[Heirloomwindows]

Hi,

I have had 7 routers in my shop, with various controlers so I'm not ignorant of the typical relationships between Machine 000 and the G54 offsets. While I use Vectric for the "one off" stuff I do, most of my work is repetative and only lengths change so I've parametrically programmed almost all my work. My latest machine is a CR Onsrud with a Fanuc 0i-MF. Every other router was to be "Homed" after startup, the Machine 000 was set automatically at that time and initially I'd set the G54 to the offset from either the table 000 or the workpiece 000. Frequently I'd set the G54 at the 000 of the workpiece surface. This machine does not home at startup. I'm told by both Onsrud and their reseller service dept that the G54 should not be used as a workpiece coordinate and only as a reference to the table 000, and thus I lose one offset option, leaving of course only G 55.56.57.58.59. This is unfortunate since my table is 12' long and I'd like to have offsets for 6 pieces of work. On any other machined I'd set g54 at the origin of the first piece (which for various reasons can not be machine 00), write a program for that piece, copy and paste five times then increment the program to the other G's. But with the Onsurd/Fanuc setup, I'm told not to do this and reserve G54 for table 000 only, so I only have 5 variable offsets.

FYI, the G54s are buried deep in the controler parameters and not on the user interface (G55-G59 only).

Also, over half my tools are not standard mill tools (profile tools and planers in which the carbide is not in the center) so I can't use the tool setter and have to do calcs to determine tool height (I don't have a tool height measure stand). I have to do calcs based on a simple cylindrical height guage and compare to the reference tool (T1) that can me touched off on the ATM sensor. When I do this I find the actual cutting height is off by the G54Z I've set for the table (.061")

Am I missing something? Is this unique to Fanuc or just this controller/machine? If I were to use the G54 for work offset would that affect my 12 tool rack X and Y pickup positions and/or my ATM readings?

Thanks

[cncmakers001]

You’re using a cylindrical height gauge and comparing to a known tool that touches off on the ATM. If G54Z is used in the ATM logic,
then any inconsistency in its value will propagate through every tool height calc.
That .061” error suggests G54Z has been offset from actual machine zero. If you set G54Z to 0 and recalibrate, your calculations might align.