Originally Posted by
chad123
....The thing that I don't understand is the work g55 offsets, and how that relates to to the tool offset. I will keep searching..
Thanks,
Chad
The G5n work offsest simply moving everything by whatever is in the offset table.
The machine uses G54 by default and if you never put any values in the G54 line when you do your tool offsets they are taken from machine zero.
The X tool offset, X DIA MESUR, is (nearly) always the spindle centerline.
For the Z tool offset, Z FACE MESUR, some people use the face of the chuck but I prefer to use the end of the stock; actually I normally make it the finished end so my rough stock starts out a bit further than Z zero.
When there is no value in G54 both the X and Z values in the tool offset table are the distance from machine zero to the centerline for that tool or to the end of the part for that tool.
When there are values in the G54 work offset then the tool offsets are taken from this position. For instance if you entered tool offsets with noting in G54 then put a negative value in G54 Z you are going to finish up with the tool somewhere inside the chuck.
I never use anything in the X value for work offsets but often use Z values in G55, 56, etc., but not G54. This is when I am using a length of bar making small parts where I can have enough material out of the chuck to part off two or more pieces.
To do this I set the machine up and put the Z tool offsets in at the end of the stock. As I mentioned G54 stays at zero but in G55 I enter a Z -value equal to the length of the part plus the parting tool thickness plus a facing allowance; G56 gets twice this, G57 three times, etc.
The program I make into a subroutine which is called after the selection of work offsets. Something like this;
O00000
All the normal stuff
G54 M97 P1000
G55 M97 P1000
etc
etc
G54
M30
This machines all the parts stepping along the bar and then goes back to G54 and stops.
To simplify setups I enter the values for G55, 56, etc from the program using a G10 offset entry command. This makes the program;
O00000
All the normal stuff
G10 L2 P1 Z0. (Set G54 to 0.) Not essential
G10 L2 P2 Z-1.2 (Set G55 to Z-1.2)
G10 L2 P3 Z-2.4 (Set G56 to Z-2.4)
etc
G54 M97 P1000
G55 M97 P1000
etc
etc
G54
M30
There are other ways to do the same thing. Also sometimes there may be reasons why you want to use X values in the work offsets but I think this is enough to go on with.
An open mind is a virtue...so long as all the common sense has not leaked out.