New CNC Machinist

[chriswlbr94]

Hey all,

 

New CNC machinist here. I have a question on work offsets and how to make it so that my HAAS machine mills out evenly from the stock. I have a program to machine a small rectangle (1.77" x 1.16" x .25") from a piece of stock measuring 2" x 1.5" x .5". I have probed the piece of stock in the machine with the "rectangular block" function numerous times, ""outside corner" and even tried to separately probe each "individual surface" as well. I'm a bit lost on how to accomplish this and have even sides so that I can flip the part and finish it. Anyone on here able to give some advice? TIA.

[crazy^millman]

What probing cycles are you using? Where is the program's zero programmed from? What workoffset is the program using? Is the program using the HAAS pocket Macro?

[chriswlbr94]

The probing cycles that I have attempted to use are the rectangular block, single surface, and outside corner. It probes just fine and outputs work offsets in x,y, and z. I'm using mastercam 2023 and the g54 listed in the program is X-.3948 Y-1.27. Hopefully that helps some with explaining my issue, but I am new to CNC work and am probably not answering that the best. My apologies

[#Rekd™]

Either link a Mastercam file or at the very least a screen shot of the part with the Axis lines showing (F9 shortcut). 

[chriswlbr94]

HC010BLANK.mcam  Hopefully you can see this file, all I want to do is make a program to machine a bunch of these little blanks out prior to doing some actual features on it. We are an R&D company, so we will be making adjustments as needed to any features. 

[#Rekd™]

Assuming the material is all the same I would have the origin in the middle of the part. I would have the stock sitting at Z zero and make my depth cuts from there. No need for a custom plane, just use Top.

This is to make it easier to probe and setup.

 

[Leon82]

personally i don't like negative depth facing. if the next time the stock is different it could wipe the jaw out or make the part ull. I would set off the bottom and start with the shortest piece

[#Rekd™]

8 hours ago, Leon82 said:

personally i don't like negative depth facing.

Just drop the Z by facing amount after probing, face to 0.0

love the external offset on FANUC for this!!!!

[chriswlbr94]

Thanks for all the help guys! I'm a newbie with CNC mills, so I'm sure you guys will hear more from me. Love this forum, no one ridiculed me for such a (seemingly) simple question. 

[AHarrison1]

On 2/3/2023 at 4:57 PM, chriswlbr94 said:

no one ridiculed me for such a (seemingly) simple question. 

Ridiculing only really starts happening after about your 10th post or so.  

[chriswlbr94]

Looks like my limit is 9 posts 

[jpatry]

On 2/3/2023 at 6:18 AM, Leon82 said:

personally i don't like negative depth facing. if the next time the stock is different it could wipe the jaw out or make the part ull. I would set off the bottom and start with the shortest piece

I was taught by cranky old machinists to always make my Z zero the face of the part, thus all negative numbers are cuts and all positive numbers are clearance.

[Jobnt]

On 4/16/2023 at 4:21 AM, jpatry said:

I was taught by cranky old machinists to always make my Z zero the face of the part, thus all negative numbers are cuts and all positive numbers are clearance.

I was taught the same. Nothing like doing a bunch of math on parts with more than one depth cut.

Only thing worse is people that set their machines up so + is - and - is +. I think I read something about this in Revelations or something so I try to avoid it. 

[RaiderX]

On 4/16/2023 at 4:21 AM, jpatry said:

I was taught by cranky old machinists to always make my Z zero the face of the part, thus all negative numbers are cuts and all positive numbers are clearance.

I was also taught this way and did so for many years. I now set zero to solid jaw, stop and bottom of stock.

Reason is my vise with stop setup is dedicated so when I run part xyz then load part xxx or part yyy zero is already set. with verification ability these days I dont generally look at the code cept to verify tap cycle, feed speed tool number etc. no xyz for me machine fly's through that too fast. me programmer is 99% on and 100% after the first cut. always deck top first and sneak that in then let er rip

[crazy^millman]

Another Chat CGT in the house.

[Guest flatcalmproduction]

I agree, using the center of the stock for X & Y is a great way to get the even/centered result chriswlbr94 is after.

I am not up to date with the provided HAAS probe cycles - you will most likely need to create 2 "bore/boss" measuring cycles to set your offset.

Where Z is set... there have been good points to set it on the top or the bottom. The challenge to this is if you want the finished part centered in Z. There will be more math involved in the probe cycle; and knowing where the lowest point of the material (bottom of the block/top of the seating surface) can be helpful for calculating.

[jpatry]

On 4/17/2023 at 8:58 AM, Jobnt said:

Only thing worse is people that set their machines up so + is - and - is +

The other one that makes my eye twitch is when people use tool length offsets calculated from machine zero, and leave the WPC Z at machine zero to make it all work.

Actually, wait, I just remembered something perhaps even more cursed, I was told, that by switching the control tool offset mode from radius to diameter that it would "make the machine twice as accurate".

[Jobnt]

On 8/27/2023 at 2:48 AM, jpatry said:

I was told, that by switching the control tool offset mode from radius to diameter that it would "make the machine twice as accurate".

Technically you could program it more accurately, but the machine will still do what the machine will do.