Six Steps Before to Creating A CNC Program
When the program enters the machine, any time saved by skipping the programming
preparation is easily lost. Taking the time to prepare properly will help ensure the accuracy
of the CNC program and improve efficiency.
Step one: Determine the machining operation to be performed
Step two: Determine the processing sequence
Step three: Perform mathematical operations
Step four: Consider the fixture
Step five: Consider using cutting tools
Step six: Write the document
If you want to make the machine tool perform production operations according to your needs,
you need to understand the CNC programming, which is the so-called language to
communicate with the machine (CNC command). If M08 is the coolant on, you need to use the
CNC panel Enter M08 on the top to let the machine read your instructions and follow the
instructions.
The success of a CNC program is a direct result of preparations before its creation. Although
under-prepared programmers may be able to create workable programs, such programs are
often error-prone, inefficient, user-friendly, or difficult to verify. When the job reaches the CNC
machine, any time saved by skipping the preparation steps is easily lost.
Here are the six planning steps to complete before generating a new program:
1. Step one: Determine the machining operation to be performed.
For simple workpieces, the required machining operations may be easily determined.
But as the complexity increases, so does the difficulty of isolating all the work that must
be done in a given operation. The company's process route table usually does not have
general instructions, such as "complete all milling and hole machining", which does not
help. It is left to the programmer to find all surfaces that must be machined. For complex
graphics with multiple views distributed across multiple pages, this is not an easy task.
One way to identify machined surfaces is to use colored pens and mark working copies
of engineering drawings. The other is to create a list of machined surfaces and related
cutting tools. Both techniques can help you avoid missing anything when creating
programs.
2. Step two: Determine the processing sequence.
The sequence of processing operations is critical. A common rule of thumb is to rough-
machine everything before completing any operations. If you violate this rule, you may
not be able to consistently produce acceptable artifacts. It is easy to forget something in
a complicated process. It is recommended to use a series of action plan forms, the title
of which can include:
o Step number
o Instructions
o Cutting tool name (cutting tool components are listed separately)
o Tool station number
o Spindle speed
o Feed rate
o Notes/questions for this step
The completed form will become a written version of the program. Anyone who sees it
in the future will know exactly what the program is doing. If you doubt whether the
selected process is feasible, you can share it with others in the company for
confirmation. Use it as a checklist when developing programs to avoid forgetting
something.
3. Step three: Perform mathematical operations.
The idea here is to avoid breaking ideas when programming for calculations. During
manual programming, the coordinates required by the program must be calculated.
Even if a CAM system is used, the cutting conditions (speed and feed) will be calculated.
The coordinates can be recorded separately or written on the working copy of the
engineering drawing. Speed and feed can also be recorded in the aforementioned
schedule.
4. Step four: Consider the fixture.
Workpiece fixtures may affect the way you create CNC programs. Examples include the
orientation of the fixture on the table, the clamps that must be avoided, the positioning
surface, and the jaw configuration of the three-jaw chuck. Only by clearly understanding
how to fix the workpiece in the settings, can you create an acceptable CNC program.
5. Step five: Consider using cutting tools.
The cutting conditions are directly related to the cutting tool you will use, and as
mentioned above, it should be recorded in the planning table. There may also be rigidity
or clearance problems. If you know that the milling cutter will perform a powerful
roughing operation, you must keep it as short as possible. Conversely, the drill bit may
have to penetrate the casting to reach the surface where the hole must be machined.
The notes included in the schedule can highlight all special considerations you should
keep in mind when programming and providing installation instructions.
At some point, you must come up with a list of components that make up each cutting
tool. This information will be included in the installation documentation. Performing this
operation before programming may expose a problem that affects the operation that
the program must perform.
6. Step six: Write the document.
It is as if the CNC program has been created to develop settings and production and
operation documents. Thinkers and operators must do the preparation work when they
perform their work, and you may find that you can do something to help them in the
program. Is the fixture set acceptable? If so, can you include the G10 command in the
program to retain/enter the program zero assignment into the fixture offset? Do you
need trial processing? If so, can probes be used to automate the process? Develop
documents in advance to help employees answer these questions.
Although these preparation steps are time-consuming, skipping them can be rude and
wasteful, especially when you consider the machine (downtime) time required to correct the
problems that should be addressed in the preparation phase. There is no reason to waste
machine time because there is no real preparation to start creating programs.
