CNC Machinery

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I'm a Manufacturing Engineer and I have a bit of an obsession with CNC (computer numerically controlled) machinery. I am currently working for an aerospace company programming 5 axis parts. I also work through the whole process, giving feedback to design engineering as to what is manufacturable as well as pointing out flaws on prints, working with solid models, and working with the operators on the shop floor to ensure everything is executed correctly.
Are there any others here like me?

There are at least two other people with cnc experience over here. I'm still in school, haven't quite taken off with my hobby cnc project.

I'm a design engineer. I deal with modeling parts for injection molding and 3D printing all the time.

I build them, fix them and write software to control them for a living.

In my garage I have a Bridgeport Series 1 CNC mill, a Denford Orac lathe and a Colchester Triumph 2000 lathe. All have been retrofitted with new electronics as their original controls were beyond economical repair. I'll shortly be adding a Hurco Hawk mill to my collection - yet another retrofit candidate. Mechanically it is immaculate but the control is dead and Hurco cannot supply spare parts!

Oh yes, I also have a small laser cutter. I used to have a plasma cutter but I had to get rid of it as I ran out of space

I'm jealous of your collection. I've got my eyes open for a machine so I can start doing fixture work on the side. (first i have to get a large horizontal concrete surface and a rotary phase converter or 3phase) Base plates and fixtures for horizontal mills are rather lucrative and lend them selves well to software templates and quick setups (although the work is quite boring). I may try to start there. The amount you can rake in on a Saturday doing that kind of work is pretty good. I see a lot of potential though, because it is amazing what a lot of job shops will pass off as professional, and how long it will take them to do it.

What do you mean software to control them? Post processors? or writing front end interfaces for conversational controls? Or writing software to integrate/retrofit controls to old machines? I'm hoping to learn more about machine repair, but I have little opportunity to dig into machines right now. I'm hoping to find the opportunity to do that.

My main business is writing CAM software. I also do a fair amount of embedded control stuff, controlling all sorts of machines from wood saws to bus disabled access ramps. I've done a few retrofit front ends for CNC machines, such as a custom drilling machine that had to be usable by disabled people. That one ran a custom front end and custom motion control hardware.

As far as 3 phase is concerned, you can often convert machines fairly easily. For instance the drives and control on the Hurco run on 220V single phase. The motor inverter is designed for 415V 3-phase but will run on 415V single phase at slightly reduced power. I'll just use a 220 to 415V transformer. I use the same trick on my lathe. It works great though the lights in my workshop dim a bit when it starts the spindle

Welcome to the club.