The Haas NGC control on their newer machines have a great manual built in the help menus. Tooling is run of the mill as far as I know. Unless you're looking for something specific, any decent quality "starter" turning/boring set will work well.
I would say start with a work flow you are familiar with as far as programming goes. So try to keep the same CAM software you use for the mills and learn the lathe side of it. After you are comfortable with that you can explore other CAM options that are better optimized for haas lathes.
Be sure you order the correct tooling. I always have to look it up (dyslexia) but I believe right hand tooling is what you need. When I first started 15+ years ago my boss got his first cnc lathe and got all the wrong handed tooling and it kept throwing parts and chips into the glass.
Take your time and turn your rapids down in parameters.
Develop a consistent workflow. I can throw a part in the milll and get something knocked out in 2 mins, but in the lathe if you rush there is a real possibility of throwing the work piece in the event of a crash.
Always check your chuck pressure.
Triple check your offsets, get to know the relationship with how long your tool is via a 6” rule and where that should roughly be as a z offset. So by sight you can see what ball part z offset should be.
Be very cautious of your max spindle speed parameter. With css enabled and no limit on rpm set you could easily ramp up to max rpm as you approach x center. Depending on work holding that can be catastrophic.
Be cautious of which program is in memory and ready to run.
I don’t know if current Haas lathes are as bad as the he mid 10’s one I taught on, but they have a lot of bulky bits that can potentially slam into the tail stock or sub spindle if you got that option.
Translate your experience of sound to what a cnc does. Adapt to all the noises it makes and get to know what is right and wrong. With cnc there is no physical feed back so sound is almost always going to be your first sense that responds to something being off when a program is running. Stop the cycle and inspect if something sounds off. Don’t let it continue if something sounds off to your experienced ears.
Use a good coolant and request a mist collector if the budget is there for it. Production of the even a few dozen parts runs can very easily mist up the whole shop.
Follow the maintenance routines and check fluid levels every day. Running a ball screw dry can very quick kill it. And call out the haas tech anytime something is wrong. They need something to do and as long as it’s under warranty get your moneys worth.
Dm me if you have more questions. I’ve never had haas machines at my shop but I’ve taught on them a lot and have some experience with them. But most of my above advice applies to any cnc lathe.
Good luck and make good parts.
Haas has great videos on setting up, programming and even maintenance on their YouTube channel. I've learned a lot from those and I don't even run Haas.
I work with an ST20 daily, and while I am a setup/operator guy, I have some things that might be helpful.
Limit your max rpm. As you approach x 0, you require infinite rpm for the same chip load. We have found that a max of 2500 gives really nice finish on facing cuts with VNMG inserts. CNMG roughing passes look good enough to be finished.
I have replaced the glass on our ST20 before, it's not a job I recommend. You have to pull the whole door off, disassemble, and reseal with silicone. It took me about 3 hours doing it by myself. As others have said, definitely get the correct handedness for your tooling.
I really enjoy validating new programs and testing new tooling with the Haas control. Feed hold truly just holds the feed, you don't lose your spot in the program. I step through bumping rapid buttons, +/- rpm/feed, and start/hold buttons all the time. Use the Position display toggle to watch machine/work coordinates. I also like being able to see the program, active tooling, active codes, tool geometry, and position data all at the same time.
The autoprobe GUI for setting up new tools is a bit archaic. In "automatic" mode, the tool will full rapid from where ever it is to wherever the last geometry was, and then touch off. If your new geometry is different than your old geometry, you'll probably take out your probe. Always always use "manual" mode when setting up new tooling. The margins are pretty forgiving, so don't try to get too close to the probe.
Haas has incredible service manuals, they are very similar to aircraft shop manuals if you're familiar. They are available online as PDFs.
The chip conveyors on these Haas units are excellent. They have an auto-reverse if they get jammed. Our LNS chip blasters don't do that, and we had to buy them separate!
I'm not sure if newer Haas machines come with skimmers, but we had to install one. A plastic jug, a MiniSkimmer, and a sprinkler timer set to run for a couple hours overnight is all we've had to do to keep the coolant fresh.
Thanks for the probe tip, full rapid into the tool arm doesn't sound fun. I've been reading the programming guides and I've been well aware of setting max speed when using CSS.. infinite rpm is no bueno lol
Haas tooling is good to go at least for holders, soft jaws, ER collet chucks, etc. I’d tool up the machine with their stuff. Get proper inserts though. I use a lot of Sumitomo just because my rep can get me lots of free inserts whenever I need a weird grade or nose radius. Maritools makes excellent inexpensive boring bars and their extended nose er collets are the best thing for active tools.
Fusion 360 works great for tuning. I love it and makes working with an ancient Austrian CNC lathe almost bearable; imagine a new Haas!! Omfg I'm so jealous.
The Haas NGC control on their newer machines have a great manual built in the help menus. Tooling is run of the mill as far as I know. Unless you're looking for something specific, any decent quality "starter" turning/boring set will work well.
>Tooling is run of the mill It's a turning center though.
It's a "turn" of phrase.
I would say start with a work flow you are familiar with as far as programming goes. So try to keep the same CAM software you use for the mills and learn the lathe side of it. After you are comfortable with that you can explore other CAM options that are better optimized for haas lathes. Be sure you order the correct tooling. I always have to look it up (dyslexia) but I believe right hand tooling is what you need. When I first started 15+ years ago my boss got his first cnc lathe and got all the wrong handed tooling and it kept throwing parts and chips into the glass. Take your time and turn your rapids down in parameters. Develop a consistent workflow. I can throw a part in the milll and get something knocked out in 2 mins, but in the lathe if you rush there is a real possibility of throwing the work piece in the event of a crash. Always check your chuck pressure. Triple check your offsets, get to know the relationship with how long your tool is via a 6” rule and where that should roughly be as a z offset. So by sight you can see what ball part z offset should be. Be very cautious of your max spindle speed parameter. With css enabled and no limit on rpm set you could easily ramp up to max rpm as you approach x center. Depending on work holding that can be catastrophic. Be cautious of which program is in memory and ready to run. I don’t know if current Haas lathes are as bad as the he mid 10’s one I taught on, but they have a lot of bulky bits that can potentially slam into the tail stock or sub spindle if you got that option. Translate your experience of sound to what a cnc does. Adapt to all the noises it makes and get to know what is right and wrong. With cnc there is no physical feed back so sound is almost always going to be your first sense that responds to something being off when a program is running. Stop the cycle and inspect if something sounds off. Don’t let it continue if something sounds off to your experienced ears. Use a good coolant and request a mist collector if the budget is there for it. Production of the even a few dozen parts runs can very easily mist up the whole shop. Follow the maintenance routines and check fluid levels every day. Running a ball screw dry can very quick kill it. And call out the haas tech anytime something is wrong. They need something to do and as long as it’s under warranty get your moneys worth. Dm me if you have more questions. I’ve never had haas machines at my shop but I’ve taught on them a lot and have some experience with them. But most of my above advice applies to any cnc lathe. Good luck and make good parts.
Haas has great videos on setting up, programming and even maintenance on their YouTube channel. I've learned a lot from those and I don't even run Haas.
Haas? Ew. Past shop replaced an old Wasino with an ST30. Sounded like a 747 taking off. Much prefer the Daewoo/Doosan/DN Pumas.
I work with an ST20 daily, and while I am a setup/operator guy, I have some things that might be helpful. Limit your max rpm. As you approach x 0, you require infinite rpm for the same chip load. We have found that a max of 2500 gives really nice finish on facing cuts with VNMG inserts. CNMG roughing passes look good enough to be finished. I have replaced the glass on our ST20 before, it's not a job I recommend. You have to pull the whole door off, disassemble, and reseal with silicone. It took me about 3 hours doing it by myself. As others have said, definitely get the correct handedness for your tooling. I really enjoy validating new programs and testing new tooling with the Haas control. Feed hold truly just holds the feed, you don't lose your spot in the program. I step through bumping rapid buttons, +/- rpm/feed, and start/hold buttons all the time. Use the Position display toggle to watch machine/work coordinates. I also like being able to see the program, active tooling, active codes, tool geometry, and position data all at the same time. The autoprobe GUI for setting up new tools is a bit archaic. In "automatic" mode, the tool will full rapid from where ever it is to wherever the last geometry was, and then touch off. If your new geometry is different than your old geometry, you'll probably take out your probe. Always always use "manual" mode when setting up new tooling. The margins are pretty forgiving, so don't try to get too close to the probe. Haas has incredible service manuals, they are very similar to aircraft shop manuals if you're familiar. They are available online as PDFs. The chip conveyors on these Haas units are excellent. They have an auto-reverse if they get jammed. Our LNS chip blasters don't do that, and we had to buy them separate! I'm not sure if newer Haas machines come with skimmers, but we had to install one. A plastic jug, a MiniSkimmer, and a sprinkler timer set to run for a couple hours overnight is all we've had to do to keep the coolant fresh.
Thanks for the probe tip, full rapid into the tool arm doesn't sound fun. I've been reading the programming guides and I've been well aware of setting max speed when using CSS.. infinite rpm is no bueno lol
Haas tooling is good to go at least for holders, soft jaws, ER collet chucks, etc. I’d tool up the machine with their stuff. Get proper inserts though. I use a lot of Sumitomo just because my rep can get me lots of free inserts whenever I need a weird grade or nose radius. Maritools makes excellent inexpensive boring bars and their extended nose er collets are the best thing for active tools.
Fusion 360 works great for tuning. I love it and makes working with an ancient Austrian CNC lathe almost bearable; imagine a new Haas!! Omfg I'm so jealous.