Learning to Use the CNC Machine

By Pavit, Anda, and Fernando

Over the past few meetings, we taught one of our team members how to use the CNC machine. Here is his experience with it and some of the challenges he encountered:

Learning to use our CNC machine wasn’t exactly a smooth process. In fact, it started with some confusion, the fear of damaging thousands of dollars' worth of equipment, and a whole lot of “wait” and “what does that button do?” moments. Looking back, I’m grateful to have shared this journey with my teammates and to have learned how precise manufacturing works.

The first step was deciding what to cut. Anda walked me through the CAM process, showing me how parts are prepared before they touch the machine. I learned where to place screws so nothing shifts, how toolpathing is generated, and the types of bits used in the process. It was really interesting seeing that there is a lot of planning that goes into a simple cut.

Next, Fernando showed me how to operate our CNC machine. Standing in front of the machine was both exciting and intimidating. Fernado walked me through every step carefully and made sure we followed proper safety procedures like wearing safety glasses and keeping our hands clear from any moving parts. One of my first tasks was securing the carbon fiber sheet to the spoilboard so it wouldn’t shift during the cut.

We then zeroed the X and Y axes. After that, we ran an air pass to make sure the toolpath looked correct. Once everything was checked, I zeroed the Z axis by lowering the tool, tapping the down button, and gently adjusting until the bit was touching the surface. I also learned how to switch a drilling bit to the milling bit and also how we have to zero the Z axis to finally start cutting.

There was definitely a learning curve at first. A lot of staring at the control panel, and a lot of “Is this the right file?” However, after a bit of fumbling with the controls and a LOT of questions, I slowly learned:

- How to load files onto our ancient computer (which feels older than the machine itself)

- How to zero the machine and set the offsets

- How to change milling bits for different files

- How to safely use the CNC machine

Using the CNC machine was a great experience in itself. I was able to get hands-on with the actual machinery while being safe about the process. Running my first real part and seeing it come out exactly as we designed was genuinely satisfying. I now feel confident operating the machine, and I’m excited to see where my robotics journey takes me next.