[wwendorf]

I have read the manual, watched the video from Dan Rogge, and still am having no luck in getting the tool lenth offsets to work properly.

Here is what I did.

Since I didn't want to take my R8 collet out, I used a 123 block to reference on. I did the paper thing like they show, and hit the button to set the offset.
Then I used the top of the 123 block to set the offset for my touch probe (passive).
Ok, now to do the touchoff. Ran thru the ATC touch off routine, it set all the offsets.
Then, I switch to the passive probe to set my Z work offset on the top of my material.
I then switched to tool 5 (1/4" endmill), and jogged down to the height of my material. It's showing something like 3.7" (rougly). I'm like, WTH?!?!
So, i took the tool setter (not the tormach one, and yes, i did measure the height) off of the 123 block, and jogged the endmill down it to, wow, it zero'd out on the 123 block.

I tried several other iterations, but all resulted in very weird results. One of the things I did was I jogged the empty spindle down till it touched the tool setter, then ran the auto-touch-off routine. More weird results.

The one thing that DID work, was when I touched the spindle nose to the top of the tool setter, then selected Tool 5 from the tool changer, went into offsets, and used the button to auto set the tool height. I then put the passive probe in but left the tool setter connected, switched to Tool 99, then did the offset button again and set the height on the passive probe. When I did it that way, then touched off on Z with the passive probe, Tool 5 went to that Z0 point?

Can ANYONE help me out there? I'm about yeah-far from switching back to Mach3.

To me, it really seems like there is a bug in the Auto Touchoff routine or something, because this is just NOT making any darn sense!

I've been at this all day, and I've got a splitting headache. I wound up just touching off Tool 5 and use that to set my work offset so I could run a few parts.

What a freakin day.

Please help!
Wade

[cbyrd]

Here is what I would try.

Set the Z work offset with the feeler gauge or passive probe set (Set to tool 99)
Zero the Z Dro.
Place Tool Number 5 in the Spindle and Change to Tool 5 in the Display
Jog the Z down to the work piece top and then do the Touch Z.
Switch to another tool in the ATC, Say tool 6
Repeat the above processes.
Now remove the work piece
Select Tool 5
Set your max vel slider down low and do a G0 Z0
See where that places the tool at and measure it.
Do the same for tool 6. They should stop at the same spot.
If this is all working I would manually set all the tool heights and then place the tools in the atc.

I have the Tormach ETS and the tool touch off routine works perfect with it. I am not sure if that function works unless you have an ETS.


Chris

[wwendorf]

According the video about setting tool heights, any toolsetter should work fine, as long as you setup the tool setter height in the Probe Setup screen, which I did.

Their process makes sense, but when you have been doing things your way for a decade, being "forced" to use another method sucks, especially when it doesn't work.

Can you tell me what version of PathPilot that you are using where the ETS Touchoff works?

Wade

[cbyrd]

I have been using the tool touch off routine since version 1.7.2, That is what I was running when I got my 1100. I am now using 1.9.4 and it is still working.

I am new to CNC so the process was not hard to learn / retrain. It was all new to me so I did not have to relearn. I have both the ETS and the offline tool height indicator. I use the ETS almost all the time unless it is something quick like a drill bit in a chuck etc.

I think any tool setter should work for measuring tools but I pretty sure the ETS and the auto touch off routine are tied electronically. I would give Tormach a call monday to confirm this.

Chris

[wwendorf]

Ok, not sure exactly what in the flock I did, but it's working now.

I just plugged in my tool setter, entered the height into the probe setup screen, went to the work offset screen, touched off the spindle nose, then grabbed a tool, and touched it off. Then hit the ATC touch off, and all tools zeroed.

Why couldn't I get that yesterday? I don't know.

At any rate, it works now, thanks for the suggestions.

Wade

[RoketRdr]

Sometimes puters need a little power nap to make them think straight again.

[tmarks11]

hmm, that was supposed to be the big advantage of PP over M3 that you didn't have to due power-off-resets to make it work properly.

[popspipes]

Path pilot hasnt made an unprogramed move here........ the biggest single improvement.

I think the other quirks and problems will get worked out eventually, its going to take some time.

[jttoner]

Try doing an MDI to G49 before changing the Z offset. Even in M3 it will be unnecessary to shut down for a change in Z.