Auto Tool Zero Setter

[robb]

G3. v4.0 (Mill)

I recently purchased a new auto-zero touch 'pad'. It has a spring-loaded pad and quite a long downward travel. As I have had a few problems with the Auto Zero thingy over time, I wanted to give myself a fighting chance to stop any damage should something go wrong.

I have tested the pad in the usual way, by touching a wire from the spindle to the pad. The sensor turns red as it should, in F1.

When I run a job, I expect each tool change to be controlled by MASSO, which it is. I expect the Auto Zero to kick in to set the new tool zero, which it is not doing. What is actually happening, and this only started a few jobs ago, is that the 'new' tool descends and touches the pad and continues on to the center of the earth. I have managed to stop it, by virtue of the spring-loaded pad, and then checked F1 and the sensor light was red. So, the mechanical bit of the process is working. Is it working every time? I don't know as F1 screen is not available during the job processes. I assume it is as I have tested the continuity a few times and the sensor always goes to red.

The sensor is being triggered when the cutter touches the pad, but the spindle continues to descend, despite the trigger.

The pad is connected and conductive but, to me at least, MASSO is not responding to the triggering of the sensor and setting zero. It doesn't appear to recognise the input from the sensor.

While I'm trying to understand this I'm having to set each tool change zero manually, which is a bit hit and miss to say the least.

One more note: I noticed that in the F4 screen I have no offsets. All the offsets are showing zero. I'm wondering if I have a software problem?

Any ideas/solution would be grateful accepted.

Robb

 

[breezy]

Robb,

Have you read the release notes for G3 v4.0? https://www.masso.com.au/masso-g3-v4-0-release-notes/

There have been changes how the work DRO zeroing works and the results in F4 for work offsets G54-59.

If you are not setting G54-59 offsets (zeroing the work DRO) before you run the job this could cause problems.

Regarding the ATZ pad does it trigger as soon as the tool touches the pad or does it have to travel a short distance before it triggers?

The ATZ device is set to Tool Setter Input?

Regards,

Arie.

 

[robb]

Hi and thanks for your response.

I have read the release notes you mention. I have to be honest with you that I have always struggled with 'work offsets'. My comprehension is usually good for most things but, when it comes to offsets and the F4 screen information I go into a kind of semi-conscious state. More of a fixed gaze and an expectation that all is as it should be.

Although the pad is new I have been using it successfully for at least a month, maybe longer. It was only very recently that this anomaly appeared. I had hoped that the v4 upgrade might have fixed it, or even the latest 4.1 but, it's still a problem.

When the cutter touches the pad it triggers the red light/sensor light on the Tool Setter Input in F1. It does this without moving the pad downwards to any detectable degree. In the past, before this hassle appeared all the different cutters triggered the auto zero routine without a hitch. To the point where I wouldn't even bother to watch. Something has changed and I have no idea what?

I am 100% confident in the wiring and the continuity. I've checked with the meter many times and all connections are soldered and properly tagged on to the spindle carriage and well connected into G3. The Tool Setter Input red light confirms this.

To me, it seems that the G3 software is not recognising the trigger and sending the appropriate signal to G54 to immediately raise the spindle and adjust the off set. In the past, when I have set Z axis zero (to surface of material) F4 has registered the work off set in, say, tool '0'. This no longer happens. When I set a work offset by zeroing to the material surface with the Auto Tool Zero function enabled, I do not see any offsets in F4 tool '0' or any tool number, as I used to. In any job using more than one tool I used to see each tool numbered row in F4 showing the off set for that tool. I don't any more. F4 is blank, as it were.

I have rebooted G3 a few times but, the problem continues to exist.

It's not a show stopper but, I would like it to work as it once did.

Robb

 

[breezy]

Robb,

If I remember correctly you have a 3DTek Heavy Mill. Last week I just completed the conversion of the men's shed HM from G2 to Touch G3.

I use ATZ but my pad is just a piece of aluminum angle sitting on a block of wood, no give in that!

I don't use tool details in F4 only G54-59 offsets.

The new probing routine automatically setting the values in G54-59 has been great.

The way the new system works is this,

• Home machine
  
• ATZ with existing tool to set reference point for tool tip in MSC.
  
• Use probing (touch block or electronic probe) to set WCS G54-59. Probe cycle automatically sets WCS X,Y,Z zero to parameters set in the probing screen.
  
• Machine job
  
• Change tool
  
• ATZ adjusts WCS Z zero to new tool tip location in MCS, WCS Z DRO will read a different value depending on the difference in the length of the two tools. X & Y stay the same as the probe diameter is used to set X & Y to center of tool.
  
• Continue machining.
  

Now you don't need to use a probe you can just align the tool center to your desired X & Y zero point and bring the tool down to touch job, them zero all three DROs and the WCS G54-59 is set to the MCS location.

The whole purpose of the change in probing was to remove the use of G92 (temporary offset).

When I refer to G54-59 that is dependent on the WCS that is selected (via MDI command G5x, G54 being default)

Rebooting G3 won't make any difference to WCS & tool settings as they are stored in memory that is battery backed up.

Regards,

Arie.

 

[robb]

Hi Arie,

Very good info and thanks for that.

I do have a Heavy Mill. I don't use Probing for setting up the job. I use the material surface and set all axis to that as '0'. The first setting for Z is manual. Maybe I should use Probing to set that?

I still do not understand why the Z axis does not respond to the Auto Tool Setter? It did and now it doesn't. I may be misunderstanding or, more likely, being plain ignorant of the process you described.

I do understand G92 and remember some conversations about that on the Forum a while ago.

So, to recap, it seems to me, if I have it right, that Probing Z and using that as the axis setting for material-surface zero is a better and more accurate method than my manual (bit-of-paper-jobby) to set Z zero. This setting is saved in F4 and used as the off-set for each tool change for a particular job. Am I warm?

Robb