had an equivalent of the Fanuc FAPT which was an automatic programming system.

It was the dogs bollocks of the day.

CNC Programming Basics

You could do maths on the fly with this control which I recon is a great idea.

Maths On The Fly

 

 

You could input say 8/25.4 then when you pressed enter, it would calculate the answer and input it for you. Lots of software like Fusion 360 do this today.

A couple of times I read a radius from a drawing say 15 for example and I would input 30 for the diameter. Every time he would stop me and say “no no wrong” (sorry I can’t do a Japanese accent).

He would insist that I input 15 x 2 and then press enter.

I didn’t think too much about it at the time. Over the years the penny has dropped as to the significance of this lesson.

CNC Training

When I am training people now I always say that you must input exactly what you see.

Roy Walker has a Catchphrase “Say What You See”  I just love this show. I suggest you watch it now because this article gets more and more boring as it goes on.

Anyway

So if you input exactly what you see you will make less errors.

“Say What You See”

“Say What You See”

For example if I had worked it out that 15 x 2=29 or I made a typing error then I would have been in trouble.

So at what point do you decide that you will use a calculator?

What he was teaching me was, wherever possible make the machine do the work.

CNC Programming Basics

Taking this to its logical conclusion the way you programme from a drawing is really important and it is all part of CNC Programming Basics.

  • Make the datum wherever possible the same as the drawing.
  • If the drawing has several datum’s you could also have several datum’s.
  • If holes are dimensioned 15.865 apart and you have 4 holes don’t add it up programme it as incremental.
  • If you have polar programming (G16) on your machine and the drawing is dimensioned that way, with angles and rads, then use polar.
  • Here is a post on how to use G16

It’s Right there in Front of You

What this means is that when you look at the programme and you look at the drawing it is really easy to understand what you are doing. Remember what I have said in many posts before.

If you are the programmer the setter is your customer.

If you are the setter then the operator is your customer.

When someone else picks up your work they should easily be able to see what you are up to.

Unless your one of those assholes that really doesn’t want them to understand.

  • Read the drawing and you can see the same figures as the programme.
  • Check out the datum and it’s the same as the drawing.

We always emphasise this when we are training programmers.

The Point

Let me now get to the real point of this article this Japanese guy would never allow me to say G O as in letter O. He would insist on me saying G zero. If you think about the translation here, the only reason that we get the two mixed up is because they look the same. I would imagine to him it seemed totally wrong.

The thing is it is totally wrong.

CNC Programming Basics

CNC Programming Basics

If you place a letter O accidentally in your code instead of a number zero when you read it into your machine it will start a new programme as soon as it sees the letter O.

So you will end up where you and your poor machine are both very confused.

The letter O has only one use in a CNC programme it precedes the programme number to begin a programme (see below). The comments in brackets are totally ignored by the control and therefore you can put what you like while you are protected by the brackets.

By the way if you want to use foul language or childish rude comments them please make sure they are parenthesised. I often do this myself.

O0001 (G81 DEMO)
G21 G90 G40
T01 M06 (20.0 MM DIA X 90 POINT SPOT DRILL)
G90 G0 G54 X12.64 Y88.0 S2546
G43 H01 Z15.0 M8
G0 Z100.

Where Else Can you Use The Letter O?

Sorry I lied to you. There are other uses for the letter O.

I only lied to protect you as a beginner.

What are they? Let me know

Please contact me if you require:

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Services offered at CNC Training Centre

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Don’t forget we offer training on all types of Mazak Machines and all Fanuc Controls 6m to 31i Oi old to young.

 

Using Rads and Chamfers Fanuc Control

Category : Fanuc Mill

Rads and Chamfers Fanuc, yes you heard it there is a quick way of doing it just like on Heidenhain.

On a Fanuc control they offer two ways of adding rads and chamfers, one is pants and the other one is great.

It really is a pain in the arse to get some of these features working but it’s definitely worth the effort to sort it out. Read this article and get to work. Your life will never be the same.

The first way uses R and R- or K and K- depending on which way your going. Now I won’t be explaining how this works because really I haven’t got a fuckin clue

It’s way too complicated. If I did know I wouldn’t waste wearing out my keyboard or damaging my manicured nails to write an article.

 

 

Anyway it will only do orthogonal lines (if you don’t know what orthogonal means don’t worry it just means your a bit thick).

Rads and Chamfers Fanuc

This by no means implies that I think all goats are stupid (technically known as goatism).

Orthogonal means relating to 90 degree lines

Now lets do it my way and you get to do shit like this.

Rads and Chamfers Fanuc

Parameters…. Shit!!!!!

First of all you got to alter some parameters.

8134 3453 allows you to use ,R and ,C (Rads and Chamfers)

Well maybe you just need to check them (they might already be ok).

Rads and Chamfers Fanuc

Anyway just read this article it tells you how to do it.

Right having done that here is a simple turned part.

Rads and Chamfers Fanuc

Here is the code if you want to program it……Rads and Chamfers Fanuc

Now if you want to add corner rads and chamfers it looks like this.

 

Rads and Chamfers Fanuc

Oh and if you got the time and the patience to write the code here is what it should look like……

The Code

(Maybe some of my smart arse readers would like to check it, don’t tell me if it’s wrong because I don’t handle failure well.)

 

Rads and Chamfers Fanuc

So with a few commas an shit it’s real easy, you should try it some time.

Rads and Chamfers Fanuc

And that’s it job done. Just remember to check those parameters,

By the way if you wreck your machine altering parameters please don’t contact me I’ll just deny all knowledge.

If you want to learn about rads and chamfers on a Sinumeric Siemens 840D read this

Thanks for watching and reading

If you have been affected by any of the issues in this post or need CNC Counselling then contact me.

Or call us

If you want to learn to programme CNC Milling Machines

Look no further Contact CNC Training Centre

 

 

G82 Drilling Program Example

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Category : Fanuc Mill Haas Mill Mazak Mill

G82 Drilling Program Example

G82 Drilling Program Example, this simple part has four M12 holes drilled countersunk and tapped.

The datum is the centre of the part so the holes positions are.

X55. Y55.
X-55. Y55.
X-55. Y-55.
X55. Y-55.

G82 Drilling Program Example

Here is the CNC code

G82 Drilling Program Example

The machine first moves to X-55. Y-55. and rapids the Z axis to 3mm above the part.

It then rapids the Z axis down to 1mm above the part R1.

The G82 Cycle instructs it to drill a hole 6mm deep (Z-6.) at a feed of 200mm per minute (F200.)

When it gets to depth the P3000 tells it to dwell for 3000 milliseconds which is 3 seconds. No decimal point allowed. (Varies on controls)

When the hole is done it rapids back to the initial point (Z3.) This was in the line

This is because of the G98.

If it were G99 it would return to 1mm above the job (R1.)

See explanation of G98 and G99

Once the cycle is active each time it sees a position it repeats the drilling process.

When the G80 is programmed it no longer drills holes.

Now watch the video to see it all in action.

G82 Drilling Program Example

Haas G82 example

It’s been great fun writing this article for you but to be totally honest i think this cycle is a complete waste of time. Whenever I have put a dwell in a spot drilling cycle it always seems to chatter.

However if you do use this cycle please let me know if you have success with it.

Thanks

If you have been affected by any of the issues in this post or need CNC Counselling then contact me.

If you want to learn to program CNC Milling Machines

Look no further Contact CNC Training Centre

 

 

 

G73 Peck Drilling Example (Canned Cycle)

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Category : Fanuc Mill Haas Mill Mazak Mill

G73 Peck Drilling Example

G73 is a peck drilling canned cycle.

This cycle drills holes and breaks up the chips as it goes. It does not fully retract from the hole.

It retracts just enough to break the chips up.

This simple part has four M12 holes drilled countersunk and tapped. The datum is the centre of the part so the holes positions are.

X55. Y55.
X-55. Y55.
X-55. Y-55.
X55. Y-55.

G73 Peck Drilling Example

Here is the CNC code (G73 Peck Drilling Example)

G73 Peck Drilling Example

The machine first moves to X-55. Y-55. and rapids the Z axis to 3mm above the part.

 

G73 Peck Drilling Program Example

It then rapids the Z axis down to 1mm above the part R1.

The G73 Cycle instructs it to drill a hole 17.5mm deep (Z-17.5) at a feed of 200mm per minute (F200.) 

The Q2. tells the machine to drill the hole in 2mm steps. After each step it retracts a small amount to break up the chips from the drilling.

As it drills the depth increases by 2mm each time.

When the hole is done it rapids back to the initial point (Z3.) This was in the line

G73 Peck Drilling Program Example

This is because of the G98.

If it were G99 it would return to 1mm above the job (R1.)

See explanation of G98 and G99

Once the cycle is active each time it sees a position it repeats the drilling process.

When the G80 is programmed it no longer drills holes.

Now watch the video to see it all in action (G73 Peck Drilling Example)

G73 Drilling Example

Haas G73 example

Thanks

If you have been affected by any of the issues in this post or need CNC Counselling then contact me.

If you want to learn to program CNC Milling Machines

Look no further Contact CNC Training Centre

 

 

 

How G28 Works. Why two pushes of CYCLE START?

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Category : Fanuc Mill Fanuc Turn Haas Mill Haas Turn

How G28 Works

Every wondered why G28 takes two presses of the CYCLE START Button when you are in single block.

How G28 Works

Be amazed you are about to find out.

One of my pet hates, and at my age you have thousands, is when people say

“Oh I don’t know we’ve always done it”

I just think, well you are stood at this machine for eight hours a day why not find out what’s going on.

How G28 Works

How G28 Works

G28 tells the machine to return to its home position. This is usually a convenient point for a tool change.

The command on a machining centre looks a bit strange.

G28 G91 X0 Y0 Z0

Why G91?

Well G28 means return to your home position via an intermediate point.

So if you programmed G28 X0 Y0 Z0 then your machine would rapid down to the workpiece (probably crash) and then go to it’s home position.

What G28 G91 X0 Y0 Z0 tells the machine is this……

  • The reference point is incrementally zero from where you are.
  • So the machine does not move.
  • Then it goes to it’s home position.
  • Hence the two presses of cycle start.

On a CNC Lathe we use U and W for incremental. Read this post if you don’t know.

So if you programmed G28 U0 W0 your X and Z axis would return to their home position. This being because the reference point is incremental.

If you programmed G28 X0 Z0 you would probably get a collision like below.

Well at least it went home.

First move is to X0 Z0 which is the front of the part. (This is your reference point.)

The machine would then move back to zero return.

G28 is fine on a CNC Lathe but on a CNC Machining Centre you must remember to change back to G90 (Absolute).

My preference is to use G53 to get back to your home position.

Read this article if you never heard of G53.

Please note some older machines don’t have G53. Oh and it is classed as an option!

If you are affected by any of the issues raised in this post or need CNC Training then contact us.

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