05Pre-flight

Pre-flight checklist

Print it. Tick it, in order, every time.

Print this section on its own and keep it at the machine. Tick every line, in order, every time. If a line cannot be ticked, stop and ask.

Signed-off operator present; second person knows the E-stop (wall pendant by the monitor)
Glasses, ear protection; no gloves, loose sleeves, hair, lanyards
Table and rails clear of tools, offcuts, clamps from the last job
Dust hose on the foot, brush skirt intact
Key OFF and in your pocket for the bit change; bit correct and sharp, collet clean, nut torqued, stick-out minimal
Stock: thickness measured and written down, flat on the deck
Hold-down planned: screws/clamps outside every toolpath, tabs or onion skin for freed parts

Control box on → E-stop twisted to release, pendant Reset pressed (input 4 not flashing) → PC on, SB3 open in Move/Cut mode (SM)
Spindle RPM Control window open; interlock key in and ENGAGED; dust collector switched on at the collector
C5 warm-up at the start of the day or after 4 h idle
C3: machine homes on both proximity switches without complaint
Read the .sbp header: mm, and which surface is Z0 (&PWZorigin: material top or table), feed, rpm, first Z move sane
Jog to the CAM file’s XY origin (centre or corner); Z2 (or ZX/ZY). The drawing uses the material centre
C2: clip in place on the carriage plate, plate under the bit on the surface the file expects; touch plate to bit — input 1 lights and goes out; run C2 (two touches, lift); clip stays on the plate, Z-zero plate back in its holder on the car
Keypad closed before FP

Air cut a new file: FP with Offset = 3D, bit raised above the stock by more than the file's deepest cut, spindle may stay off; then Offset = No Offset and C2 again if you moved Z
RPM typed in the Spindle RPM Control window and Enter
FP → prompt “Press START on control before pressing OK”: pendant START, spindle at commanded speed, VFD shows the rpm, then OK (no separate VFD RUN)
Hand near the spacebar, E-stop in reach, for the first plunge and the first pass
Watch the chips: ribbons/curls good, dust and smoke bad
Never leave the room while it runs

File finished/stopped, spindle stopped; raise Z and jog clear with everyone outside the cutting area; collector off
Key OFF and removed, keypad closed, no loaded/paused file before clearing parts, screws and offcuts; deck vacuumed, racks and rails brushed
Bit removed, cleaned, back in its place; collet checked
Material, cutter, feed, rpm and any fault recorded in your job notes; problems told to staff
Machine left powered for staff. Users never power down; E-stop is for emergencies