Mike Lynch1 minDriving AutoCad 2020Submitted by Ken Maier Another gift from Ken Maier. Thank you Ken. This quick introduction to AutoCad 2020 gives you a working knowledge of how to create draw...
Mike Lynch1 minHow to setup and run a HAAS machining centerWritten and contributed by Ken Maier. Thank you Ken, for this excellent resource and making it available at no charge. This manual by Ken Maier provides a ...
Mike Lynch2 minThe importance of procedures The sequence by which a person performs any task is directly related to the efficiency (and correctness) with which the task is performed. In many cases, saf...
Mike Lynch3 minWhich mode is better, inch or metric? Most companies work exclusively in one mode or the other. If the bulk of their prints are dimensioned in inch (as with most companies in the United States), ...
Mike Lynch1 minWhen should you tap? Tapping tends to be the most error prone and frustrating operation a machining center performs. Depending upon the tap style, the material being machined, th...
Mike Lynch21 minProgramming a Horizontal Machining Center from a Central OriginMost experienced programmers will agree that horizontal machining centers are among the most difficult metal-cutting CNC machines to program. The primary re...
Mike Lynch1 minTapping on a turning center (without canned cycles) Unless your Fanuc controlled turning center came with live tooling, it’s likely that you don’t have canned cycles (G80-G89) like those you find on machining ...
Mike Lynch2 minYour most important resource The people you have working for you contribute the most to your success. Without good, knowledgeable people, even the best managers will likely fail. Unfortu...
Mike Lynch6 minCan you speed up your tool change time? Machining centers, of course, have automatic tool changing devices to automate the tool changing process. Current models boast very fast tool changing times ...
Mike Lynch2 minDo You Have A Lead Person? If your company (or department within your company) has several CNC machine tools, it's likely that machines are regularly down while setup people and operat...
Mike Lynch4 minA Custom Macro For Thread Milling As you know, custom macro is a very powerful programming feature that allows you to include computer programming-like commands in a G-code level program. Her...
Mike Lynch5 minIdentify Complex Tasks And Simplify Them This issue's time saver is a rather general suggestion - and it varies with the aptitude level of the people involved. In value added terms, there are only tw...
Mike Lynch1 minWatch Out For That Tailstock Center! Many turning centers, commonly called universal style turning centers, have the ability to do chucking work, bar work, and shaft work. These machines have ho...
Mike Lynch6 minSetting Up User Defined G and M codes Parameters control countless things about the way your CNC machine tools behave. In each Parameter preference segment, we will expose parameters that have an...
Mike Lynch7 minOutputting Fixture Offset Settings Two special commands are used in custom macro B to send data out through the communications port (RS-232c port). One called BPRNT allows the output of alpha-...
Mike Lynch4 minProgram Offset Entries Whenever Possible As you know, certain offsets must be entered before a job can be run. For machining centers, these offsets include fixture offsets, tool length compensation ...
Mike Lynch3 minThe 10% Time Rule A good manager has the ability to inspire their staff. They know it's mandatory to keep people learning new things in order to keep them interested in what t...
Mike Lynch2 minThe safe approach procedure As you know, CNC machines have extremely fast motion rates. When you're verifying a program (new or proven programs), you also know that each tool will rapid...
Mike Lynch2 minHow do you enter the parameter setting mode? In past issues of The Optional Stop Newsletter, we've discussed several times when you might want to check the current setting of a given parameter to determ...
Mike Lynch2 minThe varied uses for M99 M99 can be used for several purposes. Here are the ones we know of: As an end of sub-program command The is the most common application for M99. As you proba...
