[pinguS]

Hi All

Just a general question.
When you start a part, as the 1st operation, do you set the Billet material as the X/Y/Z home positions?

Just assuming a part out of a billet 200mm (X) / 400mm (Y) / 300mm (Z), but the part is about 20mm -+ from the edge.

Reason I ask is that, everytime I start a job, I have been setting up using the part as the initial Mac position, and then just output the program and adjust the Workshift on the machine. (But this way I have to remember how much I adjusted the part everytime I go onto the machine) Although saying this, every position is easily located when looking at the program and comparing to the drawing. Maybe I have answered my own question!!!

pinguS

[MKproto]

I never program off mac 1 position 1, I always program using secondary ones, as if you have to move your program or shifting it like you say secondary operations wont need to be changed. This is also helpful if you need to repost for a different machine, especially in 5axis environments if you dont have a heidenhien or similar control.

[pinguS]

Ok maybe I wrote down my query wrong, although I'm just looking to see what the general cnc public out there do.

My Initial Mac position on machine, that is in Fanuc G53 position I suppose, or the actual machine work shift is always X0 Y0 Z0.

Then for the first position which I set in Solidcam as Mac 1 Pos 1, this on the post output is G54, then G55 for Mac 2 Pos 1 etc etc.

What I am asking is do people generally change the initial mac position i.e. the machine's actual workshift position (G53??) or when setting the billet up, calculate the postion xyz zero should be and enter that into G54?

Now I think I've confused myself as to why I'm even asking!!!!

[MKproto]

Ahh. I did misunderstand. Pick up the center of the stock and as long as your material is large enough you wont have to know if you have a good pick up or not. It is a slightly more time consuming to pick up, maybe a minute or two but you never have to remember. Just know that you material is larger than your part. Now I wont say I am a fan of center pickups specifically such as when you have datum callouts, but for rough stock it is an easy way to go.