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.
1st November 1985
