Most Common CNC Machining Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

A CNC machine is one of the most important machines in a manufacturing company. So knowing the most common CNC machining mistakes and how to avoid them would be very helpful. But what is a CNC machine? How does it work and what are the common mistakes in using them and how to avoid them.

A CNC (Computer Numerical Control) machine is an electro-mechanical device used to manipulate and control machine-shop tools and devices using computer programming. It works by taking the computer-generated code and converting it with software to electrical signals. It takes a few months of on-the-job training for most Computer Numerically Controlled Machine Tool Programmers to learn basic machine operations, and more to become more highly skilled. Here are some Common CNC Machining Mistakes and how to fix or avoid them.

Using the Wrong Cutting Tools or Settings – There are different types of cutting tools and the common reason for its failures are high cutting pressures, mechanical impact, excessive wear, too high vibrations and chatter, weal tip and cutting edge, etc. Choosing the wrong tool for the job may often result in poor quality material finishes. It will cause rough edges, cutter marks on the surface, raised marks, or burn marks on the material’s edges or corners. There are several calculators available to assist programmers in deciding what the correct tool is for a particular process to avoid these kinds of mistakes. It is important to choose the right tool and setting for the job and material.

Poor Machine Maintenance – CNC Machines need to be very carefully cleaned and lubricated regularly. Dirty machines may lead to inaccuracy and precision problems as workpieces may experience unwanted movement during machining. A lack of lubrication may reduce the smoothness with which machine parts move, reducing accuracy. To prevent this, the machine operators must follow a detailed maintenance regime for the machine tools in use. So having a fixed maintenance schedule aimed at ensuring optimal CNC machines is important.

Programming Errors – As highly sophisticated equipment controlled by CNC computers a lot of the issues which arise in CNC machining often come from programming. This is a simple cause-and-effect problem since the programming directly controls the creation of the product. Like, replacing an “O” with Zero, or putting a comma in the incorrect place. These problems can be difficult to detect, especially when there are new or inexperienced employees involved. Modern CNC machines have a fail-safe feature to minimize serious machine and tool damage. To avoid these kinds of errors, the new operators need to be adequately trained in the different ways in which CNC machines can be programmed and comprehensive user manuals and training, motion sequencing, and operation of the machine should be provided to the new operators.

Automatic Tool Changer Problems – An Automatic tool changer (ATC) is used in computerized numerical control (CNC) machine tools to improve the production and tool carrying capacity of the machine. The ATC changes the tool very quickly, reducing the non-productive time. It is also used to change worn out or broken tools. Occasionally, you may face challenges with the automatic tool changer in your CNC Machine tool. This could be resolved by learning every step of the tool changing process and troubleshooting it by diagnosing what went wrong. But the best way to troubleshoot the problem is to learn every step of the tool changing sequence.

These are the Common CNC Machining Mistakes and how to avoid them to save your machining works. CNC machining takes a lifetime to learn. There are ways to decrease the likelihood of these varieties of mistakes, and they go far beyond the normal “pay more attention.” Hopefully, this would be helpful tips to avoid these common mistakes. If you’re interested in buying a used machine, make sure to look through our used CNC Machine inventory. Contact us today and we’ll help you find the right machine that’s perfect for your application.