How do you use canned cycles for drilling with subprograms and macros?

1 What are subprograms and macros?

Subprograms are sections of code that can be called from the main program or from other subprograms. They can perform a specific task, such as drilling a hole pattern, and return to the calling program. Macros are similar to subprograms, but they can also accept parameters and perform calculations. Macros can be used to create variable canned cycles, where the drilling parameters can change depending on the input values.

3 How to create a macro for drilling?

To create a macro for drilling, you need to assign it a number and enclose it with the # and M99 commands. You also need to define the parameters that the macro will use, such as the hole diameter, depth, feed rate, and clearance. For example, the following macro drills a hole with a variable canned cycle:

#100 (Macro number)

#1 = 10 (Hole diameter)

#2 = -20 (Hole depth)

#3 = 100 (Feed rate)

#4 = 5 (Clearance)

G90 G54 G0 X#1 Y#1 (Move to hole position)

G73 Z#2 R#4 Q5 F#3 (Drill hole with pecking cycle)

G80 (Cancel canned cycle)

M99 (Return to calling program)

To call the macro from the main program, you need to use the G65 command with the macro number and the parameter values. You can also use expressions and variables to modify the parameter values. For example, the following main program calls the macro #100 four times, with different hole diameters and depths:

G90 G54 G0 Z100 (Move to safe height)

G65 P100 #1=10 #2=-20 (Call macro #100 with 10 mm diameter and 20 mm depth)

G65 P100 #1=15 #2=-25 (Call macro #100 with 15 mm diameter and 25 mm depth)

G65 P100 #1=20 #2=-30 (Call macro #100 with 20 mm diameter and 30 mm depth)

G65 P100 #1=25 #2=-35 (Call macro #100 with 25 mm diameter and 35 mm depth)

M30 (End of program)