Ok i am currently in college for cnc programing and machining. I was wandering if there are any free software out there that i can download and use to practice cnc programing on my laptop. Like a 3d hass lathe mabey? like i said im hoping to find one free since i am in college so am broke

Are you looking to use MasterCam, Esprit or BobCad etc. Don't think you will find anything out there on free downloads. You are a student, try to get it from your school it should be free or request a 30 day trial and go from there.

Perhaps this can be useful. These are programs that read G code and display what it will do on the screen; something like a virtual machine.

http://www.ncplot.com/ncplotfree/ncplotfree.htm

http://www.ncplot.com/

I am not as nice as Geof (provided link) but try Bobcad, the'll give you a free 30 day trial.

Robert

Thank you Geof. That is just what i was wanting. Somthing to check cnc programs and not have to worry about crashes. Ive tried bobcad aswell but like i said im in school for this stuff so that one kinda lost me..

theres no such thing as a crash, thats why there is 5% rapid, single block and an E-stop. Since ur in the lathe forum ALWAYS remember to home the machine before a tool change. Almost learned that the hard way when i first started lathes. Thank God i was going from a facing tool to a part off, and in our machines all tools that dont stick out are on one side of the turrent and drills/spots are on the other side.

theres no such thing as a crash, thats why there is 5% rapid, single block and an E-stop. Since ur in the lathe forum ALWAYS remember to home the machine before a tool change. Almost learned that the hard way when i first started lathes. Thank God i was going from a facing tool to a part off, and in our machines all tools that dont stick out are on one side of the turrent and drills/spots are on the other side.

Not to try and bring you down, if you never, ever crash a machine, more power to you, but it happens. Come back in 10 years and brag about never crashing a machine:D

Good software and good knowledge of said software, 5% rapid, Single block and the E-stop all put together are NOT going to avoid a collision. Only being conciencious of the machine and what it is doing will. There are alot of different ways to back your self up. Good software being one of them, but it isn't going to make crashes go away.

I know this is kind of a jaded and hindered look at things but if someone were to tell me they had never had a crash on their watch, I would think them a liar or inexperienced.

JMO, Robert

as far as software goes, i dont use software to program our haas lathes. Its faster for me to just hand type it on the control then it is to go draw it. plus u think it thru more

as far as software goes, i dont use software to program our haas lathes. Its faster for me to just hand type it on the control then it is to go draw it. plus u think it thru more

I am not saying to break any laws but it is so easy to find copies of any program out there to help you learn to program . I highly suggest you learn one . Internet makes it real easy to find books that will start from knowing nothing to doing 3d machining . MasterCam does not support Version9 any longer so you should be able to get a working copy of that . Just ask some students that have been in the program longer . Maybe some friends that are already working in the industry .
Another program that goes one step beyond M-Cam is Cimco . It is used to edit and visualy check your code in a graphics mode . It will show tools positioning and going home along with all cutting paths . You can link Cimco to M-Cam so after you post a program it will go to cimco instead of just Notebook .

As far as no such thing as a crash . You just haven't been on a machine that will do 800-1000IPM on the rapid or rotate a turret so fast it will make your head spin . But your on the right track as far as safety goes . You will be green for quite a while so remember there is no stupid question if you don't understand something .

Right on that point. Also it helps if when using a tailstock on my 10 to move the tool along the z axis some clearing the tailstock because usually the tool goes to x diameter first from home and will often want to crash into the tailstock. Although I never did that.....Twice......Um....well haven't done it since.