Alma Mater

Yeah i suddenly want to reminiscence about my youth. Like every other people, i cherish my college years.

 ATMI, Werkzeugmacherschule. Its my first campus, this is where i took my bachelor engineering degree.
Unlike other campus, this place demands more practical skills from the students, a lot more than theoretical knowledge. This campus is quite well-known for its harsh discipline and its strict system. You gotta works your ass if you don't want to be expelled. Yeah, every year, we face the risk of getting dropped-out when we don't reach the campus's standard. I love this place, because of the sorrow we endure together, our classmates are really really close, plus we have a great tolerance for each other.We all have a lot of skills necessary for working in workshops or factory, but very few really understands the theoretical questions.

ITS, 10th November Institute of Technology. Its where i study now, I applied for Mechanical Engineering, yeah, the same shit i've been studying since ATMI . Well, i want to study deeper about mechanic and machinery. This campus is well-known for always in the top 10 campus in Indonesia. I really do study a lot of theory here, and this enriches me, who already familiarized myself with the practical knowledge both in ATMI and my current workplace. Its like filling in the blank in my brain about "this works like this and operates like that" and "how this could really work, what is the principle, etc etc"

ipsa scientia potestas est --  Knowledge itself is power. 

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My Comeback.

Been a while since i wrote in my blog. Yeah, i got bored, plus i think i did have too much job back then. But then i realize, writing is a skill that is not developed overnight, i gotta take the process and pain, and also boredom ..

I started going back to university for a further engineering degree. I studied a bit, doin' pretty much fine and i hope i can share those i learned in here. Cause knowledge is power.  And i don't wanna lose my knowledge, well i am forgetful, so sometimes i came back and read my old references. This blog suits me quite well for my personal note.

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screw technology - backlash

It's a common knowledge that a good and precise machinery must be one that has as little backlash as possible. Backlash is any non-movement that occurs during axis reversals. For example, the X axis is commanded to move 10mm to the positive direction. Immediately after this X movement, the X axis is commanded to move 10mm to the negative direction. If any backlash exists in the X axis, then it will not immediately start moving in the negative direction, and the motion departure will not be precisely 1 inch.

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machine troubleshooting

To troubleshoot electrical equipment properly like an expert, problems must be solved by replacing only defective equipment or components in the least amount of time. One of the most important factors in doing this, is the approach used. An expert troubleshooter uses a system or approach that allows them to logically and systematically analyze a circuit and determine exactly what is wrong.
The approach described here is a logical, systematic approach called the 5 Step Troubleshooting Approach. It is a proven process that is highly effective and reliable in helping to solve electrical problems.
This approach differs from troubleshooting procedures. It does not actually tell you step by step how to troubleshoot a particular kind of circuit. It is more of a thinking process that is used to analyze a circuit’s behavior and determine what component or components are responsible for the faulty operation. This approach is general in nature allowing it to be used on any type of electrical circuit.
In fact, the principles covered in this approach can be applied to many other types of problem solving scenarios, not just electrical circuits.
The 5 Step Troubleshooting Approach consists of the following:
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machine installation

From my own experience, installing a machine is not as easy as you think. Even a teacher from a vocational school might not be able to do it properly if he has no clue about setting the machine level. When you need precision for your machine, the installation becomes more crucial, a slight imbalance in position imbued with fast axis travel might produce some disturbing chatter, that will be conveyed to your workpiece's surface.

Nowadays, there are a lot of improvement in measuring tool world, as implied, our capability to set-up machine is no more limited by using water level. Take this company where i work now, we just bought a digital leveling device, easier to use and have a good accuracy. I daresay it's a good price for making our setup faster.
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NC technology - safety NC code macro

Have you ever been on a machining disaster? when the program "seems" at fault. The tool travel elsewhere and make dents, machining crash, tool breakage? The greatest majority of crashes are a result of improper programming or programming that could eliminate the chance of operators making mistakes. CNC programmers often forget about Modal M-codes. They are often left active and are not canceled within the program.

What happens if an operator punches a wrong code into MDI like G18 and then starts up the program? If there was no G17 in their program then they are in trouble. I have seen this happen many times.
Often times it is difficult to determine reasoning behind a crash. One reason is when a crash happens the machine is powered down until someone inspects and troubleshoots what has happened. If powered down however; all the modal M-codes are reset back to default settings on power up and is not easily traceable to the operator. I can not tell you how many times I have heard it just take off running a normal proven program. This safety code is likely the answer as long as your operator was not lying to you.
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cutting tool technology - end mill

End mill is not something you can separate from CNC machining, especially when you're dealing with vertical machining centers (VMC). Basically there are some knowledge that an engineer should know before deciding on a process. A good tool selection will result in a better surface quality and the job might be done faster.
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machining technology - jig & fixtures

In metalworking, a jig is a type of tool used to control the location and/or motion of another tool. A jig's primary purpose is to provide repeatability, accuracy, and interchangeability in the manufacturing of products. A jig's main function is to guide the tool during machining process. A jig is often confused with a fixture; a fixture holds the work in a fixed location. A device that does both functions (holding the work and guiding a tool) is called a jig.

As the CNC technology grows rapidly, with the ability to move according to exact path generated from NC code, the use of jigs is beginning to decrease. Nevertheless, the fixtures still greatly needed to set-up the workpiece faster.
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NC technology - G codes

M codes and G codes are defined as a code telling machine what type of action to perform. The G codes specifically points toward controlling movement of one or multiple machine axes

Basically machine codes are programmed using PLC, so it is very possible that one machine have a different code than the other. Especially when it comes to milling compared to lathe. A same code can means differently according to the machine.
Here is some list of widely used G codes.
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NC technology - M codes

M codes and G codes are defined as a code telling machine what type of action to perform. The M codes specifically points toward controlling which function need to be ON / OFF


Basically machine codes are programmed using PLC, so it is very possible that one machine have a different code than the other. Some of the codes are standardized for ease of use and programming
Here is some list of widely used M codes.
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weldment technology - friction stir welding

Friction-stir welding (FSW) is a solid-state joining process (by definition that the metal is not melted during the process) and is used for applications where the original metal characteristics must remain unchanged as far as possible. This process is primarily used on aluminium, and most often on large pieces which cannot be easily heat treated post weld to recover temper characteristics.

This welding process is relatively easy to tell apart from the usual welding, because unlike other welding that requires a specialized machine, FSW involves a general machine tool such as milling. The keyword for this process is "heat generated by friction"

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solidworks - weldment gap

Just for information for those with no welding-education background, a welding gap is needed, and important. There are several ways to put a welding gap into your design, the easiest one, of course is by cutting your weldment profiles using cut-extrude, more works to do, but it is correct, and will ease your welding assembly.
 There is much much easier way to do this. Actually Solidworks has anticipated your needs of gap, and therefore, equips the command with one extra numerical parameter called G1, unused by default, but can be given number, and the parameter will adjust your design.
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