Thread: CNC newbie needs help quick

Short backstory:
I just started a new job, and the company is going to train me on writing my own programs, so they can just hand me a print and walk away. I am competent on manual machines, and worked at a CNC shop for a year about a decade ago. At that shop I was a machine tender (my own descrition) as it was load a part, hit the big green button....the most complicated stuff I had to do was offset for tool wear at that job (Fanuc controls, G-, M-, S- codes).

At this new job, they are aware of my past exp, and I was very careful to explain my (lack of) experience w/ CNCs in General. They've got me shadowing an experienced guy for the next few weeks, but then they want me to be able to start writing my own simple programs.

Day one was observing/training on a Mazatrol VTC-20B PC-Fusion-CNC with a 640M conversational controller. Any place I can find some kind of tutorial or operator's manual or similar (either online or downloadable) so I can do some home study?

Doesn't your Shop own a set of "Operator's & Programming Manuals?
That Controller is as basic as they come, BUT, it'd be easier if they threw you on a Turning Center first, something with a T-2 OR T-32 Controller for starters.

Any how, your boss / shop owner / shop Manager-supervisor should be able to provide you with the proper manuals to get you started, once again, that controller is as basic as it gets, BUT as always, without having had any exposure to "MAZATROL" it could slow you down quite a bit.

*Don't let my last statement scare you, jump in with both feet, especially if the guy you are shadowing takes a liking to your skills and character as a worker, from my experience, your TUTORS are the ones that make you or break you.

Good Luck...

Originally Posted by SteelCutter

Doesn't your Shop own a set of "Operator's & Programming Manuals?
That Controller is as basic as they come, BUT, it'd be easier if they threw you on a Turning Center first, something with a T-2 OR T-32 Controller for starters.

I don't know if the manuals are available in-house or not, the guy training me (as well as the machine itself) both came from a different shop within the company that got closed/relocated during a company restructure a few years ago. He did make a comment that at the time the machine was purchased, the company basically told him 'here ya go, new machine, figure it out'
We don't do much turning in the department I'm assigned to, I don't know if any of the turning centers are Mazatrol or not.

Originally Posted by SteelCutter

Any how, your boss / shop owner / shop Manager-supervisor should be able to provide you with the proper manuals to get you started, once again, that controller is as basic as it gets, BUT as always, without having had any exposure to "MAZATROL" it could slow you down quite a bit.

My shift supervisor is temporarily working a different shift getting updated training himself. I'm mostly hoping for something I can study at home (memorize basic commands, etc). I suspect that I was assigned to this department in part because of my lack of experience, most of the VMCs in-house are table-move machines instead of column-move, and they've apparently had problems in the past with experienced guys having trouble with the opposite x/y +/-, whereas I'm a clean slate with no established habits on CNC

Originally Posted by SteelCutter

*Don't let my last statement scare you, jump in with both feet, especially if the guy you are shadowing takes a liking to your skills and character as a worker, from my experience, your TUTORS are the ones that make you or break you.

Good Luck...

So far, the company in general, and the guy training me have made positive impressions on me, they seem VERY motivated to be the best they can, and expect as much from all employees.... The guy training me is friendly, and doing good with explaining what he's doing, seems genuinely willing to help- but, after doing it for the last 12 years, he's quick writing programs, and it's tough keeping up with him.

and they've apparently had problems in the past with experienced guys having trouble with the opposite x/y +/-,

Whether the table moves or the column moves... XY +/- is the same for most machines including the Mazak. I've only seen 1 machine where it was different and that was only for a very special circumstance.

Mazatrol for Turning and for Milling isn't exactly the same so I'm not sure if I'm with Steel on this one from a learning standpoint. Basic program layouts sure.. but the functions aren't. But this is assuming your machine is using Mazatrol formats...

Are the machine programs running G-codes (EIA/ISO) or is it running Mazatrol conversational?... or both?

You don't say if they want you to program in Mazatrol or G-code. If it's G-code then there are lots of books on Amazon from basic right up to macro programming. If it's Mazatrol then e-mail me and I have some stuff that might help you from my training classes.

sorry for not getting back sooner, it's a 3rd shift job and I'm playing hell getting used to it again after 13 or 14 years away from the last time I worked these hours.

Psychomill- apparently I misunderstood what the guy training me meant when he was referring to problems other guys have had- it isn't the x/y +/- that was the problem, it was more the nature of what the dept's type of work is that was the problem: we are usually responsible for the entire run of a part, from writing the program all the way thru to heat-treat and finish grinding as needed, all of it on onesey-twoseys. He (my trainer) did say that some guys do have an issue with understanding that the head was moving and not the table, but it's a conceptual issue for some (dunno why, I'm too new at this to know why it would make a difference).

Moonrayker- it's converstaional, and the machine I'm training on is the only one in-house with 640M, the other Mazaks are newer.

On the upside, I am starting to 'get it', now that I'm beginning to make some basic connections between what the buttons do and what I want the machine to do....my trainer has already had me write some simple programs to drill holes and simple outside profiles.