CNC Tooling

Lab 3:

Basics & Calculations

Vertical Mill – Cutting Tools

 Identify each cutting tool found on the milling

machine. (Attempt to be specific)
– In teams of 3, compete to find the most information about
each cutting tool
 One person in the text book
 One person on the internet
 One person in a machinery handbook
– Limit the entire exercise to 30 minutes
 The winning team will have the most individual pieces of
information about each cutting tool
 Winning teams will have first access to the CNC Vertical Mill

Instructor: Stop Here for Students

Carbide Inserts

 How would you characterize the carbide insert used

on the Vertical Mill?
– In teams of 3, compete to find the most information about
that specific carbide insert
 One person in the text book
 One person on the internet
 One person in a machinery handbook
– Limit the entire exercise to 15 minutes
 The winning team will have the most individual pieces of
information about the carbide insert
 Winning teams will be team captains for the team projects

Instructor: Stop Here for Students

Vertical Mill – Spindle Speed
 Feed rate for a cutting tool is dependent upon spindle speed.
As 3 member teams, create lists to answer the following (limit
time to 15 minutes):
– In manual mode, how is spindle speed controlled on the
VMC190xi?
– What options does the operator have for controlling/monitoring
spindle speed?
– What are the anticipated differences in torque and the resulting
stalling of the tool bit, with relation to driving horsepower of the
mill?
 What do you anticipate would happen if the mill is in CNC automatic
mode and the tool bit stalls while cutting?

Instructor: Stop Here for Students

Answers

– Spindle speed on the VMC190xi can not be accurately controlled

by using the manual pushbuttons. Therefore, the only manual
method of controlling spindle speed is through the Boxford
software.
 Optionally, an instrument that reads out in RPM can be mounted to
display spindle speed
– As horsepower increases, the variation in spindle speed due to
cutter loading decreases. Also, for machines with geared or belt
driven spindles, the slower spindle speeds at the same motor
speed will have more torque and less speed variation.
– When in CNC automatic mode and the tool bit stalls while cutting,
the table will further bind the tool into the work piece and may
break the tool, damage the work piece, stall the x-y table
movements, …
Vertical Mill - Tapping

 When tapping using a vertical mill, how is

torque on the tap limited to reduce
breakage?

Instructor: Stop Here for Students

Answer:
 Recommended Drill Bit size is chosen for tap
 A cutting fluid is specified for the material
 Taps are discarded when worn
 Taps are matched to the materials machined
 Spiral fluted taps help minimize the torque while cutting threads
by keeping shavings from binding within the cutting edges
 A tap clutch accessory can be purchased for about $500 which
can be programmed to slip at specific torques
 A reversing motion is needed by some taps to clear metal
shavings to prevent binding
 Some milling machines have torque sensors that allow
feedback to reverse the spindle when a preset torque is
exceeded
Calculating Spindle Speed

 Each material has recommended cutting

speeds listed in sfpm.

 Sfpm = 3.14 x tool diameter x RPM

12
 Solve for RPM
Calculating Spindle Speed

 If a material calls for an optimal cutting rate

of 250 feet per minute, what should the
spindle speed be set at?
– Assume
 ¼” end mill
 Aluminum stock

Instructor: Stop Here for Students

Calculating Spindle Speed

 RPM = SFPM x 12
Tool Diameter 3.14
 RPM = 250 x 4 x 12
1 3.14
 RPM = 3822 or about 3800 rpm
Calculating Spindle Speed

 Using Appendix C, what size of end mill and

spindle speed should be used when milling
aluminum?
– As a 3 member team, determine the appropriate
relationships
– Limit this exercise to not more than 15 minutes

Instructor: Stop Here for Students

Calculating Spindle Speed
 Aluminum sfpm = 250 when using HSS
 Sfpm = (tool diameter) x RPM x 3.14 / 12
– Solving for variables on one side and constants on the other
– RPM x tool diameter = SFPM x 12 / 3.14

 Therefore, for any tool diameter there is a unique spindle

speed, but there is no ideal tool diameter and speed
combination

– tool diameter is restricted by available power, clamping of the

material, the smallest radius feature of a machined object,
and other criteria
Calculating Tap Feed Rate

 Given the requirement to tap a ¼”-20

prepared hole in a ½” aluminum plate;

what 2 pieces of information are necessary

to manually control the tap operation along
the z-axis?

– How many seconds will it take to tap each hole

using spindle speed calculations?
Hint

 Aluminum sfpm = 250

 1/4”x20 tap ~1/4” diameter cutting surface
 RPM = 250 x 4 x 12 = 4000 rpm
1 3.14
 20 threads per inch or 10 threads per ½”
 1 revolution per thread

Instructor: Stop Here for Students

Answer

 10 revolutions x min x 60 sec = 0.15 sec

4000 rev 1 min

 Therefore, such operations can only be performed

using CNC equipment
– Slower manual operations can be performed at a cost of
labor
 Always check the tool manufacturers
recommendations for determining best spindle
speeds, appropriate cutting fluids, …
Calculating Feed Rates

 Associated with Feed Rates are the actual

table positions in the X and Y axis’
– Using full size manual vertical mills, how are the
actual positions of the X and Y axis’
controlled/measured?

– Go to the next page for a picture of a full size

manual vertical mill
Full Size Vertical Mill
Manual Feed Rates

 What are the options for manual feed rate

control/monitor of the x-y axis’ on the
VMC190xi?
– Setup the Boxford Software to display the manual
control of x-y axis’ feed rates
 Each team should be splitting the tasks
– There are 4 computers with identical software, hooked to
different types of machines
– The Boxford manuals can be accessed on all of the lab
computers, and also from the NSF sponsored Wiki
website
Team Problems

 You’ve had several opportunities thus far to operate

as a TEAM
– List your insights as to why you believe the team suffers in
certain areas
– Separately list what benefits you achieved by working as a
team

– As a class, create a comprehensive list of rules for

operating as a team
 Limit this exercise to not more than 20 minutes
Evolved List of Team Rules

 Every semester the class has been asked to do this exercise,

and the following is a compiled list of rules that students have
cited that are believed to contribute to team productivity
– use the Result Management tool cited earlier if there is a conflict







CNC machining from CAD Drawings

 Capturing the specific features of a design in

a binary file provides the opportunity to
machine parts in an automated mode
 Remove the tooling from the VMC190xi and
put the mill in the “Home Position”
– See Lab 2
Selecting a sample CAD drawing

 Video for CAM implementation of a sample

CAD drawing goes here
Run the CAM software without tooling

 For the remainder of the lab, every student should

– remove all tooling and work pieces from the 4 CNC
machines
– Start each CNC machine
– Put each machine manually in the Home Position
– then mock machine a sample CAD file
 Be ready to hit the Emergency Stop Button to prevent a
collision between the spindle, vise, x-y table, chuck, walls
of the enclosure, …
 If time permits, introduce precision orientation of
the bench vise