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Author Topic: Using toolsetter inside a loop program  (Read 1613 times)

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Offline dbren

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Using toolsetter inside a loop program
« on: March 02, 2014, 10:39:34 AM »
I have recently purchased a Tormach 1100 PCNC and am using it full time for repetitive engraving operations.  I produce 5 series of small parts and each part gets about 25 to 30 characters 1/8" tall.  (Part #, metal cert #, Revision, etc)  Part runs are normally 500 to 1000 in quantity.

My current temporary setup is simply side and back stops clamped to the table and I slide 10 parts in place and tighten a top clamping bar and a Mitee-bite toe clamp to hold them snug.  The program is just a subroutine of a single part engraving and it is called up with a new G52 address for each part location.  This setup works, but it keeps me jumping from the Haas which does the part cutout to the Tormach for reloading.

I am currently putting parts together for a single parts feeder which will operate from a relay board sold by Tormach.  The board will operate with Gcode and run the 3 or 4 actuators that remove the engraved part and slide a new part in place.

OK, finally, I am to my question:  I purchased a Tormach toolsetter probe pad.  I know I can manually go to the probe screen to initially set the tool length.  However; I'm only engraving about .005" depth and as the engraver tip wears, I occasionally have to reset the height offset to compensate for the wear.  I usually get a total of about .005" of wear adjustment before the tip is too far gone to continue.  I plan to program a loop (G47?) so that as long as there are parts in the chute that it will continue.  I am looking for info on what the actual programming code needed to tell it to go tap the toolsetter probe pad after every 10 parts and reset the tool height offset.  I've been told that the Tormach does not actually use wear values but only height of diameter offsets, so I'd have to use the actual too height offset.  I'd also like to program a parameter that says it can only offset the original tool height by a maximum .005" before alarming out and stopping the machine until reset.

Any hints, ideas, or leads would be appreciated and I'll gladly share programming as I have proofed it out on the machine.  I have plans to also design a bar feeder and single part fixture on the Haas but figured this  engraving operation might be the easiest place to start my education.