Mike Lynch Founder and President

19 May 2002

Implementing A Scrap Reduction Program

Companies vary as to how they handle scrap. Some plan on it as part of the normal manufacturing process.

CNC & Machine Controls 1 Apr 2002

Is Manual Programming Really Important?

I am often questioned about the scope of this column. The most common question is: "Why do you continue to discuss manual programming techniques when almost all companies are using CAM systems?" Aside from the fact that other columnists are addressing issues related to computer integrated manufacturing, I believe that a firm understanding of manual programming is of paramount importance to all CNC people.

Workforce Development 2 Mar 2002

Now Is The Time To Train

Improving the proficiency of your personnel will outperform any other single improvement you can make in your CNC environment. Do you want less scrap? Well-trained CNC operators don't make mistakes that scrap parts.

5 Feb 2002

Two Ways To Use Cutter Radius Compensation

Cutter radius compensation for machining centers (also called cutter diameter compensation) has at least three major benefits. It lets a manual programmer ignore cutter size when calculating coordinates for the program, it allows the setup person to choose from a range of cutter sizes, and it allows for easy trial machining and workpiece sizing during setup and the subsequent production run.

3 Jan 2002

Taking Advantage Of Sub-Plates On Machining Centers

Sub-plates and component tooling dramatically simplify the hard and fixed task of making workholding setups on machining centers. This kind of tooling can be purchased from standard suppliers or made by your own people.

Basics 1 Dec 2001

Understanding 3D Coordinate Conversion

Applications for five-axis machining fall into two distinct categories. The first is related to machining very complex shapes, as is required in aerospace and the mold industry.

1 Nov 2001

Limiting Spindle Speed On Turning Centers

Constant surface speed is a great turning center feature. It simplifies programming because the speed is specified directly in surface feet per minute (or meters per minute in the metric mode).

1 Oct 2001

Is Your Machine Set Up For The Worst Possible Condition?

Machine tool builders are constantly striving to provide better machines capable of handling more applications efficiently. Yet they are also highly concerned with safety issues.

CNC & Machine Controls 1 Sep 2001

Finding The Current States Of Your Control

You probably know that most current CNC controls will display all currently instated modes (commonly set by G codes). With one popular control, this is part of the program check display screen function.

Cutting Tools 1 Aug 2001

Five Problems With CNC Milling Cutter Radius Compensation

The many rules of programming CNC cutter radius compensation can make machining problems difficult to diagnose and correct.

Workforce Development 1 Jul 2001

Live Internet Training—Are We There Yet?

Over the last 10 years, I've been scouring the Internet in search of a realistic training environment that would be appropriate for my CNC courses. While I've found a number of informative sites (that are listed on my company's Web page under "links"), most are simply a series of hypertext links that let you read about the subject of interest.

1 Jun 2001

Programming Inconsistencies That Waste Setup Time

It should go without saying that a programmer has a big impact on how easy it is to set up a job. The programmer is, of course, the person who creates the documentation.