Category Archives: Haas Turn

Modal and non modal G codes

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Modal and non modal G codes

Modal and non modal G codes

Let Me explain

We all know that programming can be complicated. So let me explain to you how it all works. This article explains the real meaning of Modal and non modal G codes.

Modal means that once a command is issued it stays in the control.

How Can you Actually Use This?

If you issue a G0 or G00 command the machine is in rapid and you do not need to re-state it.

Rapid means all motors are flat out, like a teenager in a Ferrari.

Every move from then on will be a rapid move unless you tell it otherwise. The G code that changes it must be in the same group. For example G0 G1 G2 and G3 are all in the same group a bit like The Beatles used to be.

The other day I was talking to  a “young person” who hadn’t even heard of the Beatles. I mean fuckin hell, am I really really old or are they doomed to be forgotten?

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G10 Using G10 on a Fanuc Type Control

G10

I am always amazed that so many companies still don’t use G10 in their CNC programs. If you know you know.

I must admit I fuckin hate a lot of the things that young people say like “can I get a Latte”. (Get behind this fuckin counter and make it yoursef if you want to “get it”).

Anyway I kind of like “If you know you know”

No G10… Is this you?

I am sure you have your reasons which I will accept. But if your reason is that you don’t understand it then that’s just not good enough.

So you make a part, it’s all setup and you need to break it down.

If you can fix the work holding in such a way that you can reload it in exactly the same place then you need G10.

Let me explain, watch this video to see how single point location works.

G10 No need to spend loads of money.

You could just bolt a sub plate to your machine table so that vices and chucks etc can have dowels to locate them.

But the main idea is that you can relocate your work holding in exactly the same place every time.

G10
Using G10 on a Fanuc Type Control

This is your work offset page on a Fanuc control.

G10

These figures are written in by hand or by automatic setting.

If you had written this line in your program.

G90 G10 L2 P1 X-440.500 Y-265.200 Z-443.00

They would have been written in automatically when you ran the program.

So the work offset page could have any values in G54 but as soon as you run your program this G10 command will replace them with its preset values.

Make Sure Your in Absolute

Try not to forget the G90 (Absolute) because you may accidentally be in G91 (Incremental). What would then happen is it would add these numbers to what is already in the work offset. Oh dear me.

In G90 it will always replace them.

You can write to G54 G55 G56 G57 G58 or G59 just by changing the P number.

G90 G10 L2 P1 X-140.600 Y-265.923 Z-400.00 (G54)

G90 G10 L2 P2 X-125.500 Y-236.865 Z-313.865 (G55)

G90 G10 L2 P3 X-800.500 Y-563.200 Z-125.00 (G56)

G90 G10 L2 P4 X-440.500 Y-265.200 Z-169.369 (G57)

G90 G10 L2 P5 X-440.500 Y-265.200 Z-123.568 (G58)

G90 G10 L2 P6 X-410.500 Y-235.200 Z-443.00 (G59)

The code above would setup all six work offsets.

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G01 G00 Basic CNC Programming ( G01 not GO1 )

G01 not GO1 Back to Basic CNC Programming

The letter O is only used for a programme number and a GOTO statement on a Fanuc Control. It’s important not to get it mixed up with the number Zero. So we should really say G zero one ( G01 not GO1 ).

So remember it’s G01 not GO1 (Zero not letter O)

G01 not GO1

A good solution is to miss it out where possible G1 not G01 etc.

This is part of a series of articles designed to cover basic CNC Programming.

When I first learnt to programme, before the First World War, I still remember how daunting the thick yellow Fanuc Manuals were. The Japanese were learning to speak English and we were learning to speak G Code.

Fanuc Manuals

Fanuc manuals are just like the yellow pages. A note here for you young people who might not know what yellow pages are (no it’s not like someone pissed on the photocopier)

Long before Google we had these thick yellow books and we used them to find stuff like if your mam needed to get the outside toilet unblocked or something.

None of this stuff was in the Fanuc manuals but you could easily get them mixed up cos they looked very similar.

I can honestly say when I was learning Basic CNC Programming I read the old 6M Fanuc manual from cover to cover. The Macro bit was just like another planet to me. Some things I had to read over and over again to understand.

Some of it was so badly written you kind of had to guess what they meant.

In the Beginning

Every now and then I used to go right back to the beginning and read the basic stuff again. Believe me, every time I would find something I didn’t know, mind you I didn’t know much then anyway.

Try it later and if it doesn’t work I’ll give you your money back.

Okay enough of this bullshit and verbiage let’s talk about G codes.

Geometric Code, that’s what the G stands for.

Useless information but anyway, now I’ve said it. Don’t tell your mates down the pub because you will probably bore them shitless.

I often begin my training courses by saying “you only need to know four G codes to programme a CNC, it really is that easy”

G0 G1 G2 G3

(Please smart arses don’t contact me.)

What that means is that you can get round any shape with straight lines G1 and circles G2 and G3. Oh and you need to quickly get to the part so use G0 rapid.

Yes and another note. You don’t need leading zeros.

G00 can be G0 (Never GO as in letter O)
G01 can be G1 (Never GO1 as in letter O)
G02 can be G2 (Never GO1 as in Letter O)
G03 can be G3 (Never GO1 as in letter O)

Read this if you want to know more.

Lets Get On with It

G00 or G0 commands a rapid move. That means the axis will be flat out. Maximum foot to the floor, shit off a stick as we say in the Midlands.

A common mistake with rapid moves is to assume that the axis will all move in a straight line like a bullet from a gun.

Not true. Because each axis is flat out one axis may arrive before the other. The rapid on your X axis could be slower than your Z. Anyway you get what I mean.

Why do I need to know this?

Easy because if something is in the way then you might hit it. That is if you assume the movement is a straight line.

Now lets see.

Move down in Z

G0 Z5.

G01 not GO1

Then a nice straight line G0 X130. Z-30.

G01 not GO1

But meanwhile in the real world

G01 not GO1

It’s obvious really.

Just think for a moment:

If both X and Z rapid motors ran at the same speed. Then each axis will move the same amount until one reaches its destination.

Looks like this.

G01 not GO1

Z has 30mm to move in total so they will both move 30mm. This will make a 45 degree line.

Ah but X is not finished yet. X will carry on and finish its move in a straight line.

G01 not GO1

If something is in the path of your rapid move you may need to programme your axis separately to be sure not to hit anything.

G00 X130. Z-30.

Could be:

G00 X130. ;
Z-30.;

G01 not GO1

Please don’t repeat the G00 (you know it will piss me off).

Now G01 ( G01 not GO1  )

G01 is a linear feed. It means feed in a straight line. Just like stretching a piece of string between two points. It can be just one axis or two simultaneous axis. You can even programme X Y and Z all in one line of code.

So this is what really separates a CNC from a manual machine. Remember how hard it was to machine an angle on a manual milling machine? Or a taper on a lathe.

You do?

Well on a CNC Machine we just programme the end point. It will then machine a straight line from it’s current position to the programmed point

If your machine was at X50. Y0 and you programmed a line

G01 X55. Y-200. ;

You would get an angle.

Ok what’s wrong in this picture?

Just to see if you are not a robot?

Yes congratulations but what is wrong with the line.

G01 X55. Y-200. ;

The Feed-rate

Yes with G01 you need a feed-rate. Don’t repeat the feed-rate, you only need another feed-rate when you want to change it.

G01 X55. Y-200. F100. ;

Don’t forget you can programme X Y and Z together and it will still be a straight line just like you tied a piece of string between the start and end point.

F100. means feed at 100mm per minute.

CNC Turning

On a manual lathe you would have to set up a compound slide to just machine an angle.

Basic CNC Programming

Mmm very skillful and I’m sure it’s loads of fun.

On a CNC Lathe this is just one line of code and some Basic CNC Programming!!

What About 3 Axis Rapid?

Yes you can programme 3 axis together in rapid move. It’s definitely the quickest way to get to the part.

G0 X50. Y20. Z3.

I would definitely advise using it but, and there always is one, just be real careful nothing is in the way. Don’t blame me I’ll just say I never  met you.

Oh just one more thing as Columbo would say.

You could use a very high feed instead of a rapid move. That way you really would guarantee a straight line. I’ve never done this but it just came to me in a flash.

So there you have it G0 is rapid ( never GO letter O).

G1 is linear feed, remember G01 not GO1 (Not letter O)

Thank you for reading my article ( Basic CNC Programming G01 not GO1 )

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Haas SL15 CNC Lathe

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Category : Haas Haas Turn

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Today I got to train someone on a Haas SL15 Lathe, it had live tooling and a sub spindle.

Haas SL15

It also had a bar-feed.

Not worked on one of these for a while. Tell me why on earth don’t other companies look at the pragmatic approach that Haas take to CNC Machining and copy it?

Say what you like about Haas machines but they have an incredible knack of shattering the bullshit and making stuff easy.

Here are two massive ones.

G112

G112 tricks the Haas SL15 CNC Lathe into thinking it’s a machining centre and that it can mill.

It’s like gender identity for CNC Machines. But, and this is the “for fuck sake bit”, on most machines you have to program it like a machining centre but then when your done you need to double X and switch all the Y’s for C’s.

Sounds simple but in practice it’s a shit storm, specially when programming G2 and G3.

Here is an article about it.

When Mr Haas invented the Haas SL15 CNC Lathe he must have looked at this and laughed. Here is a really clever idea. We’ll trick the machine into thinking it’s a machining centre and here is the clever bit. We’ll keep up the facade.

So you make a milling program (XY) and then……. you leave it that way. How incredibly clever is that?? Mmmmmm

Haas SL15 it Gets Better

Sub spindle, to program a sub spindle you have to stand on your head and think of a number, twist your bollocks through 90 degrees, say 47 “Hail Mary’s” and then divide by the number you first thought of.

No Sunny Jim not on this Haas SL15 CNC Lathe it’s got this nifty little G code tucked right up it’s computer numerically controlled sleeve.

G14 causes the sub spindle to become the main spindle. So now all the main spindle commands work on the sub spindle.

M03, M04, M05, M12and M19 work on the sub spindle. Please note if you use sub spindle commands like M143, M144, M145, and M119 you will get an alarm.

G14 is cancelled by G15, M30, at the end of a program, or when you press [RESET] .

Oh and just as a bonus it will mirror your Z axis. Confusing you say. NO no no it’s the opposite. Now you just program everything like it was meant to be on the main spindle and holy fuckin son of a bitch dog shit it works.

Right no more swearing David . “Grow up”

Tight Fit

There is a stored stroke around the sub spindle of this  Haas SL15.

A stored stroke is where you denote a protected area and the machine can’t enter it. A bit like my wife’s bathroom I’m not allowed to enter and especially not allowed to shit in her toilet.

Unfortunately you could still smack into the chuck if the jaws were much longer than about 20mm. Anyway it’s still a good effort to protect it.

Tool Measurement Arm

The tool measurement arm on this Haas SL15 is not much use on longer tools so you have to use the Z measure button. For this to work you need to first change setting 64.

When this is off the [Z FACE MEASURE] key will input current MACHINE position. Switch it on to record the position using the G54. You must then switch it off again because it will effect the tool measurement arm.

Bit complicated, come on Haas you can do this don’t let me down.

Haas SL15

 

Bar-feed Haas SL15

This bar-feed is really good and dead easy to use. First of all you reference it. Zero return single position V axis.

There we hit on a problem, our barfed had been disabled whist moving the machine.

Quick visit to parameter 7381504 (V BIT SWA) disable should be 0.

Job done.

Anyway all you do is issue G105 Q4 in MDI (make sure chuck is closed. it will load the bar and push it towards the spindle.

After this the hand wheel will work for the V axis. Feed this out and close the chuck making sure it’s flush with the front of the collet. Keep pushing it back to make sure it’s touching the pusher.

Once this is done run G105 Q2 this will push bar out to its correct place. You can now set your G54 to front face.

Every time you run just G105 it will push the bar out. How easy is that

Bar Information Haas SL15

The bar information is on the: HAAS SERVO BAR SYSTEM VARIABLES page.

Part length Initial Push length and Minimum clamping length can be set using I J and K in program.

3100: Is the length of your part plus the amount you will part off, this allows the bar-feeder to calculate the remaining bar length.

3101: This is how far the part will stick out from the chuck or collet face

3102: This is to make sure that the chuck or collet is holding on enough bar when you get to the end of the bar.

3103 3104 3105 set any one of these three.

3106 3107 3108 will be set by the machine as it runs.

Haas even wrote you a shopping list on the bar-feed. (There is a list of G105 and all it does)

USB Mmmm The Luxury

This machine also had a retro fitted USB in the floppy disc slot.

Not used one of these before. Very easy, from program list screen cursor down to the program to save, type in a name and press F2 to call one in type in number you want to read then press F3

Oh yea and if anyone ever tells you it doesn’t matter how big it is, well they are wrong.

Sometimes if it’s too big it just wont work. Make sure to use a small capacity memory stick as this is old technology.

Haas SL15
M7 (Never Heard Of That)

This machine had a handy M7 function which takes X and Z to tool-change position. Don’t think this is Haas but none the less. It’s bloody useful just takes you to tool change position.

 

Haas SL15

This Haas CNC SL15 is a great machine, you can pick one up second hand for about the same price as a decent second hand family car.

I suggest you leave the Mrs watching the telly and the kids in their rooms, doing whatever it is kids do for hours locked in their rooms. You then go and buy one of these, get 3 phase in your shed and have some fun.

Who knows you might even make some cash.

The bar-feed is a dream compared to most I’ve worked on. Oh and it’s an old machine, bet new one is even better.

You’ll need a long shed if you want a bar-feed or just poke it through the fence and hope the neighbours never notice. Mine just thought it was a long branch on my apple tree.

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G71 and G70 Use to Rough and Finish Turn

New video about the G71 roughing cycle on a Haas or a Fanuc control, also covers the G70 finishing cycle.

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G71 is sometimes known as a canned cycle when in fact it is a multi repetitive cycle. The G70 cycle goes with it and can pick up the same lines to finish.

The N numbers are important as the cycle uses these as the points of reference to jump to.

G71 cycle interprets the shape between these two N numbers and then breaks up the shape for roughing.

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