Which do you find more difficult to program? Lathe or Mill?

[fordbroncoxlt]

Which do you find more difficult to program? I would think mill, because you have to take in account for all the tool paths as well as dimensions, while a lathe makes it's pass based on the O.D. and I.D. (I'm not a machinist by the way, -- just trying to make a discussion out of what *I think* I have learned by reading). Also, this question was sparked by my friend who is at a local tech school for machine tool operation and says that he has a more difficult time working with programs on the lathe than mill.

[Geof]

I think you need a third choice; 'no difference'.

Perhaps with CAM it is different, but I hand code regularly on both and find them more or less the same. It is sometimes difficult to switch quickly from one to the other and remember that lathe incremental uses U and W while the mill is G91. Also I sometimes get feeds mixed up, but fortunately if I tell the lathe to feed at 50.0 and it is using IPR it alarms rather than crashing and on the mill a feed of 0.005 is just very slow.

The difference I find between the two machines is running them in MDI or using handle jog; to me it is much easier on the mill. Also when I just want to drill and tap a single hole in something it is often much easier on the mill to set up the tools.

[cam1]

I'll take the lathe over the mill any day, 1 less axis to deal with, and generally workholding is alot simpler on a lathe.
I guess it also depends on the control, our lathe has a Fagor 8055 control, and I can do 99% of the jobs at the spindle with the conversational style interface.

cheers

[Kiwi]

Originally Posted by fordbroncoxlt Which do you find more difficult to program?

The question is which is more difficult.

[cam1]

OK, long day
Mill is more difficult to program tha lathe. IMO

[toastydeath]

Geof has it spot on.

I think the difference is relative experience. If you work with both tools frequently, they're pretty much equal insofar as programming is concerned. Certain operations can be more difficult on one than the other, but programming is about the same.

[shay z]

you have at least one more axis and you are working in 3D enviroment.

I have a lathe and 3.5 axis machinng center both with fanuc 0 control and i program the machining center much more (for making models for new products) and still the lathe is more intuitive.

[CNCRim]

if between the two mill.

[djr76]

I'm with Geof, I hand code on both daily and its all pretty simple to me.

[ALLtra Mach]

Apples and oranges, neither is harder just different.
And not all lathes are 2 axis! When you start wrapping on a live tool lathe with 4 axis of movement things can get complicated.

[HAASboi]

mill is more difficult to program than lathe

[JWB_Machining]

I've only Coded a TL-1 and a TM-1, my issue isn't the programming, once you start to get used to either or it's all relative to how much time you spend on the machine. But in terms of operation the TL-1 Never seems to let me manually turn the handles to position my tool when I want and then when I go to jog it never lets me jog when I want to either. As a result I've grown to hate CNC lathes all together based on my dislike of the TL-1 constantly fighting with me over when I can and can't manually control is. Haas' response to this "It's a cross-over machine." My Response "It sucks, I should be able to manually position my tool at all times except when a program is actually being run, when I hit Reset I want manual control." Totally off topic with this post but man I've wanted to say that for weeks.