Learning CNC software

[loki3000]

hello,
is it difficult to learn a CNC program?
i have a still active catia v6 (student) version, but not for long anymore (couple of months, half a year or maybe a little more).
i have some training materials for milling, but i don't have a machine at my disposal.

would that be sufficient to learn at least the basics of milling? would transitioing from that program to a real machine be linear (just plug in the correct postproc and we have a go)?
where do you get the optimal cutting speeds (rotation, velocity of movement) for different cutting tools? SANDVIK is a renouned tool company around here.

and anymore tips that you guys could give me?
except go through the tutorials, read the help and then design different parts and try to make a milling program for them?


i am located in central europe and am currently unemployed due to a troublesome economy.
mech engineer just graduated (design, mechanics field of ME though, not production technology)
but i still have catv6 and solidworks student @my disposal.

best regards

 

[capnhook]

From your description of your experience, I would suggest you wear safety glasses around the mill....and stand baaaaack.

Proud Member of the Reality-Based Community..

[green]To the Toolmaker, your nice little cartoon drawing of your glass looks cool, but your solid model sucks. Do you want me to fix it, or are you going to take all week to get it back to me so I can get some work done?[/green]

 

[mcgyvr]

cnc programming (g-code,etc...) is a very simply language and any engineer should be able to easily look at the code and see whats happening.
However, most companies have software that almost does all the work for them and there is NO need to actually write the code anymore by hand.
Speeds/feeds can be found in a book BUT nothing is 100% perfect and there are many other factors involved.

Learning CNC programming is simple.. Being a skilled machinist requires experience and plenty of it to be truly skilled at it.

 

[ornerynorsk]

CNC programming is not difficult, but to be a GOOD programmer takes the investment of time to actually learn the machining process. You are a graduate engineer, and is it safe to say that you are just beginning your education once you arrive at the job site? It is the same with programming. It is insidious to think that one will be a programmer simply by learning some code and perusing a book about machining. That is only the starting point.

If this is a career path that you would like to follow, you should gain experience in machining, first and foremost. You could offer yourself to a company as an apprentice or intern. Practical experience is the best teacher, with books and reference material to be used as a seasoning to the meal, not the meal itself.

If this is merely a quick solution to your unemployment, you might consider other things.

It is better to have enough ideas for some of them to be wrong, than to be always right by having no ideas at all.

 

[loki3000]

yes it's a possible career advancement opportunity that would be interesting and challenging.
i am hoping that at least software knowledge (and theory - different strategies etc) will help me to get a foot through the door.

 

[racookpe1978]

Before you start, here is a few things to look out for ... 8<)

4 minutes of CNC machining "crashes follow"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4zzFiTCzg4

 

[mrainey]

In my opinion, it's virtually impossible to create significant CNC programs without first spending a good deal of time working with cutting tools, fixturing, machines, and materials. Coding, as with application programming, is often the easiest part of getting the job done.


Software For Metalworking

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