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eHow Careers & Work Careers Manufacturing Jobs How to Operate a CNC Machine

How to Operate a CNC Machine

By Christian Mullen, eHow Contributor
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A computer numerical control (CNC) mill is capable of cutting and drilling many different
types of material including steel, aluminum, wood and plastic. An CNC mill operator is in
charge of making sure that the parts coming out are well within the specifications dictated
by the print. By cleaning the contact surfaces and making sure that tools are in good shape,
he can keep a production run going without any wasted raw material. This waste can cost a
manufacturing company thousands of dollars, so a good, knowledgeable operator is
essential.

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Instructions
Clean off the table and tooling after every cycle. It is important to make sure that the
machine is clean and that the vise or fixture is free from chip build up. If a chip gets
under a piece of raw material, the dimensions of that finished part may be
compromised. Chips on the flutes of a drill may also cause breakage, so tooling must be
blown off after the cycle is finished.
Check the tips of end mills and drills to make sure that they are still usable during the
production run. A chipped end mill or drill can cause a machine overload. Overloads
can damage the machine as well as the part that is being cut. To prevent these types of
tooling failure, an operator must not only check the tooling when the machine is
stooped, but they must pay careful attention to load meters to watch for overloads.

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Adjust the tooling offsets for worn tools that do not need to be replaced. By stopping the
run and checking a part, an operator can take control of sizing and assure that no pieces
are off. The operator can also re-teach any tools that have been changed at this time
and clean off the table and get the machine ready for the cycle.
Check the parts for size as they come out of the machine. After a part is done and
another one is put in for machining, it is always best to check very third piece or so to
make sure that are the key dimensions are on point and within the tolerances in the

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How to Operate a CNC

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De-burr the parts to take off sharp edges. Operators must deburr all cut edges so that the next person to handle the parts
is not cut. In many cases, the machining of the part is the last
process, so de-burring the parts will get them ready for
powder-coating or assembly.

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References
Computer Control Programmers and Operators

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Comments
You May Also Like
How to Operate a CNC Milling Machine
Operating a CNC milling machine takes quite a bit of knowledge and formal training.
Information must be input into the machine's computer...

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