Hurco Senior Product Technical Specialist Mike Cope has been writing the Hurco CNC Machinist Blog for years. It covers everything from control features to mounting configurations to comparing different styles of machines. Several articles have become quite popular. Here are the top five most viewed Hurco CNC Machinist Blog posts over the last year:
CNC TURRET DRIVE TOOL MOUNTING CONFIGURATIONS: BMT VS VDI
Previously, I (Mike Cope) published a two-part series on the basics of mill-turn technology, where I cover topics such as: axis configurations, the orientation of live tooling holders, mill-turn terminology, instances when a Y-axis might be necessary, etc. In this article, I discuss the differences between the driven tool mounting configurations and offer our opinion on the benefits and challenges associated with each.
ROTARY BROACH: HOW TO DRILL A SQUARE HOLE
Is it possible to drill a square hole? Many will snicker at this age-old question and say, “Of course you can’t drill a square hole!” Well, it turns out you most certainly can drill a square hole… and a rectangular hole, and a hexagon shaped hole, a hole with splines, double keyways — the list goes on and on!
5-AXIS CNC PROGRAMMING: ROTARY ANGLES OR TOOL VECTORS?
When programming in 5-axis, we have two distinct options that we can use to command rotary moves and positions. We can output the data using either rotary angles or tool vectors. Although each one has its pros and cons, I (Mike Cope) prefer to configure a postprocessor to output these rotary commands as IJK tool vectors, instead of the more common ABC-axis rotary angles.
INTRODUCTION TO CNC MILL-TURN TECHNOLOGY
On a regular basis I (Mike Cope) am asked to explain something pertaining to live-tool machining on a lathe, or "mill-turn," as it is commonly referred to in the industry. Even people with a CNC turning background are sometimes a little confused, especially in the areas of tooling and when the use of an additional Y-axis is necessary.
In this article, I (Mike Cope) will shine some light on the basics of live-tool machining and the application of the optional Y-axis.
CNC LATHE BED DESIGN: TRUE SLANT VS FLATBED 'FLYING WEDGE'
In this article, I (Mike Cope) discuss the ins and outs of the two main bed designs for CNC lathe machines: the true slant bed and the flatbed “flying wedge” configurations.
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