cnc prog assistant

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CNC Programming Assistant

CNC Helper V1.0

By Michael W. Hubbard

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This manual was produced usingDoc-To-Help, by WexTech Systems, Inc.

WexTech Systems, Inc.310 Madison Avenue, Suite 905

New York, NY 100171-800-WEXTECH

(212) 949-9595Fax: (212) 949-4007


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CNC Programming Assistant Contents i

ContentsQuick Reference 1

What Does it Do?............. .............. ............. ............. ............. ............. ............. .............. ....... 1

Whats new in CNC Helper?............ ............. ............. .............. ............. ............. ..... 1

The Tools menu 7

Unit Conversions ................................................................................................................. 7

The Degrees Menu.............. ............. ............. ............. ............. ............. .............. ............. ..... 8

Drill Calculations ............. .............. ............. ............. ............. ............. .............. ............. ....... 8

Drill Point Calculations ............ .............. ............. ............. ............. ............. ............ 9Center Drill Calculations ............. ............. ............. ............. ............. .............. ......... 9

The Speeds and Feeds Menu...................... ............. ............. ............. ............. .............. ....... 10

The Speed Calculator.......... ............. ............. ............. .............. ............. ............. ... 11

The Feed Calculator.............. ............. ............. .............. ............. ............. ............. . 11

The Metal Removal Rate menu...... ............. ............. ............. .............. ............. ..... 12The Time in Cut Calculator............ ............. ............. ............. .............. ............. ..... 13

The Surface Finish menu ............. ............. ............. ............. ............. .............. ....... 13

The Threads menu.......... ............. .............. ............. ............. ............. ............. .............. ....... 14The Tap Drill Calculation menu..... ............. ............. ............. .............. ............. ..... 14

Thread Calculations.............. ............. ............. .............. ............. ............. ............. . 16

The Maximum Threading Speed Menu .............. ............. ............. ............. ............ 17

The Triangles Menu ........................................................................................................... 19

Using the Triangle Solver ............ ............. ............. ............. ............. .............. ....... 19The Weights Menu......... ............. .............. ............. ............. ............. ............. .............. ....... 20

The Reference Menu 23

Useful Data at your Finger Tips........ ............. ............. ............. .............. ............. ............. ... 23

The Drill Chart Menu ........................................................................................... 23

The EIA and ISO Tape Format Menus ............ .............. ............. ............. ............. . 24

The Screw Dimensions Menu ............ ............. .............. ............. ............. ............. . 25

The Thread Data Menu................ ............. ............. ............. ............. .............. ....... 27

The Control G Code Reference Menus........ ............. ............. .............. ............. ..... 27

The Custom Entries menu....... ............. .............. ............. ............. ............. ............ 28

Glossary of Terms 31

Index 33


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CNC Programming Assistant Quick Reference 1

Quick Reference

What Does it Do?CNC Helper is a designed to assist you with the more mundane tasks of CNC

programming. For example you might get a drawing that has angles in theHour:Minute:Second format (HMS) but the machine tool control is programmed in

decimal degrees. CNC Helper has several tools to help you with this type of

problem.

CNC Helper also has several reference tools to help you with common programming

tasks. For example the Thread Reference page has all the data you need to program

standard Unified threads. The Thread Reference page even has the measurement

over wires for the minimum and maximum pitch diameters pre-calculated.

Unlike most CNC math programs CNC Helper also has a text editor so that you can

quickly edit your program. While editing you can use the Comments feature in the

Edit menu to add or remove comments from your program. If you have ever wanted

to experiment with a program but didnt want to delete a section of code youll know

how handy this feature is.

Whats new in CNC Helper?

CNC Helper is a true 32 bit Windows program designed to run under Microsoft

Windows NT, Windows 98 or Windows 95. CNC Helper uses a high performance

32 bit Microsoft Access database to store reference data and to maintain the Code

Library.

CNC Helper Version 1.0 has the following features:

All standard word processor features such as Cut, Copy, Paste, Search, Select All

and right mouse button support. In addition, CNC Helper includes a Code Library

where you can save small sections of code. This makes it easy to reuse routines you

have written. The library can be searched by Keyword or Category ID.

CNC Helper V1.0 includes the following tools:

Conversions CNC Helper has over 35 unit conversions

built in.

Degrees CNC Helper can convert to and from H:M:S,

Decimal Degrees and Radians.


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2 Quick Reference CNC Programming Assistant

Drill Points CNC Helper can calculate the length ofa drill point or tell you how deep a center drill needs

to be drilled.

Speeds/Feeds CNC Helper can calculate SFM or Meters

per minute, feed rates in IPR, IPM, MM/Min and MM/Rev.

The metal removal rate and Time of Cut for turning

operations can also be calculated.

Surface Finish CNC Helper can calculate the

theoretical surface finish for turning given the tool

nose radius and feed rate.

Threads CNC Helper can calculate the tap drill

diameter for inch and metric threads, best wire diameter

for measurement and percent of thread for a given hole

size. Finally, CNC Helper can calculate the maximum RPM

and SFM for threading on a lathe.

Triangles CNC Helper can solve Right triangles.

Weight CNC Helper can calculate the weight of

round, square and Hex stock for a wide variety of

materials.

CNC Helper V1.0 includes the following Reference Data:

Drill Chart Number, Letter, Fractional and Metric sizes

from 80 to 17mm.

Screw Dimensions CNC Helper includes tabulated data for

standard screws from #0 to 1 diameter. Data includes

Head diameter and thickness, wrench size, counter bore

diameter and other data needed to design fixtures.

Threads Thread data for UN, UNC, UNF and UNEF

threads including Basic Pitch Diameter and Min./Max.

Pitch diameter measurements over wires.EIA/ISO tape formats Graphical representation of the

holes in an EIA or ISO tape.

G Codes Standard G Codes for Fanuc 0M, 0T, 3M, 5M,

5T, 6M, 6T, 10M, 10T, 16M, 2000C, Haas Lathe and Mill,

Mazak M32 and Okuma OSP5000.

Custom Entries In addition you can add up to 25 of

your own entries to the reference menu.


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CNC Programming Assistant The File Menu 3

The File Menu

The Code Library

You can use Access 97 to add data,query or compact the database but

don't change the design. The database

name is macro32.mdb and its located

in the CNC Helper folder.

The code library is a Microsoft Access 97 compatible database where you can store

often used code. We find that there are pieces of macro code that you use over and

over. Rather than trying to remember what program has the code you want, opening

it in the editor and then doing a cut and paste, you simply keep it in the code library.

You can organize the code segments by category and then use Keywords to search

the category. You can even include a searchable description of the segment.


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4 The File Menu CNC Programming Assistant

The CNC Helper Code Library

Organizing Code Segments

The code library uses three searchable fields to organize code segments - CategoryID field, Description field and Keyword field. You should give some thought to howyou're going to organize your code segments before using the library.

The Category ID is a text field that can have up to 8 letters. For example, you could

use category 1 for probe related code, category 2 for pallets, category 3 for alarms

and so on. You could also use probe, pallets and alarms.

Then you would use the Keywords to narrow the search down. For example, 15M

for code specific to 15M controls, M32 for code specific to Mazak M32's or HAAS

for Haas code. This way you can narrow a search very quickly.

The sample database has an entry for a probe related segment for a Mazak M32. To

find it you would enter Category ID PROBE, Keyword M32 and click Search.

Another sample segment is a keyboard alarm macro for an Okuma OSP control. To

find it enter Lathe for Category ID, Alarms for the Keyword and click search.

Adding an Entry to the Database

The first step is to open a file that has the code you want to put into the database.

Highlight the code using the mouse or the keyboard. Right click the mouse and

select Copy to copy the text to the clipboard.


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CNC Programming Assistant The File Menu 5

The left arrow with the line in front

moves to the first record. The right

arrow with the line in front moves to

the last record in the database.

ClickFile, Code Library... or CTRL+L to open the database. Click Add to createa new record. ClickPastefrom Clipboard to paste the code into the database.Now enter a number in the category ID field, a description in the description field

and one or more keywords in the keyword field. Finally, clickUpdate to add the

record. You could also click the single right arrow on the Record Selector to add the

record.

The category field can have up to 8 characters, the description field can have 250

characters and the keyword field can have up to 400 characters. A practical limit forKey words is probably closer to 50 characters or 5 words. The code segment can be

up to 32k.

Searching for an Entry

To search for an entry in the database, enter values for one or all of the following in

the Search Criteria frame:

Cat. ID:

Description:

Key Word:

Click on Search. A dialog will appear to notify you that the search is complete.

Click OK to clear the dialog. To reset the database click Reset or do a search with

no entries in the Search Criteria text boxes.

Inserting Code into CNC HelperTo insert the code segment into CNC Helper, click on Insert. The code is insertedwhere the cursor is located and the library is closed.

Deleting an Entry

To delete an entry, use search or the record selector to make the code segment the

current record. Then clickDelete to delete the entry. You will be prompted to

confirm the delete. If you have changed your mind click on No and the record wontbe deleted.

Code Library Setup

The most important part of the code library is the category ID. The Category ID

allows you to sort your data into logical groups. For example if you have several


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6 The File Menu CNC Programming Assistant

different types of controls in your shop you might want to create categories based on

control type. The following figure shows the setup dialog:

Adding a new Category

To get started, click on Setup on the Code Library form. A new dialog will open

with the focus set to the New Entry text box. Type the new category into the text

box and click on Add. You will then see the entry in the Current Entries list box.

Deleting a Category

To remove a category simply click on it in the Current Entries list box and then clickRemove. You will notice that Remove is grayed out unless you have an entry

selected.


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CNC Programming Assistant The Tools menu 9

Drill Point Calculations

To open the drill point dialog click on Tools, Drill Calculations, Drill Point.You can also use ALT+T, U, P from the keyboard if you prefer keystrokes to mouseclicks. To calculate a drill point length, enter the drill diameter and point angle. The

point length will be displayed in the Drill Point Length box. You can then change

either the angle or the diameter to calculate a new length.

The Drill Point Dialog

Center Drill Calculations

The Center Drills menu allows you to quickly determine the drill depth for arequired center diameter. In addition, every center drill that can be used will be

displayed. This is convenient because you dont have to spend time looking up a

drill with the correct tip diameter or body diameter, CNC Helper does it for you.Finally, if you hover the mouse over one of the center drill labels a Tool Tip will

appear with the centers Tip Diameter, Tip Length and body diameter. See the

following figure.

The Center Drill Dialog

How to Calculate the Depth

If you would like to calculate the depth manually the following figure will show you

how.


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10 The Tools menu CNC Programming Assistant

Center Drill Calculations

In the figure D2 is the diameter that we are drilling. To calculate the depth thatcorresponds to D2 we need to find L1, L2 and L3.

L1 is the tip length and is looked up in a table.

L2 is equal to the (tip diameter/2)/TAN(60).

L3 is equal to (D2 the tip diameter)/2 x TAN(60)

Finally, the depth to drill is L1+L2+L3. For example to drill a .190 diameter center

with a #3 Center Drill:

L1 is .109L2 = (.109/2)/TAN(60) or .0545/1.7321

L2 = .0315

L3 = (.190 - .109)/2 x 1.7321

L3 = .0701Depth = .109 + .0315 + .0701

Depth = .2106

When finished clickExit or press the ESC key to close the dialog and return toCNC Helper. You can also press ALT+X to exit.

The Speeds and Feeds MenuThe Feeds & Speeds menu has three sub menus Speed/Feed Calculator,Metal Removal Rate and Surface Finish. To open the Speed/Feed Calculatorclick on Tools, Feeds & Speeds, Speed/Feed Calculator. You can also pressALT+T, F, l from the Keyboard to open the dialog.

The Speed/Feed Menu


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The Speed Calculator

The Speed calculator is designed to make it easy to determine the correct RPM for a

tool or part. The tool or part diameter can be metric or English. There are two ways

to use the Speed Calculator. First, you can enter a diameter and RPM and the

calculator will display the Surface Feet Per Minute in the Surface Ft./Min. box.

Second, you can enter a diameter and Surface Speed and the calculator will displaythe correct RPM needed. Again, you can enter the diameter or Surface Speed inmetric or English units.

In the figure a 1.0 diameter is entered with 500 RPM. The SFM displayed is 130.9

Ft./Min. At the same time the 1.0 diameter is converted to 25.4 mm and 25.4 is

displayed in the mm box. 130.9 Surface Feet/Min is converted to 39.88 Meters/Minand is displayed in the Surface M/Min box.

Calculating Surface feet per Minute

The Feed Calculator

The feed calculator makes it easy to convert from feed rates in Inches or millimeters

per minute to Inches per revolution or millimeters per revolution. In the Figure, a

2.0 Inch per Minute feed rate is converted to .004 per revolution at 500 RPM.


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Calculating In/Rev from In/Min

Keep in mind that the feed rate in Inches per Minute is dependent on the RPM and

the feed rate in Inches per Minute. The conversion is feed in IPR x RPM. In theexample .004 per rev. x 500 rev. per min. = 2.0 Inches per Minute. For example, if

you had a 3/8-16 Tap running at 1000 RPM the feed rate would be 1/16 or .0625 in

IPR or 31.250 IPM.


The Metal Removal Rate menu

To open the Metal Removal Rate dialog click on Tools, Feeds & Speeds,MetalRemoval Rate.

The Metal Removal Rate Menu

The Metal Removal Rate Calculator

The metal removal rate dialog allows you to calculate the metal removal rate of

turning operations. This is convenient when you want to compare one insert to

another. For example lets say youre running your favorite insert at 500 SFM, .200

depth of cut and .012 IPR. Now your cutting tool salesman comes in and says he has

a great new insert that can run at 600 SFM and .200 depth of cut but youll have todrop the feed rate to .01 IPR. If both inserts give you the same amount of tool life in

minutes which one is best?

CNC Helper makes it easy to figure this out. First, open the metal removal rate

dialog. Enter 500 in the SFM box, .012 in the Feed Rate box and .200 in the Depth

of Cut box. 14.40 Cubic Inches per minute is displayed in the Removal Rate box.

Now enter 600, .01 and youll see that the rate remains the same.

How can this be? The equation for metal removal rate in a turning operation is Rate

= SFM x Depth of Cut x Feed Rate x 12. As you can see all the terms are linear so

increasing the SFM by 20% (500 to 600) and reducing the feed rate by 20% results


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in the same removal rate. In this case the new insert doesnt removal metal any

faster even though it can run at a higher speed.

Use CNC Helper to find the most efficient parameters for your application and

maximize your profit. Remember, a larger depth of cut or feed rate usually doesnteffect tool life much but a higher speed will.

The Metal Removal Dialog

The Time in Cut Calculator

To calculate the time needed for a cut use the Time in Cut calculator. This dialog

takes the RPM, Feed rate and Length of cut and calculates the time needed in

minutes and seconds. In the above figure, 500 RPM, .012 IPR and a 3.0 length of

cut require .50 minutes or 30 seconds.


The Surface Finish menu

To open the Surface Finish dialog click on Tools, Feeds & Speeds,SurfaceFinish. You can also press ALT+T, F, S from the Keyboard to open the dialog.

The Surface Finish menu

The surface finish dialog allows you to estimate the surface finish that a given

combination of insert radius and feed rate will produce. This is the best theoretical

finish possible. The actual surface finish may be rougher.


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The Surface Finish Dialog

In the above figure, a tool nose radius of .0156 (1/64) and a feed rate of .003 IPR willgive a theoretical finish of 72 microinches or an RMS of 32. This is a very goodfinish and the low feed rate will increase cycle time. If the print doesnt call for suchgood finish a higher feed rate will result in a lower cost.

When finished clickExit or press the ESC key to close the dialog and return to

CNC Helper. You can also press ALT+X to exit.

The Threads menu

The Threads menu has three sub menus Tap Drill Calculations, ThreadCalculation and Max. Thread Speed. The tools in this menu allow you tocalculate the correct drill size for a given tap, calculate various thread parameters or

calculate the maximum speed that your lathe can thread at.

The Threads menu

The Tap Drill Calculation menu

To open the Tap Drill Calculation menu click on Tools, Threads, Tap DrillCalculation. You can also press ALT+T, H, P from the Keyboard to open thedialog.

The Tap Drill Calculation menu

The tap drill calculation dialog allows you to enter the nominal tap diameter and the

number of threads per inch and get the size drill needed for the thread. The default

percentage of is 75%. This is a standard percentage of thread is used by most tap

drill charts. The following figure shows the dialog for a -20 tap.


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The Tap Drill Calculator dialog for a -20 Tap

The dialog has another feature that is very useful in the shop. Next to the calculated

drill size are four boxes. These boxes list the drill sizes close to the calculated drill

size. These are based on a drill chart and you can click the arrows to view drills that

are larger or smaller than the calculated size. The following figure shows the ClosestDrill sizes for the -20 tap.

The closest drills for a -20 tap

The calculated drill size for a -20 tap with 75% thread is .2013. This isnt a

standard drill size but CNC Helper makes it easy to find a standard drill. Simply

look at the Closest Drill Sizes part of the dialog. The boxes on the left show thestandard drill that is smaller than the calculated and the boxes on the left show the

next drill larger. The first box shows the decimal size and the second shows the

letter, number or fractional designation.

You can click on the arrows to move down or up the drill chart range to find adifferent drill if the size shown doesnt fit you need.

Selector Arrows

For example, you may want to use the largest drill size possible to minimize the

chance of breaking the tap. In this case you could click the up arrow on the Larger

side dialog to find another drill. For a -20 thread the next few drills are .204, 6 and

.2055, 5. If you want to know what percentage thread these drills will produce youcan enter the decimal size into the Tap Drill Dia. Box and the calculator will showthe new percentage of thread.


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Finding a Percentage of threadThis can also be useful if you have

accidentally drilled a hole too large

and are trying to get the engineering

department to buy off on it. Instead of

just begging forgiveness you can

quickly calculate the percentage of

thread and plead your case with the

facts!

The Tap Drill Calculator can also calculate the percentage of thread based on a drill

diameter if you enter the decimal size into the Tap Drill Diameter Box. For

example, if you entered .25 for the Tap Diameter, 20 for the Threads per Inch and

.2055 for the drill diameter you will see 68.5 for the percentage of thread.

Number Taps

The Tap Drill Calculator works with number size taps. To calculate the tap drill sizefor a number tap, click the Number Tap option button. A new box, Inch, will appear.

When you enter the number for the tap in the Tap Number box, the correspondingdecimal diameter will be displayed in the Inch box. See the following figure.

A 10-32 Tap

Metric Taps

The Tap Drill Calculator also works with metric taps. To calculate the tap drill size

for a metric tap click on the option button Metric Tap. When the metric tap optionbutton is selected the label for tap size changes to read Tap Diameter in MM and

the threads per inch box changes to Pitch of Thread in MM. In the next figure a5mm x .8 tap has been entered.

A 5mm x .8 Tap

The diameter has been converted to English and the Threads per Inch are displayed.

The threads per inch box doesnt actually make sense for a metric tap and is only

included for educational purposes. In other words you can start to get a feeling for

how fine a .8mm pitch thread is by seeing that it is equivalent to 31.75 TPI.

Thread CalculationsThis menu choice is different from the Tap Drill Calculator because it calculates

several parameters needed to program external threads on a lathe. If you hold the

mouse over each of the calculated dimensions a Tool Tip will appear showing thecalculation used.

In the next figure a -20 thread has been entered. The best wire size is calculated as

.0289, the Pitch is .0500 and the depth of the external thread is .0325. Since a

standard thread wire set doesnt include a .0289 diameter wire you can click into the


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Wire Diameter for Measurement box and change it to .029, which is a standard

thread wire. The Measurement over wires box will change to reflect the new wire

size.

The Thread Calculator Dialog

The Maximum Threading Speed Menu

To open the Maximum Threading Speed menu click on Tools, Threads, MaxThreading Speed. You can also press ALT+T, H, X from the Keyboard to openthe dialog.

When cutting threads on a lathe the maximum traverse feed of the lathe in IPM limits

the spindle speed that can be used. The limit comes from the fact that threads

required higher feed rates than standard turning operations and the feed must be

synchronized to spindle. For example, a 3.000-4UNC thread has a pitch of .25

which means you have to program a threading feed rate of .25 IPR. Compare this to

most turning operations where you would use .02 IPR or less.

In this example suppose you are threading an Aluminum part and the carbide insert

youre using could run at 1000 SFM. If the lathe youre programming has amaximum Z axis feed of 150 IPM can you run the thread at 1000 SFM? CNC

Helper makes it easy to figure this out.To find out open the Maximum Threading Speed dialog. Enter 4.0 in the Threads

per Inch box, 3.0 in the Thread Diameter box and click on Haas in the Select a

Machine Type list box. See the following figure.


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The Maximum Threading Speed dialog for a 3.0004UNC thread

As you can see the maximum SFM that can be attained is 471. Thats because thecombination of 150 IPM maximum feed and a pitch of .25 limits the RPM to 600.

The equation for the maximum SFM is Diameter x PI x TPI x Max. IPM/12. This

equation gives you the maximum SFM but dont forget, you always programthreading operations in RPM.

This is because the feed must be synchronized to the spindle and programming SFM

causes the spindle RPM to change as the diameter changes. This makes it difficult

for the control to keep the start point synchronized and usually results in a poor

quality thread.

Selecting a Machine

CNC Helper comes with several machines built in. To select a machine simply click

on it in the Select a Machine list box. The SFM and RPM fields will be recalculated

based on the machines capability. See the next figure.

Select a Machine Dialog

Adding Your Own Machines

You can easily add your lathes to the dialog. First look up the maximum Z-axis feed

rate in IPM in the machine manual. You may have to call the machine tool builder if

you cant find it in the manual. When you have the correct value, click on the Add a

Machine button or press ALT+M to open the Add a Machine Dialog.


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Enter the maximum feed rate, the letters IPM and a description of the machine. The

following figure shows the Machine File Update Dialog adding the Super High

Speed lathe.

The Machine File Update dialog adding the Super High Speed Lathe


The Triangles MenuThe Triangles solver allows you to easily solve right triangle problems. To open the

Triangles dialog click on Tools, Triangles. You can also use ALT+T, A from thekeyboard if you prefer keystrokes to mouse clicks.

Using the Triangle Solver

To solve a triangle problem simply enter the known data into the appropriate text

box and the triangle solver will automatically solve for the unknowns. In the

following figure, 6.000 was entered for the base and the height. The solver then

filled in the Hypotenuse and angles.


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The Triangle Solver Dialog

Just as easily you could enter a hypotenuse and base or hypotenuse and one of the

angles.

For example, if you clicked in the Height box and entered 5.0 and then clicked in the

box labeled A2 and entered 50.000 the hypotenuse would change to 7.7786, the base

to 5.9587 and A1 to 40. Notice that the height didnt change. The first box you click

in will remain constant.


The Weights MenuThe Weights dialog allows you to easily determine the weight of a part or piece of

stock. To open the Weights dialog click on Tools, Weights. You can also useALT+T, W from the keyboard if you prefer keystrokes to mouse clicks.

The Weights Menu

With the Weight calculator you can quickly determine the weight of round, plate or

hexagon stock. You can use the plate fields to calculate the weight of square stock

also. Simply enter the same value for length and width. Enter the length of the stock

in the width field. For example, to find the weight of a 2 square bar of 316SS that is


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144 long enter 2 for the length, 2 for the width and 144 for the thickness. The

following figure shows the weight calculator solving for this piece of stock:

The Weight Calculator solving for a 2 square bar 144 long.


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CNC Programming Assistant The Reference Menu 23

The Reference Menu

Useful Data at your Finger TipsThe items in the reference menu are slightly different than those in the Tools menus.

The entries in the Reference menu are data items that can be looked up in a chart orbook. CNC Helper removes the need to have so many books or charts lying around.

The Drill Chart Menu

This is one of the handiest features of CNC Helper. Instead of having to keep drill

charts on the wall or taped to the monitor you can click on this menu and look up the

data you need! To open the Drill Chart dialog click on Reference, Drill Chart.You can also use ALT+R, D from the keyboard if you prefer keystrokes to mouseclicks.

The drill chart is very easy to use and has all drill sizes from #80 to 1.000 including

metrics. If you would like to add more sizes to the drill chart its very easy. Click

on File, Open in CNC Helper, then click on Files of type and select All Files. Now

double click on the Data folder. You will see an entry for drilchrt. See the nextfigure:

The File Open dialog showing the Drilchrt file


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24 The Reference Menu CNC Programming Assistant

Click Open to open the file in CNC Helper. When the file opens you will recognize

the entries from the drill chart. Scroll down to where you want to add an entry.

Press Enter to add a new line and then type the diameter of the drill. Press the space

bar and then the TAB key. Now enter the name for the drill. If you make a mistake

you can use the standard editing keys to fix it. If you get completely mixed upsimply close the file without saving it. You probably wont need to add any entries

because CNC Helper already has a complete set of drill sizes. The following figure

shows the drill chart:

CNC Helpers Drill Chart

If you would like to insert the diameter of the drill into your program you can click

the Insert button. One nice feature of CNC Helpers reference dialogs is that they

remember where you placed them and how you sized them. For example you mightdecide to make the dialog long and narrow and place it on the right side of the

screen. When you close it the current size and position are stored in a file. The next

time you open a dialog it remembers it size and location.

The EIA and ISO Tape Format Menus

Paper tape or Mylar tape is fairly rare now but sometimes you still run into it. This

reference shows both EIA and ISO tape codes in a graphical layout. To open the

Tape Format dialog click on Reference, EIA Tape Format or Reference, ISOTape format. You can also use ALT+R, I from the keyboard if you preferkeystrokes to mouse clicks to open the ISO tape format dialog.

The next figure shows the ISO tape format dialog:


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The ISO Tape Format dialog

The Screw Dimensions Menu

This feature is very convenient when designing a fixture or piece of tooling. The keydata for most types of screws including shoulder screws is available for sizes from

#1 to 1.00.

To open the Screw Dimension dialog click on Reference, Screw Dimensions.

You can also use ALT+R, S from the keyboard if you prefer keystrokes to mouseclicks.

This dialog is fairly self-explanatory. To select a screw size click on the right or left

arrow on the Screw Size Selector control. Clicking on the button with the arrow

and bar takes you to the beginning or end of the database. The current screw size isshow in the box titled Screw Size. The following figure shows the screw size box

with the database control:

The Screw Size control

Set Screws

The database contains dimensions for the following types of set screws:

Oval Point Oval radius

Dog Pont Dog diameter, Dog Length

Cup & Flat point Cup or Flat diameter

The following figure shows the data for set screws:


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Set Screw Data

Miscellaneous Screws

Each screw type has at least two entries:

Head Diameter The diameter of the head on the screw.

Head Height The height of the head on the screw.

Additional entries include:

Wrench Size The Hex Wrench needed for the screw.

Distance Across Flats This is the wrench needed for Hex Headscrews.

Maximum Cross Hole Diameter for Wire This is the largest Hole thatshould be drilled through the screw for safety wire.

Hex Nuts

There are two entries for Hex Nuts:

Distance Across Flats This is the wrench size needed for the nut.

Distance Across Points This is the distance measured across thepoints on the nut.

Socket Head Cap Screws

There are four entries for socket head cap screws (SHCS): Wrench Size The Hex Wrench needed for this SHCS

Head Diameter The Diameter of the head on the SHCS

Head Height The height of the head on the SHCS

Counter Bore Diameter The standard counter bore diameter to use.

Shoulder Screws

There are six entries for shoulder screws:

Wrench Size The Hex Wrench needed for this SHCS

Head Diameter The Diameter of the head on the SHCS

Head Height The height of the head on the SHCS

Body Diameter The diameter of the screw body.

Thread Length The length of thread on the screw.

Thread Size The diameter of the threads on the screw.

When finished looking up screw dimensions click on Exit to close the dialog and

return to you program.


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The Thread Data Menu

This dialog contains all the data you will need to program a thread on a lathe.

Included in the dialog are the minimum major diameter, the minimum and maximum

pitch diameter, the pitch and the lead angle at the basic diameter.

In addition to the standard thread data, CNC Helper shows you the standard wire size

needed to measure the thread. This is slightly different than the best wire sizebecause a standard wire set doesnt included every possible wire size. In addition,the minimum and maximum pitch diameter measured over wires is included. This

allows you to quickly determine if the pitch diameter is within spec without having

to do any calculations.

The first thing you do after opening the dialog is select a family of threads. CNCHelper has the following thread families:

UNC Unified National Coarse. These are the standard coarse threads.

UNF Unified National Fine. These are the standard fine threads.

UNEF Unified National Extra Fine. These are extra fine threads.

UN Unified National threads.

All Click this button to view all thread types.

The thread selection controls look like this:

The Thread Selection controls

To view by a family of threads click on the button with the family name. For

example, to view only UNC threads click on the button marked UNC. To select athread size after sorting click on the up or down arrow on the Thread Size list box.

The Control G Code Reference Menus

CNC Helper comes with G codes for most common CNC Controls but as youll see

in the next section you can add your own. You can also edit the existing files if you

want to. Each menu loads a file from the CNC Helper\data folder. Its fairly

obvious what control each file belongs to. For example, F16MG is a Fanuc 16M.

If you would like to edit one of the files its very easy. Click on File, Open in CNC

Helper, then click on Files of type and select All Files. Now double click on theData folder. You will see all of the files. Click on the one you want to open. In the

next figure the Fanuc 10M is selected:


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Open a Menu file for editing

Click Open to open the file in CNC Helper. When the file opens you will recognize

the entries. Scroll to where you want to add or edit an entry. To add an entry, press

Enter to add a new line and then type the new data. Do not use a comma in the line.If you do the comma will be interpreted as a separator and the line will be broken.

Press the space bar and then the TAB key. If you make a mistake you can use the

standard editing keys to fix it. If you get completely mixed up simply close the file

without saving it.

You probably wont need to add any entries because CNC Helper already has a

complete set of G codes but at least you have the option.

The Custom Entries menu

The Custom Entries menu allows you to add up to 25 of your own reference tables toCNC Helper. To add your own entry simply create a standard text file (ASCII File)

using CNC Helper or any word processor that can save a file as an ASCII file.

The same dialog that is used with the other reference data is used with the custom

entries. Each line in the file will be displayed on a separate line in the list box. Do

not use a comma in the line. If you do the comma will be interpreted as a separator

and the line will be broken. If you want to be able to click Insert and have the first

word on the line inserted into your program you must have a space between the first

word and the second. You can use a TAB after the space.

When you are finished adding data to the file save it the CNC Helper\data folder.

The file name will become the title for the menu so choose the filename carefully.You must use a TXT file extension when you save the file.

For example a good file name for the M codes for an Okuma LC20 might be Lc20m.Here is what the menu would look like if you saved Lc20m.txt to the CNC

Helper\data folder:

Custom Menu


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CNC Programming Assistant Glossary of Terms 31

Glossary of Terms

RPM

Revolutions per Minute. This is how fast the part or cutter is revolving in the

machine. Most cutting tools are rated in Surface Feet per Minute instead of RPM.

You will need to convert RPMs into Surface feet per Minute to program the tool.

Surface Feet Per Minute

Surface Feet Per Minute is equal the circumference of the part or cutter in feetmultiplied by the RPM. The circumference is equal to PI x the diameter. For

example a 3.82" part rotating at 100 RPM would be 3.82 x PI x 100/12 or 100 SFM.

The division by 12 converts inches into feet.


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CNC Programming Assistant Index 33

Index

B

best wire size 16, 27

Ccalculated drill size 15

category 34, 34, 3, 4

Category ID 1, 4, 5

code library 1, 35

Code Library

category 34, 34, 3, 4

Category ID 1, 4, 5

description 34, 34

Description Field 4

keyword 4record selector 45, 45, 4, 5

Counter Bore Diameter 2, 26

Cup & Flat point 25

D

Degrees

DMS format 8

involute 8Radians 1, 8

Degress

Degrees, Minutes, Seconds 8

delete 5

description 34, 34

Description field 4

Description Field 4Dog Pont 25Drill Calculations

body diameter 9, 26

Center Drills 89, 89Drill Point 2, 8

Tip Diameter 910, 910, 910

Tip Length 910, 910, 910

To calculate the depth 9

E

external threads 16

G

G codes 2, 2728, 27

H

Hex Nuts

Distance Across Flats 26

Distance Across Points 26

I

IPM 2, 12, 1718, 1719, 1718

K

keyword 4Keywords 34

M

machines capability 18Measurement over wires 1, 17metal removal rate 2, 10, 12

Metal Removal Rate

Cubic Inches per minute 12

Time in Cut 13

metric taps 16

Mylar Tape 2, 2425

N

number size taps 16

O

Oval Point 25

P

Paper Tape 2, 2425

percentage of thread 1415, 1415, 1416Pitch 12, 12, 1618, 1618, 1618, 27

pitch diameter 2, 27

R

record selector 45, 45, 4, 5

S

select a machine 1718, 1718, 1718

Set Screws


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Cup Point 25

Dog Point 25

Oval Point 25

SHCS

Couter Bore Diameter 2, 26Speeds & Feeds

diameter 2, 811, 811, 811, 14, 811, 14, 1618,

1618, 2426, 2427

Inches per revolution 11

millimeters per revolution 11

RPM 2, 1113, 1113, 18Speed calculator 11

Surface Feet Per Minute 11

spindle speed 17

surface finish 2, 10, 1314, 1314

synchronized 1718, 1718, 1718

T

tap diameter 1416, 14, 16

tap drill 2, 1416, 1416, 1416Tap Drill Calculations

calculated drill size 15

metric taps 16

number size taps 16

percentage of thread 1415, 1415, 1416

tap diameter 1416, 14, 16

tap drill 2, 1416, 1416, 1416

threads per inch 1417, 1417, 14, 1617

tape 2, 2425Thread Calculations

best wire size 16, 27external threads 16

measurement over wires 1, 17pitch 12, 12, 1618, 1618, 1618, 27

wire diameter 2, 17

Thread Data

pitch diameter 2, 27

threading operations 18

Threading Speed

IPM 2, 12, 1718, 1719, 1718machine capability 18

select a machine 1718, 1718, 1718spindle speed 17

synchronized 1718, 1718, 1718

threading operations 18

ThreadsUnified National Coarse 27

Unified National Extra Fine 27

Unified National Fine 27

Unified National threads 27

threads per inch 1417, 1417, 14, 1617

U

Unified National Extra Fine 27

Unified National Fine 27

Unified National threads 27

Unit Conversion 78, 78, 78, 12

Inches 7, 1112, 1112, 1112millimeters 7, 11

W

Wire Diameter 2, 17

best wire size 16, 27

Wrench Size 2, 26

SHCS 2, 26

Shoulder Screws 2, 26

cnc prog assistant

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