For the most part, CNC controls will follow the instructions given in a program to the letter. With the exception of basic syntax (program formatting) mistakes, the CNC control will rarely be able to tell if a mistake has been made.
This concept introduces the three basic modes of operation, presents examples of when they are used, explores more about the mode switch, and categorizes each position of the mode switch into one of the three basic modes.
Though applied for different reasons on different machine types, all forms of compensation allow the CNC user to allow for unpredictable conditions related to tooling.
If you already know basic machining practice as it relates to the CNC machine you will be working with, you already know what it is you want the machine to do.
Today, computer numerical control (CNC) machines are found almost everywhere, from small job shops in rural communities to Fortune 500 companies in large urban areas.
In the June 1996 issue of Modern Machine Shop, the topic for CNC Tech Talk was finding and hiring people for working with CNC equipment. We offered a proficiency test (and still do) to anyone who requested it.
This perspective for a good programmer is a practical one, since the CNC operator must understand the machine's basic components, its directions of motion, and all buttons and switches available on the machine tool itself.
Effectively commanding motion on most CNC machines requires more than describing how the CNC machine determines the end point position for each motion.
Every so often, we come across a CNC feature that has been available for a long time, yet we were unaware of its existence. And, of course, you cannot begin to apply a feature of which you are unaware.
Waste elimination is usually among the simplest and most profitable targets for any cost reduction program. In fact, in setup and cycle time reduction workshops, we often find that the largest single improvement to a company's CNC environment has nothing to do with programming, setup, program verification, first workpiece inspection, maintaining production or any other CNC-related task.