Tried using a speed and feed calculator app on my phone last shift

I was getting terrible chatter cutting 6061 aluminum on the Fadal, so out of desperation I plugged the numbers into that calculator app. Worked way better than my usual "that looks about right" method, ended up saving 45 minutes on a 12-part run. Anybody else actually trust those apps or is it just me?

2 comments

2 Comments

tyler_hernandez26d ago

Ngl, I gotta call you out a little bit here. 45 minutes saved on a 12-part run? That's not exactly a huge deal either way. You were probably just rushing through the setup before, and the app just forced you to slow down and actually think about your feeds. Those calculator apps are decent for getting in the ballpark, but they can't account for your tool condition, machine age, or how rigid your setup actually is. Half the time they spit out numbers that make sense on paper but sound awful in real life. Honestly, I'd trust your gut over an app any day, especially on a Fadal that old.

charles_wilson26d ago

@tyler_hernandez I had a similar thing happen on a 10 part run on a Haas VF2. The app said bump the feed up 20% but it sounded like garbage and I backed it off. Ended up splitting the difference and saved maybe 10 minutes over the whole job. Not life changing but nice. Gut feel won that day for sure.