How to Use Canned Cycles (G73, G81, G83, G84) for Efficient Drilling and Tapping
Canned cycles are built-in routines in G-code that simplify repetitive machining operations, such as drilling and tapping. They allow you to execute complex tool movements with just a few lines of code.
🔁 What is a Canned Cycle?
A canned cycle performs a predefined motion such as:
- Drilling
- Tapping
- Boring
- Pecking
Instead of writing all motions line by line, a single G-code handles the entire sequence.
📌 General Format
G8X X__ Y__ Z__ R__ F__| Code | Description |
|---|---|
X, Y | Hole location |
Z | Final depth |
R | Retract level |
F | Feedrate |
🛠 Common Drilling Canned Cycles
🔹 G81 – Simple Drilling
G81 X10 Y10 Z-15 R2 F150- Rapid to R2
- Feed to Z-15
- Rapid back to R2
🔹 G83 – Peck Drilling (Deep holes)
G83 X0 Y0 Z-30 R2 Q5 F100Q5: Peck depth (5 mm at a time)- Retracts slightly between pecks to clear chips
🔹 G73 – Chip Breaking Drill
G73 X20 Y10 Z-12 R2 Q2 F120- Rapid mini pecking without full retraction (faster than G83)
🔩 G84 – Tapping Cycle
G84 X0 Y0 Z-10 R2 F100- Synchronized feed and spindle
- Used for rigid tapping (requires spindle encoder)
To cancel cycles:
G80🧪 Example: Drilling Pattern with G81
G90 G98 G81 Z-10 R2 F150
X0 Y0
X20 Y0
X40 Y0
G80- G90: Absolute positioning
- G98: Return to initial point
- G81: Applies to all following X/Y points
- G80: Cancels drilling cycle
📋 Summary of Canned Cycles
| Code | Cycle Type | Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| G73 | High-Speed Peck | Shallow holes, chip break |
| G81 | Drilling | Standard holes |
| G83 | Peck Drilling | Deep holes |
| G84 | Tapping | Threading holes |
| G80 | Cancel Cycle | End of canned cycles |
📈 G98 vs G99 – Return Modes
| Code | Meaning |
|---|---|
| G98 | Return to Initial Z (Safe height) |
| G99 | Return to R-level (Faster cycles) |
✅ Pro Tips
- Always test canned cycles in simulation first.
- Choose
G83for holes deeper than 3x diameter. - Set correct
Qvalue to prevent chip packing. - For tapping, ensure the spindle supports rigid tapping.
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