Mike Lynch Founder and President

17 May 2001

Using Variables To Handle Cutting Condition Changes

Variations in workpiece material and/or cutting tools will often require operators to change cutting conditions (mostly spindle speed and feed rate) during a production run. Most manufacturing companies do allow their CNC people to make these changes as they are required to do so.

CNC & Machine Controls 1 Apr 2001

How Should Your Operators Handle Sizing Changes?

All current model CNC controls allow offsets to be changed during the execution of the CNC program. That is, operators can change an offset during a production run while the machine is running.

1 Mar 2001

Using Secondary Offsets On Machining Centers

Most machining center programs require but one offset per tool. When it comes to tool length compensation, for example, most applications require that you use one tool length compensation offset for each tool.

5 Feb 2001

Who Makes Your Company Money?

In value added terms, there are only two tasks occurring in any business—value added tasks and necessary support tasks. Value added tasks further the completion of a product.

2 Jan 2001

Changing The Perception About Our Field (Revisited)

It's been over a year since the column with this title appeared in Modern Machine Shop (January 1999). In it, I addressed how we can change the perceptions of the general public about manufacturing and encourage young people to enter this field.

1 Dec 2000

Streamlining The Testing Of Offsets

In a previous column I gave some custom macro B techniques for testing offset values for correctness. But the previous column required that the cumbersome commands related to testing offset values be included within the main program.

1 Nov 2000

What Is Cylindrical Interpolation?

Machine tool builders can provide special interpolation types based upon their customers' specific needs. Some three-axis (X, Z and C) turning centers, for example, are equipped with live tooling.

1 Oct 2000

Running Out Of Fixture Offsets?

Fixture offsets are used on machining centers to assign program zero. Most controls come with a limited number of fixture offsets (Fanuc provides six fixture offsets as a standard number).

1 Sep 2000

What's Wrong With The Machine?

You know that all current model CNC controls have some very important program verification functions. Dry run, single block, feed hold, feedrate override and rapid override are among the most helpful functions when it comes to determining what might be wrong with a given program.

Workforce Development 1 Aug 2000

Proving The CNC Job

I thought that program was proven! Many manufacturing people, especially upper management, feel that if a program has been verified and has been used to successfully complete one production run, there should be no problems when running the job in the future. In reality, any number of things could be different the next time a job is run.

1 Jul 2000

U Axis On Machining Centers

Machining centers traditionally have three linear axes—X, Y and Z. If the machine is equipped with additional axes, they are usually rotary axes (A, B and/or C).

1 Jun 2000

Eliminate Backlash From Machining Centers

Backlash is any non-movement that occurs during axis reversals. Say, for instance, the X axis is commanded to move 1 inch in the positive direction.