CNC Machining Blog - Tips and Tricks for Machinists

How do I add text along a contour?

We often get asked through our social media channels questions that can't be easily answered with a simple response. At Hurco, it is our goal to always provide quality customer service to our users. We don't want any machinist to be left behind when it comes to a proper understanding of our powerful WinMax® CNC control.

This is why our "Your Questions Answered" series was born. This series aims to answer questions submitted to us through our social media channels. By doing this, not only are we answering individual questions of customers, but we are providing a resource for others who may have a similar question but can't find a resolution to their issue.

Conversational programming has always been a great choice for getting jobs up and running quickly and for very efficient programming of 2D and 2.5D contours and features. However, machining actual 3D surfaces required the use of a CAD/CAM software package – that is, until now!

Something new and improved is almost always better in the long run, but it isn’t always painless. The cost of innovation is CHANGE. And sometimes, machinists, as most human beings, don't really enjoy the process of change.

Liberty Molds is an injection mold shop located in Portage Michigan, and is in the business of producing injection molds for the automotive industry. The company is managed by the President Brian Scott and Vice President Jeff Dee. As it reads on their website, “Liberty Molds is an ISO 9001:2008 certified mold making tool shop who specializes in injection molds.” The company’s 13,400-square-foot shop has 30 employees, and they take great pride in partnering with their customers (like the Ford Motor Company) to meet quality, price, and delivery needs. I have a feeling that today’s current “needs” were never factored in when they wrote that statement so many years ago! But meeting the needs of our society today has rarely been more important. www.libertymolds.com

During my 35+ years in manufacturing, I have worked at several shops and visited hundreds more. In the vast majority of these job shops, there has been at least one CNC machine with some type of conversational programming; in many of these shops, they used conversational programming for most of their work.

Interrupt Cycle can be used anytime on the Hurco control when the operator wants to suspend the automatic operation of the machine and place the machine into a semi-manual mode. This can be done in both conversational programs and NC programs.

Hurco CNC machines are built for the long haul thanks to their robust iron that will last a lifetime if maintained properly. We love to highlight customers who are still making money with vintage Hurcos that they purchased back in the 1980s and 90s. Bryant’s MachineShop is a great example.

Hurco's 3D Import feature provides the ability to import a solid model directly into the CNC control and conversationally program features from that solid on both 3-axis and 5-axis machining centers.