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Looking for a ball park average ...

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LimpingLogan

Plastic
Joined
Jan 14, 2013
Location
Michigan, United States
Hello...I am looking for an average amount of time it should take me to program a fairly simple 2-3 operation detail that requires 12-16 tools?

I am currently programming 3-4 details per shift...but I feel like I should be doing closer to ten per shift...I am looking for ways to get faster and I am curious as to where I stack up with other programmers.

Any insight would be appreciated!

-Eric
 
What do you mean by detail?

Simple means different things to different people.
 
Detail = block with three operations...misc holes and pockets...

"Simple means different things to different people." -- I understand...I am just looking for a ball park average...

Most of the parts I program are 2-3 operations...they use 10-15 tools...they have a few holes and pockets...
 
More info is needed
1. We need to see the part, amount of detail it has, size and shape, multi sided?
2. Machine specs, max rpm and feed rates
3. Tooling your using
4 setup
5 using CAM or hand coding
 
len_1962 said:
More info is needed
1. We need to see the part, amount of detail it has, size and shape, multi sided?
2. Machine specs, max rpm and feed rates
3. Tooling your using
4 setup
5 using CAM or hand coding
Click to expand...

Why would the speeds and feeds of the machine affect the time needed to program a part?
 
I would start by posting what kind of material it is to start helping buddy. Maybe all it can take is adjusting feeds and speeds and types of cutters you are using.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Sorry read your post wrong! Lol! I automatically thought cycle time! Lol! Everyone is different, types of software can make a difference and how complex these parts are.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
IMAG6060.jpg
<a href="https://ibb.co/nMhuFa"><img

IMAG6059.jpg


These are two details I programed yesterday...would like to program 8-10 of these a day and I am wondering if you guys think that is possible?


I am programming in solidworks/solidcam if that helps....
 
well it depends if you have to run the parts itself or not.
but if you have good tool library's en some good templates and if you only have to program i think 20 would be very much doable.
 
I don't see anything there that should take over 2 hours to program, those are 1h to 1-1/4h parts tops. And chamfer your parts on the machine you animal.
 
LimpingLogan said:
These are two details I programed yesterday...would like to program 8-10 of these a day and I am wondering if you guys think that is possible?

I am programming in solidworks/solidcam if that helps....
Click to expand...


Yes, 8-10 should be easily done in a day. Those are 15 min parts. Are you including CAD in your 3-4 parts a day? Those should not take 2hrs to do CAM only.
Get your tool libraries setup so your not keying in speeds in feeds all the time. That's the easiest way to start saving time on your programming.
 
Parts that require two or three flips will take longer, no shame there, careful planning to control the datum point for each flip, make notes on how to hold it, etc. It takes whatever time it takes.

Where you can save time is if you get recognisable part families going, then you can use one program as a template for the next. At least in OneCNC, I can replace/merge a brand new model into an existing file and then go through and modify each operation in CAM as necessary, such as repicking holes, pockets, whatever. Or if I cared to, I can save an operation as a stand alone template to apply to some new model.

Cranking out programs quickly is something that you get with experience, and, I imagine, the ability to juggle a whole lot of experience in your head. An error-free program is a nice accomplishment, and eliminates a lot of undocumented busy-ness fixing programs that have already been tried on the machine.
 
goooose said:
Yes, 8-10 should be easily done in a day. Those are 15 min parts. Are you including CAD in your 3-4 parts a day? Those should not take 2hrs to do CAM only.
Get your tool libraries setup so your not keying in speeds in feeds all the time. That's the easiest way to start saving time on your programming.
Click to expand...


No CAD....I am given a solid model and I program the parts in solidworks...It is currently taking me 2-3 hours to program parts like that but I am still relatively new so I am trying to figure out how fast I should be and how to get faster.
 
One thing I have to ask. I assume this is your job, and you're getting paid. So, what do you care how many you can do in a day?
You say you're new to this, so I would recommend you concentrate on the quality and accuracy of you programs, and not how much junk you can churn out.
 
Larry Dickman said:
One thing I have to ask. I assume this is your job, and you're getting paid. So, what do you care how many you can do in a day?
You say you're new to this, so I would recommend you concentrate on the quality and accuracy of you programs, and not how much junk you can churn out.
Click to expand...


Yeah quality is huge! I am just trying to gauge myself...I just want to be good...I do not want to do 2 hours of work per day and think I am doing good...trying to set a goal for improvement...but yeah quality is huge!
 
LimpingLogan said:
Yeah quality is huge! I am just trying to gauge myself...I just want to be good...I do not want to do 2 hours of work per day and think I am doing good...trying to set a goal for improvement...but yeah quality is huge!
Click to expand...

Chances are you look like a rock star compared to the grumpy old farts banging this out by mashing keys on the CNC control panel or futzing around on a manual machine.

Having a tool library with known and proven feeds and speeds is the best thing you can do to be faster. I never look up feed and speeds anymore. My library has around 300 tools I have created for most materials I come across. Any new tools I need are usually just modified from the tools I already have defined.
 
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