Just like most current technological devices, most CNC machine problems are caused by: 1.     User error 2.     Lack of maintenance So, the majority of issues you run into are within your control. You can do quite a bit to avoid having these problems for the future. Here’s what to look for: 1.    If Your Material Has Burns on the Outside Edge This is a fairly easy problem to fix. Usually, you either have a blunt tool or too low of a feed speed.  Verify if your feed speed is right for the material you’re cutting. Also, examine y ..read more

How long have you been a CNC machinist? Years? Decades? Are you considering or just getting started? Every profession has its facts – and some questionable knowledge. Today, we’re going to take a look at some of the myths and misunderstandings out there. Here’s some you may have heard: 1.    If You’ve Had Success Running a Job Before, You Won’t Have Any Problems In the Future To get the same results, you have to set your CNC job up in exactly the same way – without any variation at all. If you’ve had a miscue of some kind, you’re likely misremembering how the job was done ..read more

Some mistakenly believe learning CNC programming is “easy.” It’s easy to get started and nail the basics but just like anything else, you can spend a lifetime mastering different techniques and nuances involved. Here are some tips for increasing your CNC programming skills: 1.    Getting Started For beginners, you’ll pick up CNC programming more easily if you’re naturally good at math – especially coordinate geometry. You can find most of the G-codes you need online, and watch plenty of YouTube tutorials on how to work with them. A simple program contains definition state ..read more

Do you use conventional machines in your personal shop or business? They do have some benefits, but so do CNC machines. If you’re considering adding a CNC machine to your production processes, here are some reasons you may or may not want to: 1.    You Don’t Need Extensive Experience or Skills With conventional machines, they may require a long period of experience to operate and get the most out of. While experience is a great benefit for CNC machines, in some cases it may not be as necessary as conventional machines. Production quality may be easier to maintain since CNC ..read more

Ultimately, only you can decide whether new or used CNC machinery makes sense for your business.  However, this list outlines some of the top factors to consider when making your decision. Here are a few things to think about: What do you want to do with your CNC machine? The main difference between old and new CNC machinery is the customization options and controller performance. Old CNC machines would quite possibly need extensive software and a controller updates in order to comparably perform to newer machines. However, if the old machine you’re looking at does exactly what you ..read more

Where’s your CNC shop in its life cycle? Are you a rookie or a seasoned veteran? Do you have one machine or multiple machines that constantly manufacture? Are you a bustling factory with a long list of customers you need to keep happy? Regardless of where you’re manufacturing capabilities are at, you can benefit from the tips below: First, focus on mastering one thing This holds true especially for new CNC machine shops. As your business grows, you can diversify but first, you must master one method or production. Once you’ve began to produce consistent and quality results, customers come ..read more

Think of your favorite athlete. While you rarely see them warming up on TV, every professional athlete has a warm-up routine they use. If they don’t, they risk injury, and they often don’t perform as well during the contest. Though not human, your CNC machine works the same way and needs a warm-up routine of its own too. When you have the right warm-up routine in place, your CNC machine’s lubricated better, which reduces friction and wear and the potential for something to break, and improves the life of your CNC machine. That saves you downtime and unnecessary repair costs. As you know ..read more

You bought your CNC plasma cutting machine to make precise cuts on wide range of cuts and to keep your consumable costs low. You want to keep both of those benefits. But when your consumables wear down, you lose your precision cutting ability you’re your consumable costs start to go up. If you’re new to plasma cutting, how do you know if your consumables are worn down or working properly…before they reach the crisis point? Come along with us to learn the signs of consumable wear and proper functioning: The Nozzle Many problems happen with plasma cutting machine’s nozzles. It’s the most c ..read more

Think of your favorite professional athlete. Or, maybe you’re more of a music person. Even though they might be the best in the world at what they do, they both still take the time to warm up. They don’t suddenly run out on the field, the court, or the stage and start playing. They still have to get their mind and body ready so they can do their full performance to the best of their ability that day. Your CNC machine’s no different. It needs a little bit of a warm up before working at full speed. This distributes lubrication oil evenly, which reduces wear on your CNC machine and increases ..read more

Do you do your job as fast as you want? Do you struggle to keep up with deadlines and production goals? Or, are you the proactive thinker, always looking for smarter and faster ways to do the job, without sacrificing quality? Whatever the case, you can boost your speed. See if implementing any of these tips will help you: Optimize Your Cut Depth and Width This is tough to do manually. You can spend years trying hundreds of combinations, or sticking to a rule of thumb. But, the problem with that is you might miss out on the optimal cut depth and width for a certain project anyway. These ..read more