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CNC Machining

Do you need to run a warmup routine on the small emco f1 cnc?

Machining flat sheets on the EMCO F1 CNC

I was machining flat sheets out of plastic when I noticed something. With time the cutter got progressively deeper into the workpiece. I thought this was strange. I checked the workpiece, the work coordinate system and more but it would just not make any sense to me.

Then I had an idea. I have seen people warming up their machines before use in the past. I never really understood why they were doing it. Combined with the knowledge that I had acquired just weeks prior to that on temperature and how it “stretches” parts it was clear to me now. My machine was stretching under increasing temperature which in turn would change the location of the workpiece in relation to the tool.

Measuring the temperature on the spindle motor housing

At first I would measure the temperature of the spindle motor housing. I went out to the machine in the garage taking my infrared thermometer with me, started up the spindle at 2000 rpm and measured the spindle motor housing in the exact same spot in regular time intervals.

The measurement results were clear. The temperature was not stable at all in the beginning. This has shown me that it is important to do a warmup routine before using the machine for any serious work. That’s why I created a program that I run every time I turn on the machine before doing anything else on it. From that point on I experienced much more consistent results from the machining operations.

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