Trainer for the lathe operator

Have you every wanted to "drive" a lathe without fear of accidents? CNC (Computer Numerical Control) Lathe Simulator, from Micro Electronics Educational Develop ment Centre, gives you that chance.

Much of the modern metal culling machinery being instal led in industry is computer-controlled and is programmed using a simple language, rather akin to Turtle Graphics.

It instructs the machine and cutting tool/s to perform various movements and operations. Just as flight simulators take the place of expensive training aircraft, this program allows industry and educational establishments to train new operators without lying up expensive machinery.

Using this package, it is possible to develop a program the effects of which can be viewed at each stage, using a screen simulation of the various tool movements, before transferring it to a CNC lathe.

The benefits are: no waste metal, much quicker program debugging, much quicker learning, and no chance of damag ing an expensive lathe.

The graphics have limited reality, but arc good enough to give an accurate indication of the student's success as a programmer.

And, although the instruction set is not as comprehensive as that found on an industrial machine, it is sufficiently large to merit the title CNC Lathe Simulator.

The programming syntax is based upon that used by the Emco Compact 5 CNC lathe and it is possible, using connec tions detailed in the program manual, to transfer a program to one of these lathes and see it in action.

However, you have to be careful, because success on the screen does not ensure success on the lathe.

Some factors cannot be programmed using this simu lation: for example, there is no instruction for spindle speed or tool height.

Five different tools can be called up, including a threading tool, and various cutting actions can be followed, such as circular movements, as well as different feed rates.

The package comes with two excellent manuals, function key cards, comprehensive on-screen instructions and built-in error checking.

It does not pretend to take the place of a CNC lathe, but it docs rightly claim to act as a foolproof, and much cheaper, early-training resource.

All I need now is a few thousand pounds for a CNC lathe.

John Daddy