The Two Most Popular Types of CNC Machines Are CNC Mills and CNC Lathes

Computer numerical control (CNC) machines can be run after you have learned the many procedures that you must follow in order to be a successful machinist. The two most popular types of CNC machines are CNC mills and CNC lathes. With a bit of hands-on experience, you can smoothly run a CNC mill or lathe without making mistakes while also maximizing efficiency by pushing your tooling to its limit while also keep tight tolerances on all parts. 1. Set the material to be cut in the CNC machine. For CNC lathes, set the chuck jaws for the job and use the hydraulic foot switch to loosen and tighten the jaws on the material. For CNC mills, set a fixture or vise on the work table in order to hold the material while it is being cut by drills, end mills and other milling tools. 2. Indicate the material or vise on a CNC milling machine. This is the process of making sure that the material that will be cut is perfectly straight. Place a dial indicator on the spindle and set the tip on the front of the vise or fixture. Move it along the X axis, which is left to right and watch for movement on the measuring dial. Tap the vise so that the needle does not move over the entire distance of the vise or fixture. Tighten the bolts holding the vise or fixture and recheck its straightness. 3. Set the tools in the CNC machine. CNC lathes have a tool turret that holds all of the tools for the operations you will perform. Clamp them down by turning the screws with the two retention bolts or tighten a collet specifically made for a CNC lathe turret. Place each tool in a CAT40 or CAT50 holder for a CNC milling machine. Place the collets in the tool turret of the CNC mill in the order of their place in the program. 4. Teach the tools in the CNC machine. The tools need to be taught in order for the machine to know where the tips of each are located for accurate machining. Call up each tool in the CNC mill and enter the "Teach" mode. The machine will automatically bring each tool specified down on a probe that will program its location on that tools line. That line also contains other pertinent information on the tool. 5. Bring each tool close to the teaching probe on a CNC lathe and place the CNC control into "Teach" mode. The probe will beep specifying that the control is aware of the location of the tip of that tool for accurate machining. You must also dictate the tool tip radius as well as other pertinent information about the tool on that tool's line on the "Tool" page. Source: ehow.com