In the US market … Fanuc has been the\u00a0dominant CNC control for many years. Reliable and abundant … Fanuc has been the go to CNC control for many machine tool builders. In the last 5 years or so … Siemens, Mitsubishi and to a lesser extent Fagor …\u00a0have begun making their way into the US market … both in retrofit packages and factory installed on newer machine tools. Mitsubishi has mainly made their way through lower cost and good reliability … but one of Siemens’s selling features is their “conversational” approach to CNC programming.<\/p>\n
While Mitsubishi has maintained their G code format … in fact Mitsubishi … smartly … maintains their 100% “fanuc compatible” G code format … they have given themselves the ability to attract those millions of Fanuc programmers out there by offering great reliability and the same programming format they already use.<\/p>\n
Siemens on the other hand … only maintains their “fanuc compatibility” in their DIALECT or ISO mode. ISO mode is basically a secondary mode to the 840 control … and when in ISO mode many of the features of the control are\u00a0unavailable. It is evident that the 840 pushed the user to the standard programming mode … which in Fanuc language is really a macro programming output. Difficult if not impossible to decipher and edit manually … and incompatible with any other G code format on the market.<\/p>\n
Control Compatibility<\/span><\/h2>\nIf you have ever worked on a real wold shop floor … you know the problems and issues that “control incompatibility”. The inability for one G code format for one machine and one CNC control to function on another machine with another CNC control. This results in multiple “posts” if using a CAD\/CAM system … and much re-programming or re-posting required\u00a0to move programs from one machine to another. Not to mention the experience required and cost incurred for programmers who have the ability to program all formats for all machine on the floor … or the issues raised when they can’t.<\/p>\n
Anyway … if your shop suffers from the “control incompatibility” issue … we do offer solutions through our Kipware\u00ae G code conversion software solutions<\/a> … more info HERE<\/a>.<\/p>\nWhen it comes to the Siemens 840 controller … compatibility with other CNC G code formats is a big consideration … it is NOT compatible. The 840 uses a macro format output … and as mentioned\u00a0… difficult if not impossible to decipher and edit manually … and incompatible with any other G code format on the market.<\/p>\n
TURNING : Here is an example\u00a0an example of a turning canned cycle output per the\u00a0following illustration example :<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/kentechinc.com\/kipware_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/canned_cycle_illustration.gif\")
<\/p>\n
CYCLE95 (NPP, MID, FALZ, FALX, FAL, FF1, FF2, FF3,
\nVARI, DT, DAM)<\/p>\n
Cycle parameter definitions :<\/p>\n
\n- NPP : Name of the contour program<\/li>\n
- MID : Maximum insertion depth (enter without sign)<\/li>\n
- FALZ : Finishing allowance in the longitudinal axis (without sign)<\/li>\n
- FALX : Finishing allowance in the facing axis (without sign)<\/li>\n
- FAL : Correct finishing allowance for contour (without sign)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Versus a G71 \/ G72 Fanuc cycle … or a LAP cycle for an Okuma machine ( the two can be auto-converted between formats with our CNC XChange ) … the Siemens CYCLE95 is completely foreign … and is not compatible with any other G code format.<\/p>\n
MILLING : Below is an example of a simple drilling cycle … so common on a Fanuc or Okuma control with a G73 cycle.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/kentechinc.com\/kipware_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/canned_cycle_illustration2.gif\")
<\/p>\n
CYCLE83 (RTP, RFP, SDIS, DP, DPR, FDEP, FDPR, DAM,
\nDTB, DTS, FRF, VARI)<\/p>\n
Canned cycle parameter definitions :<\/p>\n
\n- RTP Return plane (absolute)<\/li>\n
- RFP Reference plane (absolute)<\/li>\n
- SDIS Safety distance (enter without sign)<\/li>\n
- DP Final drilling depth\/elongated hole depth\/slot depth\/pocket
\ndepth (absolute)<\/li>\n - DPR Final drilling depth\/elongated hole depth\/slot depth\/pocket
\ndepth relative to reference plane (enter without sign)<\/li>\n - DTB CYCLE82: Dwell time at final drilling depth (chip breaking)<\/li>\n
- FDEP First depth (absolute)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Again the complexity of the macro statement makes it overly complex and completely foreign to most G code programmers.<\/p>\n
Being the pioneers and innovators in the field of G code conversion software since 1986 ( more info here<\/a> ) … we know the issues that control incompatibility can cause on the shop floor … and the money and time lost through those issues. If you are contemplating bringing\u00a0a Siemens 840 control onto your shop floor … we would encourage you to weigh the G code format and incompatibility issues that will result.<\/p>\nIf this is your only and only CNC control … or control incompatibility is not a concerns … then let’s take a look at the “conversational” approach from the 840 vs. our PC based Kipware\u00ae conversational.<\/a><\/p>\nConversational CNC Programming<\/span><\/h2>\nSiemens calls their conversational programming ShopTurn … and we’ll let the Siemens YouTube video speak for itself …<\/p>\n
When it comes to the Siemens 840 controller … compatibility with other CNC G code formats is a big consideration … it is NOT compatible. The 840 uses a macro format output … and as mentioned\u00a0… difficult if not impossible to decipher and edit manually … and incompatible with any other G code format on the market.<\/p>\n
TURNING : Here is an example\u00a0an example of a turning canned cycle output per the\u00a0following illustration example :<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
CYCLE95 (NPP, MID, FALZ, FALX, FAL, FF1, FF2, FF3,
\nVARI, DT, DAM)<\/p>\n
Cycle parameter definitions :<\/p>\n
- \n
- NPP : Name of the contour program<\/li>\n
- MID : Maximum insertion depth (enter without sign)<\/li>\n
- FALZ : Finishing allowance in the longitudinal axis (without sign)<\/li>\n
- FALX : Finishing allowance in the facing axis (without sign)<\/li>\n
- FAL : Correct finishing allowance for contour (without sign)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Versus a G71 \/ G72 Fanuc cycle … or a LAP cycle for an Okuma machine ( the two can be auto-converted between formats with our CNC XChange ) … the Siemens CYCLE95 is completely foreign … and is not compatible with any other G code format.<\/p>\n
MILLING : Below is an example of a simple drilling cycle … so common on a Fanuc or Okuma control with a G73 cycle.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\nCYCLE83 (RTP, RFP, SDIS, DP, DPR, FDEP, FDPR, DAM,
\nDTB, DTS, FRF, VARI)<\/p>\nCanned cycle parameter definitions :<\/p>\n
- \n
- RTP Return plane (absolute)<\/li>\n
- RFP Reference plane (absolute)<\/li>\n
- SDIS Safety distance (enter without sign)<\/li>\n
- DP Final drilling depth\/elongated hole depth\/slot depth\/pocket
\ndepth (absolute)<\/li>\n - DPR Final drilling depth\/elongated hole depth\/slot depth\/pocket
\ndepth relative to reference plane (enter without sign)<\/li>\n - DTB CYCLE82: Dwell time at final drilling depth (chip breaking)<\/li>\n
- FDEP First depth (absolute)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Again the complexity of the macro statement makes it overly complex and completely foreign to most G code programmers.<\/p>\n
Being the pioneers and innovators in the field of G code conversion software since 1986 ( more info here<\/a> ) … we know the issues that control incompatibility can cause on the shop floor … and the money and time lost through those issues. If you are contemplating bringing\u00a0a Siemens 840 control onto your shop floor … we would encourage you to weigh the G code format and incompatibility issues that will result.<\/p>\n
If this is your only and only CNC control … or control incompatibility is not a concerns … then let’s take a look at the “conversational” approach from the 840 vs. our PC based Kipware\u00ae conversational.<\/a><\/p>\n
Conversational CNC Programming<\/span><\/h2>\n
Siemens calls their conversational programming ShopTurn … and we’ll let the Siemens YouTube video speak for itself …<\/p>\n