I am totally new to CNC machining and Mazatrol and I need help, badly!

I'm sorry if this is a stupid question that is beneath all of you guys that have been doing CNC machining forever! I was recently hired into a great machine shop company thru a friend and they are going to teach me how to operate a Mazak Quick Turn 30 Lathe to make all sorts of different pieces for our many customers. This place has dozens of cool CNC and milling machines of all sizes. The thing is, I am totally green and have no experience as far as CNC and I told them this in the interview. The boss asked me if I can read micrometers and calipers and I told him that I can so he hired me and I am ever so grateful. I'm training with a great guy and I'm good with the controls, setting the machine up, touching off the tools with the tool eye, and so much more. The only thing that has my head spinning is attempting to understand how he is programming the info from the blueprint to the CNC computer. I try to ask him questions about it as he programs but he's not really answering me. We have a ton of orders to get to so I don't want to keep stopping him and asking too many questions all at one... he is teaching me as maybe if I have prior knowledge of CNC and he knows that I don't. He really knows the machine and Mazatrol, he's just not the best teacher, I'm guessing.

I've worked in the steel industry for 17 years, operating different wire drawing machines and steel tempering furnaces but programming this Mazak machine is confusing to me (and I usually catch onto training on industrial machinery pretty quickly).
I am hoping that maybe there is a thread(s) for fresh-off-the-boat newbies like me! Maybe some threads or websites or PDFs or ANY info to get me started in the right direction. I can read prints pretty good and my basic math skills are top notch but wrapping my head around programming these past 3 weeks have been challenging, to say the least! Some of the guys in the shop tell me to don't panic and it will take a while to learn it.

What kind of advice would you guys give a green newb like me?

Thank you for ANY input! :)

Ask for the machine programming manual, they should have it. Time to do some studying. Google might be your friend here also, ''mazak quick turn 30 programming manual''

Hi Nu-guy - Your colleague is training you to be an operator not a programmer. Settle into the biz and over time you will get more things to do. If you programmed now and had a crash you may find you don't have a job. If things are busy they need work out which seems like your doing. Find the manuals and do some after hours reading, you'll settle in well. Programming is a very big responsibility that you don't want at the moment...Once you see your first big crash & the debris you will know what I mean....Peter

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYP...7bq84rcwP8VGxw

Watch all of them, you will become a programmer.

Sent from my D5803 using Tapatalk

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We have a ton of orders to get to so I don't want to keep stopping him and asking too many questions all at one

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hy :) regardless of workvolume, you should always stick with your goals, thus stick to what you want to become, not to what others want you to do :)

in your case, i understand if you avoid asking too many questions because you don't receive answers, but, if you continue to avoid asking questions because of workvolume, then you will do what you are doing now until you retire ; wake up :)

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I try to ask him questions about it as he programs but he's not really answering me.

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there may be some potential reasons :
... he was told to avoid briefing you, thus someone doesn't want you to become more than a bar puller :)
... he has many things in his mind ( like too many tasks, or whatever problems ) so he can't find the peace and calm to explain
... he had been 'digged' by someone else, and he really doesn't want to invest his time and effort into that place
... he learned the conversational and interaction in a mechanical manner, thus he know what has to be pressed, but does not now why
* take those easy, i really don't know what exactly is there :)

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He really knows the machine and Mazatrol, he's just not the best teacher, I'm guessing

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he knows the machine more than you do ... this does not mean that you can not be better than him :)

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if you wish to learn programing that machine fast, you have to find another programmer somewhere in your area, because only a programmer can really shorten your learning curve; also tspiszak shared a link to mazatrol online lessons; such lessons and manuals can help, but won't deliver the shortest learning curve

however, if you don't know programming, but you wish to become a good programmer, then you should avoid conversationals, and learn to write g-code programs; if you know g-code, you may easily go to conversationals and others, but if you know only conversationals, then it will be harder; g-code is much more powerfull, and is the basic of cnc programming

some cnc machines do have the possibility to be programmed by g-code and conversationals, while other machines supporty only conversationals

g-code is pretty identic between different machines, while conversationals are a bit more particular to each machine

a g-code programmer will always understand a conversationl programmer, but this is hard/imposible in reverse, because a conversational will map your head in a less abstract way

if you really wish to learn fast, you have to find the method that will speed up your learning curve, because with 2-3 questions/shift you won't get far

i can help you for okuma machines

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a great machine shop company thru a friend and they are going to teach me how to operate a Mazak Quick Turn 30 Lathe

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don't fall for that : is possible to have a zero-experienced operator on a setup that is really stable & secured; insist so they will teach you how to make parts from zero :) only if you insist, then maybe something will change : even they will teach you, even they will tell you that you are not suitable for that ... so look for someone that says yes and at least tries to help you :)

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The boss asked me if I can read micrometers and calipers and I told him that I can so he hired me and I am ever so gratefu

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also a teenager may master a caliper and a dial; your advantage should definetly be the mindset and determination to learn fast / good luck :)

Wow! I can't thank you guys enough for this!

I just came home from work and I just did an overall glance at your replies and ALL of this helps me out a lot! I have to do some things around the house but later I want to individually reply to each of you because I see some good content from you guys! But for right now I want to again say thank you for spending time with me and my Mazak lathe programming/operating endeavors.

deadlykitten, your replies had me a little shook at first but I understand all of what you are saying! :)

tspiszak, I watched a few of this guys videos a couple weeks ago but your link has some of his that I never came across before and they look a lot easier to understand than the ones that I saw. Thank you!

peteeng, that crash that you speak of has been one of several nightmares that I've had the past couple weeks, and you're right, I will study up and not be so anxious to start programming just yet! :o

Jim Dawson, I have a coworker who is looking for the programming manual and hopefully I will have it in my hands soon. I've been searching the net but I can't seem to find this particular manual yet.

You guys and this message board are the best! I will keep you posted on my progress. :)

Ok. I have made some pretty good strides in my new job position. I'm pretty good at setting up jobs and I have even learned how to make simple programs from reading simple prints. I have the basic concept of Edge Face, Bar out, Bar in processes. I can program simple Linear and Taper shapes with chamfers and radiuses but not much more than that . It's been about 94 days and the learning curve was very steep at first but it's getting better. I know I'm only scratching the surface of what I need to learn but I am excited and I am optimistic,

I have so much more to learn and I'm always looking for new videos and websites that will help me. The daily hands-on is helping me get better and better. Again, any advice for a newb would be much appreciated. I will keep posting my progress.

Thanks!