LAGUN Anilam crusader M getting started

I have a new to me Lagun Anilam 3 axis mill with a Crusader M control. So far the machine seems to be working well. I am a newb to CNC. I am looking for a G-code programming tutorial.. of some sort. I have the full Crusader m programming manual, and I am working thru it. But it is not such a great teaching guide. I am getting bits and pieces of info from it, but it is difficult to tie it all together so far. I tried the Default Parallels Plesk Panel Page tutorial. but from what I can tell the anilam g-code is different from what this tutorial works with.. I am guessing that all G-code is not the same when it comes to canned cycles? or did I miss something.
I am also working thru a tutorial on youtube, but that is slow going as well. A few months ago someone mentioned a training DVD. I would be interested in that I think.


Also my new to me mill has a hand wheel(MPG?) pendant hooked up, and the programming manual that I have has no info on this at all. I would like to see if the hand wheel is working. Is there a g-code to turn it on???

can someone recommend a programming guide book or tutorial that will help me to learn this old machine?

thanks

little update. I am still working thru the factory manual. I am pretty well able to make non complicated moves including arcs. But when I try using canned cycles such as peck drilling and frame milling. there seems to be some extra code that pops up during the single step moves. almost like there is some programming stuck in the memory.
I am clearing the memory before each program by pressing program search, program enter, then clear 5x times.
Could there be some programming that this sequence will not erase??

thanks

I am getting things worked out slowly. I was able to program and cut a circle. the machine is performing just fine. the hole spec'd out at .0005 which is good enough for me.

I am still very slowly learing G-code. I want to program a 5.5 inch 4 bolt flange in 3/8" steel. the lip on the flange will be 1" .

There seem to be several ways to do this. I would like opinions on the easiest way. I am planning on clamping thru the middle of the blank with 2 1/2" studs going into the t-nuts on the table. Then bolt circle program drill the 4 holes. Then cut the OD of the flange and last the ID. I wanted to mill the OD and ID in several small negative z axis passes. I was thinking to cut it in 7 or 8 passes with a .050" z axis drop after each pass.
Is this wrong? should I just drop the end mill thru the plate on the OD and make one pass for the OD, and do the same on the ID???
I can not seem to find a g-code that will mill the OD circle round and round with small z axis drops after each pass.
I could circular move mill it and then drop the z axis and write another circular move, and another drop etc etc.
g76 hole milling won't work because it goes back to center after each pass.
Can I use a G77 circular pocket milling and then put in 0 for Step over???

any suggestions would be appreciated
thanks

There is the option of helical G codes, but im not sure your control will support them. Biggest problem, you blunt the last 50 thou of your cutter and its slow going, use the whole length of the cutter and you blunt it all - make 7-8x as many parts :-)

Look on here about HSM and the stratergies, ie chip thinning and only circa 10% radial engagement, you can move metal quick like this, even with a machine like yours - mine (mines a Bridgeport running a modified anilam crusader retrofit that now has a modern control - drives - is the predecessor to your model m)

Don't get too hung up in the canned cycles, were there what you need use em, but don't let them dictate a inferior approach, programme it with G00 G01 and G02-3 to do exactly what you want and you can save a fair bit on time on some things, others, yeah used the canned cycle!

As to learning G code; buy a couple books Smid has written a few & I found them very helpful. I learned it all by myself, it is not difficult. When I first started I just placed an empty arbor in, wrote programs and just "cut air". This way you don't go busting things up till you get a feel for programming.
I know I will probably get flak for this, but BobCad is a low cost and fairly powerful piece of SW. This way you can see the features and such after placing the print into the prog. Then when you post the code you can run a simulation and see what each item in the code does. If you do opt to purchase BobCad take one of their educational seminars. It is well worth the money, the chap that teaches them is a machinist, not a SW guy who doesn't know the difference between an end mill and a spot drill. As well as being a machinist he has intimate knowledge of the sw. He is a GREAT instructor and being a machinist he will show you ways to do things very efficiently.
The only complaint I have is the tech support, the problem is that your dealing with a computer programmer not a machinist. So it is rather difficult to get them to understand what you trying to do. Lastly the instructor will, given a particular program show you how to write it with ten lines of code where the tech guy might need 20+ lines for same op..

Cheers

thanks for the reply's Adama and Doug8. Adama I understand you think it best to just drop the cutter all the way thru the 3/8 stock and cut the circle in one pass as opposed to taking small bites of z-axis and having to go around 8 times ( ended up with 4 passes ) Good I ended up thinking the same thing this morning. After I wrote the program late last night. I was just concerned about the accuracy if going with one pass. On my old manual mill making a 3/8 single pass would not end up very accurate lots of jiggles in the table on the old machine.
Adama I am interested to bend your ear about your re-fit. My crusader M is working today, but I get the feeling it is not long for this world. the servos seem fine, but the digital display usually requires a few power re-sets in the morning before it will come all the way to life, and if the machine sits idle for a few hours you need to do a few power on off cycles to get it all the way back on again.
Is there any of your old Anilam left? or is it all newer servos & drives and software? I have a friend who can get me a fair deal on some AC servos and drives. I am still researching softwares, and what else will be needed, I have money aside for the upgrade so when I need it I can pull the trigger on the refit. I do not plan on spending any money at all to repair the Crusader M. I have the demo versions of both Mach3 and BOBcad. There will be quite a learning curve for both of those. For me the Anilam crusader M is not super difficult to understand, maybe even easier than the mach3. but I have spent a bit more time on the crusader M.
Doug I have been cutting quite a bit of air these past few weeks. I will definitely look into Smid. But today it is time to make a part. I need to re write the program again and I have not put it in the machine, Sort of a PIA to have to write a program twice. I have not tried to transfer a program to the crusader M, I would need to buy a cable and it just seems like it would be asking for more headaches.
So far it has about 90+ lines of code. this for a pretty simple flange with 4 bolt holes.
I am using the bolt circle program to spot drill and then tool change and peck drill the 4 holes. then 4 arc move passes for the OD circle and 4 more arc move passes for the ID. it is kind of a PIA as each pass around is 6 lines of code. it just seemed there should be an easier way.

My machine has Helical moves, but DOES NOT have G02 that I can tell. NO G02 in my manual, and no G02 in the help file on the machine. for an arc I have to enter start position, z depth, arc-ccw (start), arc center, arc end position, arc ccw (stop). then repeat for the next pass.
late last night I realized I will need to add different feeds for each z drop and arc move, So I can add 2 more lines of code for each pass.
I was really hoping for a canned cycle that would just need Arc center, circle diameter, and z depth drop per pass, and finish depth.
Will BOBcad do that for me? I am guessing yes. but for today we have the mighty Crusader M to deal with.

I run EMC2 - linux cnc on a normal - x windows xp box. As to originality, ball screws, stops + limit switches and servos + mounts - there belt drives were all kept, had to swap the tachs for encoders then used geko drives. All the drives are housed in the original drive box and ran off the original - crusader power supply (nice big transformer) So yeah, 90% or so of its all there and done, its really just ditch the existing controle box. Gut and then retrofit the drive box with your chosen contents. Honestly it took me 2 weeks of spare time and i was working probaly 12+ hour days at the time at least 6 days a week, but then im qualified in electronics and to say the least it was not the first machine i had wired :-)

FYI theres nothing stopping you doing 2 passes, first one cuts it 10% of cutter dia over size, second - finishing pass does just that. But still useing the length of the cutter not just the end that will end up blunt doing 50 thou passes. Also worth adding, you want at least a 3/8" dia cutter and im assuming your triming these up from circular blanks, not cutting them out of the middle of a sheet??? If you r cutting with the full width of the cutter depending on the cutter + material 3/8" may be too much in one pass, go read the threads on hsm on here, will make more sense then.

thanks Adama, yes it is a bit of sheet. will read HSM. I am still more interested now about your conversion/retrofit. My servos seem fine. I gotta run now but thanks

XJ,
Yes Bob would do this for you easy peasy, took me ~5 min to go from simple sketch to code. Some nice things about Bob: Free post processors (PP) for life (The PP is the bit of the sw that tailors the code to your specific controller.), you can have the code output as line moves to make the circular cuts(if your controller doesn't support G2/G3) or I J K helical method or start point and P value for your radius. Bob will also customize your PP to your liking as well.
Despite the nay sayers about Bob I really like it. That being said I don't do a lot of very complicated tight tolerance stuff. Thread milling is about the most complicated stuff I do(wish I had some more complex stuff as well.). I had PP problems though cause the controller on the VMC is an Acramatic 2100 (Siemens)and seems a tad bit fussy with regards to the syntax for circular codes. It won't take the IJK method even though the manual says it should, it even throws a seven once in a while with the P radius method. Bob however has been great about working with me to solve the issues when they arise. If you want to talk about Bob, especially if your considering buying it PM and we can talk. There are some things you should know prior to purchasing it, not bad things but it will give you a leg up on the sales guy.

I have Anilam 1100.
It has ramping pocket cycles. I bought a tutorial CD from ebay... can't see it right now.
Same problem here on the MPG.
How you doing?
Thanks,
Mark