Mike Lynch Founder and President

1 Jun 2004

Creating System Constants With Custom Macro

One advantage of any computer programming language is that you can use variables instead of hard-and-fixed numerical values. This can be especially helpful when the hard-and-fixed numerical value is repeated many times in the program.

Basics 2 May 2004

How Much Documentation Should You Provide?

Companies vary on how much documentation they provide for people setting up and running CNC machines. There may be reasons you document jobs in a certain manner, but there are three major factors that contribute to how much you should document: the percentage of repeated jobs, the number of people involved with a given job and the complexity of the job versus the skill level of the people involved.

2 Apr 2004

Simulating Geometry Offsets For Turning Centers

Most current model Fanuc controls allow the use of geometry offsets to assign program zero. Each geometry offset contains the program zero assignment values for its corresponding cutting tool.

2 Mar 2004

Quick And Easy Tips To Enhance CNC Usage

Sometimes obvious improvement possibilities go unnoticed. It could be that you are too close to a problem (you can’t see the forest for the trees), or you may not be spending enough time out in the shop to spot them.

5 Feb 2004

Minimizing Operator Calculations Prior To Offset (Revisited)

In a previous CNC Tech Talk, we described a method of offset entry that allows the operator to simply enter a measured dimension when an offset adjustment is required (as opposed to calculating the actual amount of needed offset adjustment). The column met with rave reviews and is still available on the Web at

Workforce Development 5 Jan 2004

CNC Training On The Internet

In most companies, the largest productivity gain can be achieved by improving the proficiency of people. This is true for just about any task to be performed, but here we’re talking about CNC machine tool use.

2 Dec 2003

Simulating Multiple Block Delete Functions

With block delete, a slash code (/) in the program works with an on/off switch on the control panel. If the switch is on, the control will ignore programming words to the right of slash codes.

1 Oct 2003

Handling Raw Material Z Surface Variations

You know that to truly qualify a program (keep it from ever having to be changed in the future), you must eliminate those things that change from one time the job is run to the next. But certain variables may be beyond the control of CNC people.

1 Sep 2003

The Bottom Line In Your CNC Environment

The following are important time-related definitions presented in past columns. Setup time: The time it takes to go from making the last workpiece in the most recent production run to efficiently making the first good workpiece in the next production run.

1 Aug 2003

A Custom Macro For Tool Change Format

Much of CNC manual programming is redundant. Similar commands must be repeated on a fairly regular basis, especially when tool changes must be made.

2 Jul 2003

Can You Safely Reduce Air Cutting Time?

In the May Tech Talk column, I discussed a method of determining cutting motion time in a program. A certain amount of cutting motion time is air cutting time.

1 Jun 2003

How Consistent Are Your Inserts?

The actual act of replacing dull cutting tools on turning centers is usually pretty simple. Most cutting tools use carbide inserts, which, aside from requiring an awkward position of the CNC operator, can be removed, indexed and replaced with relative ease.