What is a CNC Mill?
A CNC milling machine is a type of computer numerical control (CNC) machine that uses a computer to control the movement of cutting tools. The most common type of CNC milling machines are used in industry for cutting, drilling, grinding, and routing metal, plastic and other materials.
CNC mills are typically used for milling metal parts, which are made from sheet metal or other materials. The CNC milling machine is also called a cnc metal cutting machine.
The Different Instances You Can Use a CNC Mill For
The CNC mill has been around for a long time but it’s only recently that it has become popular in the United States and globally due to its cost effectiveness and high precision machining.
The CNC mill is a machine that can be used for various purposes. It is mostly used in the manufacturing industry but there are other instances where it can be used as well. These include creating prototypes, tools, jigs and fixtures, or even custom-made dies for stamping metal.
Setting up Your Machine
Setting up a cnc mill is a process that requires patience, skill, and time. There are a lot of websites that offer advice on how to install your machine. The following website offers step-by-step instructions on how to install your cnc mill:
https://hobbycnc.com/hobbycnc-videos/
The following websites offer videos for installing your cnc mill:
How to Set Up a CNC Milling Machine
It is important to get the machine set up correctly before you start using it.
If you are buying a new machine, make sure you have someone with experience help you set it up. If you are buying an old machine, make sure that the seller has all the necessary tools and parts to properly set it up.
The most important part of setting up your cnc milling machine is making sure that everything is level. You can use a level vial or a laser level to ensure that the table is perfectly perpendicular with the ground and horizontal with the floor.
The CNC milling machine is a powerful tool that can be used to create complex shapes in metal and other materials. It has become a popular machine among hobbyists and professionals due to its versatility and ease of use.
Here, we will provide you with the basic information you need to get started with your cnc milling machine. We will provide you with the necessary tools and explain how to set up your cnc milling machine for optimal performance in daily operation & production.
1. steps of CNC milling machine operation
(1) Before the workpiece is processed, it is necessary to program the machining program first. If the machining program of the workpiece is long and complicated, do not manually program on the machine tool, but use computer programming to avoid occupying machine time.
(2) Start-up is generally to start the machine tool first and then start the machine tool system.
(3) Return to reference point: For the machine tool with incremental control system (using incremental position detection element), this step must be performed first to establish the movement reference of each coordinate of the machine tool.
(4) The storage medium (paper tape or magnetic tape, magnetic disk) of the processing program can be input by paper tape reader, cassette tape machine, programming machine or serial communication. If it is a simple program, it can be input directly on the CNC control panel using the keyboard. , if the program is very simple and only one piece is processed, there is no need to save the program. The workpiece machining reference points, tool parameters, offsets, and various compensations used in the program must also be input before machining.
(5) Program editing: If the input program needs to be modified, it must be edited. At this time, the selection switch is placed in the editing position, and the editing keys are used to add, delete, and modify. See the corresponding manual for the editing method.
(6) Machine lock: running this step is to check the program. If there is any error, it needs to be edited again.
(7) Tool setting: Manual incremental movement for tool setting, continuous movement or manual wheel movement of the machine tool. Set the starting point to the beginning of the program, and set the reference of the tool.
(8) In order to ensure that the program is correct, it should be re-checked before processing. During milling, for plane curved workpieces, the system has a tool path simulation function, which can be used to check the correctness of the program.
(9) Operation display: Use the various screens of the CRT to display the position of the workbench or the tool, the program and the state of the machine tool, so that the operator can monitor the processing situation.
(10) Program output After processing, if the program needs to be saved, it can be left in the CNC memory. If the program is too long, the program in the memory can be output to an external device.
(11) Shutdown: Generally, the machine tool should be shut down first and then the system should be shut down.
2. Attensions for CNC milling machine operation
1) Before each startup, check whether the lubricating oil in the lubricating oil pump behind the milling machine is sufficient, whether the air compressor is turned on, and whether the mechanical oil used for the cutting fluid is sufficient, etc.
(2) When starting up, first turn on the main power supply, then press the ON button in the CNC power supply, turn the emergency stop button clockwise, and wait for the milling machine to detect all functions (a row of red indicator lights on the lower operation panel turns off) , press the machine button to reset the milling machine and put it in the standby state.
(3) During manual operation, you must always pay attention that the Z axis must be in the position of raising the tool before moving in the X and Y directions. During the moving process, you can not only watch the change of the coordinate position on the CRT screen, but also observe the movement of the tool. After the tool moves in place, you can watch the CRT screen for fine-tuning.
(4) In the programming process, for beginners, the G00 command should be used as little as possible, especially in the three-axis linkage of X, Y, and Z, more attention should be paid. When emptying the knife, the movement of the Z axis should be carried out separately from the movement of the X and Y axes, that is, more lifting of the knife and less oblique insertion. Sometimes due to the oblique insertion, the tool will hit the workpiece and the tool will be damaged.
(5) When using a computer for serial communication, do: turn on the milling machine first, then turn on the computer; turn off the computer first, then turn off the milling machine. Avoid damage to the computer due to the instantaneous change of the current during the switching process of the milling machine.
(6) When using the DNC (program transfer between the computer and the milling machine) function, pay attention to the memory capacity of the milling machine. Generally, the total number of bytes of the program transferred from the computer to the milling machine should be less than 23kB. If the program is relatively long, it must be processed by the computer while transmitting, but the block number must not exceed N9999. If there are more than 10,000 blocks, you can cancel the block number with the program editing function in MASTERCAM.
(7) When an alarm occurs on the machine tool, it is necessary to find out the reason according to the alarm number, and release the alarm in time. Do not shut down the machine, otherwise it will still be in the alarm state after the machine is turned on.
3. attentions for the Milling Machine tool setting:
(1) Use the correct tool setting tool according to the processing requirements to control the tool setting error;
(2) During the tool setting process, the tool setting accuracy can be improved by changing the fine-tuning feed;
(3) Caution should be exercised when setting the knife, especially the direction of movement to avoid the danger of collision;
(4) The tool setting data must be stored in the storage address corresponding to the program to prevent serious consequences due to calling errors.
