CNC Machining Blog - Tips and Tricks for Machinists

When purchasing a CNC lathe, there are several questions to ask yourself before you begin the process. Some of these questions will be quite obvious: how much axis travel do I need? What size chuck should I look for? How many tool stations are on the turret? What is the spindle bore size? Etc.

However, there are other specifications that are just as important but not always so obvious: what is the maximum swing distance that my work will require? What is the maximum turning diameter necessary for my family of parts? What kind of spindle horsepower and torque will my type of work consume? The first set of questions above is relatively easy to answer, but the second group requires a better understanding of lathes in general.

When we hear the term high-speed machining (HSM), most people associate it with mold making. What people fail to realize is that this technology is being used effectively by shops of every kind to positively impact the bottom line — and isn't that what everyone wants?

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 prefer to configure a postprocessor to output these rotary commands as IJK tool vectors, instead of the more common ABC-axis rotary angles.

Have you ever had to abruptly stop your machine in the middle of running a program and wished there was a way to restart the program exactly where you left off, even if you were in the middle of all that code? With Hurco’s Recovery Restart feature, you can!

I was asked by a reader to post an article about using subprograms. Although this is a pretty simple subject, it made me realize that not everyone is familiar with the use of subprograms and subroutines. I will also touch on the use of Hurco’s conversational NC Merge capability, which is powerfully simple and very useful!

We discussed the basics of mill-turn CNC technology in a past blog article. Today, I would like to build on that basic foundation.

Previously, I posted an article explaining the CNC motion control system and how it works. In that article, I tried to keep it very simple and break down a quite complex piece of technology into an easy-to-understand analogy. Today, I want to discuss it in a little more detail and point out some exciting advances in motion control technology.

A common misconception about the Hurco control is that it is a conversational control. This couldn’t be farther from the truth. Although Hurco invented conversational programming, and arguably has the most powerful conversationally capable platform on the market, I would not refer to the WinMax® control as a “conversational” one. I would instead call it “multi-lingual."