Top 10 Making Chips Blog Posts

We have been publishing this Making Chips blog now for more than 2+ years. That's a lot of Tips and Tricks and a lot of good information here that tends to be a little hard to find. Using the SEARCH option is a great  tool if you are looking for something in particular ... but what if you're just interested in reading some articles in general. That can be a little time intensive.

So I thought it was a good time to make a list of the TOP 10 most read articles in the blog. These are the TOP 10 articles based on the number of times the article was read ... from the Google statistics for the blog. I have listed them below in order from the most popular to the 10th most popular... with a short description of each. If you're interested ... just click the name and that blog post will open up for your review. There are a lot of good articles and a lot of good information to digest ... enjoy.

TOP 10 Making Chips Blog Posts

#1 - Cutter Compensation - A Programmers Best Friend 
Article dealing with the how's and why's of CUTTER COMPENSATION in turning.

#2 - The How's and Why's of Sub-Programming
Everything you need to know about sub-programming ... with G code examples

#3 - Fanuc MACRO Programming Series
A (10) part series that teaches all you need to know about programming Fanuc Custom MACRO B that includes in-depth explanations and sample videos.

#4 - Roughing Canned Cycles in Turning
Everything you need to know about one of the most powerful tools in your CNC programming arsenal ... using canned cycles when rough turning.

#5 - A Homemade Bar Puller for Your CNC Lathe
One of our most popular articles that deals with the creation of a homemade bar puller that can be used on your CNC lathe ... with programming examples.

#6 - Canned Cycle Drilling and R Plane Tricks
The how's and why's of using canned cycles in drilling ... with some tips and tricks you may not have known including G code programming examples.

#7 - Anatomy of a Cutting Tool
Everything you need to know including nomenclature and what each name means to your chips.

#8 - Machine Warm Up Routine - Why? When? How?
Interesting facts about machine warm up routines ... there not just for spindles you know?

#9 - CNC Turret Alignment - Checks and Tricks
Interesting article tells how to check your CNC lathe's turret alignment ... and some tips and tricks to correct any mis-alignment.

#10 - Drill Point Calculations Made Simple
Stop drilling through thru the table ;)

Hope you enjoy these articles. If you are looking for something in particular ... give the SEARCH box a try in the upper right corner of the blog.

Until next time ... Happy Chip Making !!

Kenney Skonieczny
Kentech Inc.

At Kentech Inc. we are MACHINISTS who create Real World Machine Shop Software.

Who creates the machine shop software guiding your shop's future ??
Check out all our REAL WORLD CNC & MACHINE SHOP titles at 

www.KentechInc.com

CNC Maintenance ... For The Not So Ordinary

Personnel who perform routine maintenance on their CNC equipment usually perform the same common checks and perform the same common tasks ... those that I refer to as the "no-brainers". Filling the way lube tank ... greasing the hydraulic chuck ... checking the spindle oil level ... the common checks and tasks. Unfortunately they are usually the ones where the machine will generate an alarm to remind you ... like when the way lube tank runs out.

In this MAKING CHIPS blog post we wanted to spend a post and remind you of the not-so-common checks and tasks that also need to be performed ... "stuff" you might either not be aware of or "stuff" you never really even think about. So we encourage all to jot these down on your CNC maintenance TO-DO LIST. What !!! What do you mean you don't have a TO-DO LIST !!

One really good thing to do in regards to CNC maintenance and insuring your CNC machine is accurate and running at it's top condition is to at least post a note on the machine that lists checks and tasks to be performed and at what interval they should be performed. Every day ... once a week ... once a month ... etc, etc. The best method is to supply a log book at the machine that makes your personnel responsible for these tasks by requiring them to sign-in and confirm which tasks were completed and when. This will insure that the tasks are completed ... handing responsibility off to either the operator or the programmer.

Here is our list of the not-so-common tasks and checks that should also be included in your routine maintenance :

1. Check the hydraulic pressure to make sure it is at the manufacturers recommended setting.
2. Check the hydraulic oil to make sure it is filled to the manufacturers recommended level.
3. If your spindle to machine tool has a cooling system ... check the cooling oil to make sure it is filled to the manufacturers recommended level.
4. Clean the chips out of the chip pan on a daily basis ... not just when it's overfilled. Oftentime an overflowing chip bin will push the chips into areas such as the ball screw cavity and cause those chips to be forced into the ball screw covers. So while you think there is still room left in the chip bin ... actually the chips are being forced into areas you do not want them to go.
5. If your machine has a chip conveyor ... grease the chain at least once a month.
6. Clean the glass on the window of the door and the light inside the machine every morning. Waiting till you can't see only makes the job that much tougher ... and causes excessive downtime because the job takes twice as long.
7. Wipe down the stainless steel way covers at the end of the shift ... and lubricate them with hydraulic oil. In the long run ... this is a huge maintenance cost avoided.
8. Check the electrical cabinet fans and filters ... these should be cleaned at least once a month.

These are a few of the checks and tasks that should be performed frequently. In the next post ... we will cover the items and tasks that should be performed as part of a yearly Preventative Maintenance program.

Happy Chip Making !!