gcode program

G-Code is the common name for the programming language of CNC Machines.  Somewhat of a generic, catch-all type of term for CNC programming language.  Very few machines adhere to this standard today.  There are as many varations as there are manufacturers.

This is how I think of G-Code.  It is a simple language built off of the Cartesian Coordinate System for motion control.  That is a mouthful.  I don’t know if that is exactly right, but you will get my meaning in a second when we go through some code line by line.You will remember your high school geometry lessons very quickly.  For the real pros out there, you know there is much more to G-Code then that, but it is a good place to start thinking about it.

You will see many variations of the G-Code name like:
Gcode
G-Code
G-Code
g-code
G Code
G-Code

Are there other “Codes?”
In a word…Yes.We will get to that information in just a minute.  G-code is also the name of any command in a CNC program that begins with the letter G.  G-Codes generally tell the machine to perform an action.  G-Codes can tell machines to move a certain distance in the X-Axis for example.  Or, make a rapid move to another location.  Or, move in an arcing fashion while milling.  An on and on and on.

Here are some examples of G-Codes
Remember these codes change to a certain degree between CAM Software packages and CNC Machine Manufacturers.
G00 Rapid positioning
G01 Linear interpolation
G02 CW circular interpolation
G03 CCW circular interpolation
G04 Dwell
G20 Programming in inches
G21 Programming in mm
G28 Return to home position
G40 Tool radius compensation off
G41 Tool radius compensation left
G42 Tool radius compensation right
G43 Tool offset compensation positive
G44 Tool offset compensation negative

Why does G-Code Change?
We humans like flexibility.  We also like standards.  G-Codes are standardized in a certain sense.Once you’re able to read G-Code, you can begin to read different variations on it.  That is the standardized part.
All CNC machines are not created in the same way.  Even identical machines are different to a certain degree.  They may not have the same tools loaded or they have been slightly modified to produce a certain type of part.  Interesting how people like to customize.

That is why G-Codes are not the same.  You need some flexibility in the programming to accommodate all situations.  Couple that with the fact that every manufacturer thinks their version is the best and you get a myriad of G-Codes out there.

Many CNC machine manufacturers try to force you to only use their G-Code.  For example, they give you a design interface to make parts and a CAM interface to produce code.  They lock you into their “Black Box” so you can’t go elsewhere for service and support.  They lock you in their “Family.”  Sometimes they make up a completely different kind of G-Code language that no one can understand but them.  They do that to keep your hands tied up.

What is an M-Code?
M-Codes are related to G-Codes.  M-Codes control different machine functions.Some of these different functions are turning the CNC machine off and on.Flipping the spindle on or off.  Turning a plasma torch on or off.  Turning coolant on or off.  You get the idea.  When programming your CNC machine you may need to perform these functions.
Like G-Code, M-Codes vary from manufacturer to manufacturer and from machine to machine.  As you can imagine you would need an M-Code for turning a plasma torch on and off on a CNC Plasma Cutting Machine.  You wouldn’t need an M-Code to turn a spindle on and off though.  Hey, the machine doesn’t even have a spindle.  It’s a plasma cutter!

CNC Information Free Community Site:
If you would like to know more about CNC, head on over to http://www.cncinformation.com
You can join for Free and you get two free CNC ebooks. One is a GCode Quick Guide and the other is the CNC Info Site eBook. You also get access to the Free Video Series…Image to CNC Art when you join the community.

Metal Casting

Bronze has been the most sought-after metal for cast metal sculptures in the bygone years. Bronze alloys have a desirable and unusual property to expand slightly prior to their setting. This helps a great deal in filling every corner of the mold. Their ductility and strength causes them to be molded into any form. However, bronze has a basic disadvantage of not being durable. Hence, there are hardly any traces of ancient bronze statues found. Bronze Casting generally takes place by a process called lost-wax casting. Though, centrifugal and sand castings are also employed, around 90% of bronze casting takes place through lost-wax casting.

Lost-wax method: Lost-wax Metal Casting , in the industry, is better known as investment casting. It is costlier than die and sand Metal Casting , but outshines them in terms of accuracy. It is easily possible to make complicated structures through ‘lost-wax casting’. The process can be described as follows:

Sculpting: First, the original artwork is created by the artist from clay, wax, or some other material. Since Clay and Wax have a retention of softness, you will see them being used most often.

Mold making: Majority of molds consist of 2 pieces, along with a shim placed between 2 halves at the time of construction in order to put back the mold accurately. The shim area is where the keys are stored. The small sculpture molds generally consist of plaster. Fiberglass is also another item that can be used. To have the minute details preserved on the surface of original artwork, there exists a mold inside. It is made up of vinyl, silicone, or latex supported by plaster part of mold. Generally, the destruction of original artwork takes place during making. This is due to the solid nature of the originals. The other reason is the rigidity of the originals at the time of removal of plaster mold. That’s why; the original is cut off into thin, long pieces and separately molded. At times, a number of molds are required for recreating the original structure.

Wax: After the completion of latex-and-plaster mold, the pouring of molten wax takes place. Then, swishing is carried out till a uniform coating is obtained. The thickness of the coating is 1/8 inches. Usually its the inner surface of the mold that gets covered by it. In order to get the thickness that you desire, you will want to repeat this process over and over.

Wax removal: Artwork’s ‘hallow wax copy’ is detached from mold. This mold may be reused by the artist for making more copies of wax, but its use gets restricted due to frequent ‘wear & tear’. Around 25 copies can be made for tiny bronze artworks.

Chasing: The chasing of each copy starts. Rubbing of the marks is done by a hot metal tool. The marks showing ‘flashing’ or ‘parting line’ are rubbed out.

Spruing: The spruing of copy generates paths to flow (for molten bronze) and causes air to move out.

Slurry: The dipping of sprued copy into a liquid silica slurry, and then into sand-like ‘stucco’ takes place. You will really want to continue this process over and over again until you get a thickness of your coating of about 1/2 inch.

After these steps, the out-and-out processes like burnout, testing, pouring, releasing, metal chasing, and patinating are carried out.

Metal Casting ZOne is a new community website all about Home and DIY Metal Casting. Stop Around MetalCastingZone today to get your free reference guide on Metal Casting just for signing up! Come by MetalCastingZone.Com right now to get your Free Ebook that is all about Metal Casting and Metal Casting Basics for Free.

The most popular topic of conversation these days is the stock market turmoil and how and where it is impacting the lives of those you know and love. By and large the people who are having these conversations are the ones that haven’t learnt how to get out of the Rat Race yet.
 
I have no words of wisdom about what to do with your specific investments. There are others far more qualified to help you there.
 
All I can do is continue to beating the drum about being prepared for life’s eventualities. For example “What would happen if your income was reduced and/or eliminated unexpectedly?”
 
Here’s a little reality check for you. Why not have an imaginary “fire drill”?  Why not pretend you had to live on one income or half what you make. Give it a try. I know it will open your eyes or at the very least give you a long overdue reality check.
 
Believe it or not there are some people who are not too concerned about all that is going on in the markets right now because they have already learnt how to get out of the Rat Race
 
If they lost their jobs or had a decrease in their income it wouldn’t be much of a catastrophe because they have already learnt how to get out of the Rat Race by creating their Plan B already.
 
Your whole world-view is a LOT different when you get out of the Rat Race.
 
If you have don’t know what I’m talking about you need to learn how to how to get out of the Rat Race

1st-taxattorney.org

cnc tutorials

Next, we are going to go through an example of cutting out a 2” square with a CNC Plasma.  Then we will look at the G-Code to see what is happening.

2” Square G-Code:
The numbers on the left of the G-Code are the sequence numbers of the code and the order it will be executed in.  I have added notes after different actions to let you know what that line of code means.  My note starts with a “-“ then continues.  A “-“ means nothing in G-Code Programming.

N0000 (Filename: 2INSquare.txt) – Name of File
N0010 (Post processor: Plasma.post) – Name of Post Processor Used
N0020 (Date: 8/1/2007) – Date G-Code was generated
N0030 G20 (Units: Inches) – Measurement Units Used
N0040 G53 – Machine co-ordinate system
N0050 G90 – Absolute Programming
N0060 G40 – Tool radius compensation off
N0070 F1 – Feedrate of 1” per min
N0090 (Part: Square) – name of the part
N0100 (Process: Plasma,  DEFAULT, Plasma, 0.01 in kerf) – Tool to be used
N0110 G00 – Go to Home
N0120 X0.1113 Y-0.0904 – Move to this exact X, Y position
N0130 G04 P2000 – Pause for 2 seconds, this is in milliseconds
N0140 M03 – Fire the plasma torch
N0150 G04 P500 – Pause for .5 seconds, this is in milliseconds
N0160 G03 X0.0000 Y-0.0050 I-0.1113 J-0.0298 F40.0 – move to this X, Y position in an arcing movement at a feedrate of 40 inches per min
N0180 G01 Y2.0000 – Travel in the Y+ direction for 2 inches to X0, Y2
N0200 G01 X2.0000 – Travel in the X+ direction for 2 inches to X2, Y2
N0220 G01 Y0.0000 – Travel in the Y- direction for 2 inches to X2, Y0
N0240 G01 X0.0000 – Travel in the X- direction for 2 inches to X0, Y0
N0250 G03 X-0.1113 Y-0.0904 I0.0000 J-0.1152 – move to this X, Y position in an arcing movement
N0260 M05 – Turn off the plasma torch
N0270 G04 P2000 – Pause for 2 seconds, this is in milliseconds
N0280 G00 – Move to Home
N0300 M30 – End Program

CNC Information Free Community Site:
If you want to know more about CNC come over to http://www.cncinformation.com
You can join for Free and you get two free CNC ebooks. One is a GCode Quick Guide and the other is the CNC Info Site eBook. You also get access to the Free Video Series…Image to CNC Art when you join the community.

cnc controlling

What is CNC Controlling

Since we are dealing with machines that do work for us, we need to control those machines somehow. We need to control them for safety reasons as well. If you give a machine improper commands it can easily get out of control and cause harm to you or the part you are machining. We want to give appropriate commands to our machines, at appropriate times so they are not “out of control”.

The programming language that these cnc machines use is called G-Code G-code has been around since the early 60′s. There are a number of variations of G-code, but most are very similar to one another. See the previous section for a sample of G-Code.

We will need to use a computer to talk with our CNC Lathe. Our computer will send signals to our CNC machine. In-between our computer and our CNC machine sits a controller. A controller converts commands into signals that are used to control the motion of our machine.

As these signals go out of the cnc controller, they go to either stepper motors or servo motors. This is how we get motion. These motors drive our various axis on our CNC machine. While we are moving our axis, there is generally a cutting tool of some sort removing material. This is the machining process coupled with CNC.

Here is a brief description of the two types of motors generally used in CNC:
Stepper motors:
Simple design
Very easy to use
Generate torque at low rpm
Do not know their position in relation to the program

Servo Motors:
Generate torque at high RPMs
Generally need gearing of some sort to be effective
More complex
Can maintain their relative position, thus, they can be more accurate

CNC Machine Controllers
Controllers generally stand alone near the CNC machine. They act as a translator between your cnc control computer and your machine. Generally, they add quite a bit of cost to a CNC machine as well. Controllers can cost anywhere from $1000-$20,000 or more depending on their sophistication.

CNC Community Site:
If you need more information about CNC, click over to http://www.CNCInformation.com You can join for Free and you get two free CNC ebooks. One is a GCode Quick Guide and the other is the CNC Info Site eBook. You also get access to the Free Video Series…Image to CNC Art when you join the community.