CNC Metal Mill (Tormach) Clearance

Members who are already proficient in the subject matter may apply to receive a clearance by demonstrating a core set of skills and knowledge that allow them to safely and effectively use the equipment.

Most tools in the shop require clearance before solo use. Each tool is different and most are expensive and/or delicate.

During a Proficiency Based Clearance Instructors will provide Protohaven specific customs and rules for the equipment but will not provide technical instruction on the operation of the hardware, or software.

If a member needs to gain additional knowledge or skill they should take a Basic Skills Class to learn the required skills.

The items that will need to be demonstrated to gain the Proficiency Based Clearance are:

General Shop Rules

Be safe

Understands safety clearances are required as bare minimum.
Understands equipment must never be left unattended.
Understands why equipment must be reset after use.

Take care of the tools

Will not alter or use equipment beyond limits.
Will notify when maintenance is needed.

Keep the shop clean

Understands importance of cleaning up after oneself.
Will return borrowed tools to original location.
Understands anything left outside of your paid monthly or overnight storage may be removed and disposed.

Personal Protective Equipment

Knows whether synthetic materials may be worn during use.
Knows whether long sleeves can be worn beyond elbows during operation of equipment.
Knows whether loose clothing & hair may be worn down.
Knows whether open-toed shoes may be worn.
Knows whether safety glasses and hearing protection are required during operation.
Knows whether safety glasses are required when near someone else operating equipment in the workshop.
Knows whether additional PPE is required (e.g. apron, face shield…)

Tool Specific Instruction

Point out the following tool features

Maintenance Tag
E-Stop
Main Power Switch
Motor Power Switch
Spindle Lockout Switch
Spindle and Coolant On/Off Switches
Spindle speed and direction control
Spindle cabinet, spindle lock, draw bolt
Control computer cabinet
Bed
End stops
Manual Oil Pump
Bed motion when moving in +X direction
Bed motion when moving in +Y direction
Motion when moving in +Z direction
Ways

Describe basic principles

Climb vs conventional milling.
Work vs work-holding
Spindle RPM vs Feed SFM
Relative cutting rate of steel (slow) vs aluminum (fast).
Tram
Measuring Equipment (calipers, micrometers, scales or rulers, dial indicators, edge finder.
Types of machine code (GCODE), what a postprocessor is, and how to generate GCODE suitable for the Tormach.

Identify & mitigate common hazards

Metalworking when done properly is much quieter than woodworking.
Knows the common causes of noise and which hazards they indicate (vibration, deflection, dull tooling).
Heavy things – tooling, work holding equipment & workpieces.
Sharp things - cutting tools, chips, burrs on work piece.
Spinning things – spindle, axis wheels.
Identify 3 pinch points on the machine; recognize that the machine may move without warning unless locked out.
Hot things - chips, work piece, tools.
Toxic Fumes - avoid prohibited metals.
Hot flying debris - use appropriate tools, work holding, coolant, and clear work area.

Allowable Materials

Name 4 common materials allowed on the CNC
Name 1 material that is not allowed on the CNC router

Safe Setup / Operation / Cleanup

The section below may be cleared with no stock material present, but with a tool in the spindle. Demonstrate:

manual on/off of spindle and coolant flow
using the MDI and a GCODE command to move the spindle to a specific position in XYZ.
setting one axis to a specific value (e.g. set X to 0.5“)
slow and fast jogging in X, Y, and Z
identifying, then changing the spindle belt configuration (low→high speed or vise versa)

The section below may be cleared using the “first part” file located on the machine control interface (C:\PCNC3\GCode\FirstPart.nc). Demonstrate:

proper work-holding.
proper feed and speed selection.
proper cutting tool selection.
proper cutting tool installation.
proper zeroing of cutting tool
loading GCODE into the machine control interface
proper zeroing (and ref-ing) of the machine
proper feeds and speeds selection.
proper mounting of workpiece
running a GCODE job
cleaning the CNC and returning the bed to its original state
removing all fixtures, cutting bits, and the collet after use and returning them to storage.

Additionally, the following rules apply during operation:

Only run GCODE files off the control computer directly and never via USB flash drive or SD card.
Regularly oil the machine (every 4hrs of operation or 48hrs left idle)

Knowledge and Technique

Demonstrate:

proper PPE.
how to properly use the motion pendant for fine adjustment.
proper protocol in the event that the machine breaks.
proper cleanup.
what to check on if the Mill is making a lot of noise.
knowledge of when and how to use the coolant system.

Protohaven Wiki

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