For On-site CNC Training Contact David: 0783 858 407

It is quite hard to find training for sliding head machines or Swiss type machine, we offer training on Citizen and Namura machines as well as most other sliding head machines.

Older machines are very welcome .

Whatever machine you have give us a ring or an email or just slip a message under the wing of your pigeon and send it to me.

We can train you on all the latest CNC machines and controls but I thought it might be interesting to talk about some of the old stuff that’s still around.

I got asked to train a guy on a second-hand Mazak lathe the other month and when I saw the machine I couldn’t believe it. It was the original Mazatrol T1 control.

The screen was a bit knackered (is that swearing, sorry if it is) anyway we got that bastard sorted and it was an absolute pleasure. It made me realise just how innovative and ahead of its time this control was when it came out. Early 80’s I’m guessing?

Within no time at all he was producing programmes (with help from CNC Training Centre) worthy of any modern control. I think for a simple two axis lathe you would struggle to beat it to be honest.

Maho

The other machine I still get occasionally that really does excite me is a Maho, remember them?. Here is one I made before the show. It’s alright we ain’t gonna start trying to sell you second-hand machines it’s just to make the article more palatable.

This machine had rigid tapping and I’m talking early 80’s again! Remember the 80s rubbish clothes rubbish music great hair though.

This is the universal one it is horizontal and vertical (no tool changer) the head change is done in programme. We used to make big cam-plates for knitting machines and loads of other stuff, happiest days of my life working this thing.

I remember the guy demonstrating it, to the company I was working for, was so enthusiastic. You could press feed-hold during a tapping cycle and it gave you the option to carry on or retract the tap.

Phillip’s Control…

Absolutely awesome. I used to do loads of CNC Training on these.

P Numbers

It’s got this thing where you define all your hole positions at the beginning of the programme and give them P numbers then you just write a line after your canned cycle P1,P6,P9 etc and it drills the holes.

It’s also got parametric programming using E numbers, oh by the way they are not the things that are in kids sweets. You know that makes them go all funny and start eating the cat. It works like Q def on a Heidenhain or variables in macro programming.

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What a machine. I am sure stuff has been lost on the way because these machines should have gone from strength to strength.

There are still a few about and I have done CNC Training on these recently. They are gradually becoming extinct a bit like skilled engineers and just generally people who can make things. With the exception of the Barista, not the Barrister you fool.

The first one gets the minimum wage and the second one gets the maximum.

For training ring David: 07834 858 407

Don’t forget to watch my Tutorial Videos