For you machinists: i experienced my first CNC crash today

[Jack Ryan]

yeah the door safety switch has been disabled on this machine, every now and then the B turret pushes it open. its a decent size lathe, its taller than me and im 6' 7". the spindle through hole is 8+ inches. but it still doesnt hold a candle to the conomatics. those suckers are monsters They are huge, noisy, smelly, and spray cutting oil EVERYWHERE. i think they are cool as hell.

They aren't so cool after you've breathed that cutting oil and nasty rotton fluid for a decade or two and can't hear animals rustling the leaves any more.

 

[BURNSURVIVOR725]

night shift managed to break a 3/8 parting tool,and didnt catch it. it melted the 3/8 tool holder and the turning tool that followed. i dont feel so bad now.

 

[Timjoebillybob]

On a very serious note, remember these things get a mind of their own every once in a while. Treat a CNC like you would a loaded firearm when it's in motion.

No joke. I ran a cnc drill line for a while and one of the operators on the other shift was measuring the end holes on a I beam, he squeezed between the safety gate to get in. It finished the set of holes it was drilling and sent the beam forward. The beam weighed 400lbs a foot. He damn near lost his leg and did lose a good bit of function in it permanently. And was about 1/2" from losing his life. It missed his femoral artery by about that much.

 

[irishfan]

LOL, no worries. I know that if I totaled up all the wrecks I have had in the last 18 years it would have to be close to 6 figures. The most violent wreck I can remember was on a 1920's era blanchard grinder. I knocked a block over and it damn near came out and hit me in the head!

I love the Blanchard....I had about 30 little parts on one and the magnet let go and it sounded like a machine gun in the cabinet. My all time favorite was when I blew up a wheel on a Mattison grinder. I nearly had a heart attack as I was leaning forward while lowering the head.

Nice catch on the CNC