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z height
« on: September 30, 2015, 12:24:24 PM »
Hi all,  just changed from DSP to MACH3 and just trying to get everything to work, having real problems with z height and tool setting.  With the old DSP system It had my tool height sensor height as a known parameter and all i did was put in a tool,put the sensor on top of the workpiece,press a button, spindle jogged down to sensor and retracted slightly, the I press run and it did the cut, when tool change was required just repeated as before.  The way I have been trying to do it in MACH3 is jog down to sensor till digitise light comes on  in diagnostics panel, set Z to 0, then put my sensor height (45mm) in the gauge height DRO and press the set Z button but when I run the job the cutter starts cutting air at the height of the sensor.  I must be doing something stupid.
If I use the old trick of a piece of paper on top of the job and jog down to where it is just pinched by the tool and Zero Z then it works ok. Could someone point me in the right direction please.

Offline RonC

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Re: z height
« Reply #1 on: October 01, 2015, 07:40:29 AM »
Hi, I think what you need to do is put 45 in the Z DRO, which tells the machine that the tool is now 45mm above zero.
If you want to make things really easy for yourself, get a copy of the 2010 screen set by Ger21 all the tool change routines are built in, best few pounds you will ever spend!!
Re: z height
« Reply #2 on: October 01, 2015, 07:54:27 AM »
Yep tried that as well still cuts air,  I did notice that when I create toolpaths in my design software it shows the home start as x0,y0,z24 which it takes from the safe z height setting so maybe this is being added on somehow in MACH3. It wont let me set it to zero to find out though.  I have the Big-tex screenset but that only seems to be of use if you have two tool height sensors. Never thought getting something to cut would be that difficult ???

Offline RonC

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Re: z height
« Reply #3 on: October 01, 2015, 08:24:01 AM »
So if you set the tool on your block and then put 45 in the Z DRO and press enter move the tool away from the job and MDI Z0 what height does the tool end up at, stock surface or higher or lower? if not at stock surface how much is out?
Re: z height
« Reply #4 on: October 01, 2015, 09:01:07 AM »
HI Ron.

Probably better to check I am doing things correctly as MACH3 is a whole new learning experience, DSP was so easy as tool height and Z height was so easy. What I have been doing, after reading the manual, is jogging down to my tool height sensor until the light comes on in the diagnostics panel, then going to the offsets tab and putting the 45mm in to the DRO in the gauge height setting ( I see there are 2 gage height panels) in to the panel on the top left of the screen and then pressing set z button.  Am I possibly inputting my gauge height in the wrong DRO?

Thanks for your help

Alan
Re: z height
« Reply #5 on: October 01, 2015, 09:20:39 AM »
I just tried jogging the z axis down until the tool was touching the top of the workpiece and setting zero that way without using the tool height setter. now if I move the axis and the press go to Z it moves correctly and positions it just where it should be,  the only thing is that when I run the job it cuts about 20mm above the work surface which I take it must be in the GCODE from the toolpath creation from Aspire.

Offline RonC

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Re: z height
« Reply #6 on: October 01, 2015, 09:34:38 AM »
It seems to be that Z24 setting that Aspire is outputting, when you set up the job in Aspire are you setting Z0 as top of stock?
Not familiar with Big tex screenset but the way you are doing things you need to put the 45 in the Z DRO on the run screen,
so you have X0, Y0 Z45
« Last Edit: October 01, 2015, 09:39:23 AM by RonC »
Re: z height
« Reply #7 on: October 01, 2015, 09:45:35 AM »
Yes I am setting z zero as top of block. gone back to the standard 1024 screen now. should that be 45 or -45 in the dro.  Also while going through configs etc I noticed that in the tool table TOOL 0 has all its settings to -5430138233750...  Mach3 wont let me edit or change them so is this some sort of internal measurement to MACH3?

Offline RonC

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Re: z height
« Reply #8 on: October 01, 2015, 10:06:20 AM »
Hi,
I don't use tool offsets, with the 2010 screen set it is so easy to just change the tool, press the button and let the software sort all that out
Should enter 45 in the Z DRO on the run screen, that tells the machine is currently sitting on your setting block 45mm above the stock surface.
« Last Edit: October 01, 2015, 10:08:14 AM by RonC »
Re: z height
« Reply #9 on: October 01, 2015, 10:13:35 AM »
Might have to get that screenset, a one button press was all I did with the DSP system.  So easy.
Still can't work out even when I jog the z axis down to the  material and set z0 without the tool setter it still cuts air. driving me nuts lol