Hey Everyone!
Just curious as to what other people are using for 3D touch probes these days. Most of the forum threads I am finding are a couple of years old and since we have longer Z travel now, I wonder if this Haimer is an option.
I have a bitzero v2 that will be here this week so that’s a start!
For a similar unit see:
That looks like digital surface mapping. I am just wondering if anyone is using these Haimer units to set zero. It is analog and precalibrated that once you probe the object (side or top) until the dial aligns to zero, your spindle is precisely zeroed on the edge. Check this out.
I’ve had one of those on the shopping list for a while. Bear in mind a couple of things though.
You’ll need an ER20 collet spindle to hold the shank on those probes and there’s 101mm below your collet to the bottom of the probe, which is likely to restrict how tall an item you can probe on the machine bed, even with the HDZ that’s quite restrictive in terms of larger workpieces or those mounted in a vice or similar.
As for precision and ease of zeroing, yep, the Haimer is great, but the Haimers are designed for mills with lots of Z travel and I keep finding something better to spend the money on.
Here’s the dimensions
Might also be worth noting that the workflow for this type of probe is frequently to have tools with measured Z height when installed, which you can’t really do with a collet based tool change, so you’ll be finding Z=0 with the Haimer and then having to translate that into a Z=0 for your tools.
Thanks Liam. I was wondering what the Z zero workflow would look like since the Haimer would likely depress when touched off on a bit setter. What do you use for zeroing?
NP,
I generally set X and Y zero first, frequently with an edge finder at low RPM in the spindle (< 1,000 RPM)
https://www.arceurotrade.co.uk/Catalogue/Measurement/Edge-Finders/Mechanical-Edge-Finders
For Z, On wood I use the bitzero to set Z with the cutter, this is normally on the spoilboard.
On metals I use the thin piece of paper and jog down until it drags method.
I’ve got a bitsetter, but I don’t generally export toolpaths with multiple cutters so it’s as easy for me to change cutter and then re-zero on the bitzero as use the bitsetter most of the time. I should probably use the bitsetter when I’m doing where the workpiece is in a vice and trickier to Z zero on…
It’s not a very advanced workflow, Fred Flintstone would probably recognise it, but I’m used to it and it seems to work 
That’s not too different than my current methods. How do you get your spindle down to 1000rpm? I’ve got edge finders but can’t use them cause mine only get down to 8k rpm.
@WillAdams what is the smallest probe you have to use with your bit zero? I was thinking about getting some gauge pins from McMaster to use for probing dowels. I remember that you said BitZero is indifferent to what size dowel pin you are using or what size the hole is. So I’m wondering if I could use a 2mm pin to probe drill holes from my 1st OP.
The v2 is indifferent since it probes to center — any size may be used, but at smaller sizes I would worry about bending.
Ah, I don’t have the Carbide spindle, mine is a third party so I can set it wherever I want, but I don’t get automatic speed setting from the controller.
Curious as to if anyone else is having issues when setting zeros when starting a new program? The situation here seems to be happening after finishing the first OP, flipping the part, re-zeroing, and then starting the new program (2nd OP). Everything seems to be going well until I start the program and then the end mill plunges into the stock. After looking at the zeros (post-crashing) the Z-zero is always way off. Historically, I had been using a v-bit to set zero the old way but I now have the Bitzero v2 and was using it yesterday with the same result. It doesn’t happen on every job but it’s maybe 50% of the time. Procedure is as follows:
Current program ends and machine goes back to home.
I flip part for the 2nd OP.
Select “Load New Tool”.
Insert probing pin and touch tool off on BitSetter.
Use corner probing procedure to set zero (while holding bitzero so it doesn’t move).
Start new program.
Load first endmill when prompted.
Touches off on BitSetter.
Program proceeded and crashes. See pics.
This seems like a good question to ask in a new topic. I have not used Carbide Motion in years and will be no help. My machine has a totally custom controller on it.
What CAD/CAM tool are you using?
Work up a simple test file using Carbide Create?
Let us know step-by-step what you are doing and we can try to work through this with you.
@nwallace I’d love to know what you are using?
I ran Mach 4 for a few months (don’t recommend it) and I now use LinuxCNC with a Mesa 7I96S. There are some details on what I have done in this thread:
I also run a customized UI for LinuxCNC that I have added functionality specific for my tool and spindle probing setup.
Mmmmm, Linux CNC, that or a Masso…
I’ve rarely had this sort of issue, the only time it happened repeatedly was when I was doing quite a bit of typing my own GCode into Carbide Motion to move around and reset zeroes, I also managed to get the machine in modes where a probe didn’t work properly so I assumed I’d put the machine in some odd mode and messed it up. I went back to slow jogging and a GCode vocabulary more appropriate to my GCode fluency and haven’t had the problem since.
Going too low usually indicates there is a discrepancy in one of a few things:
A - The programed Z is different than you set on the part. Bottom of stock in the program, and top set on the machine for example. Make sure that’s how it’s programed.
B - A breach in the setting of Z from what the machine expects.
C - The past looks pretty high in relation to the machine. Make sure your retract height isn’t too high, it’s running into the top of travel, skipping steps, and then going too low.
When possible I like programming my WCS zero point to the fixed side vise corner on my modvise so the zero point never changes between ops.
On my production run I do this and mill across 8 vises 2 sided with no issue but it did require a bit more programming to setup.
The odd thing here is that I can go through the entire zeroing procedure (either using Bitzero or not) start the program and see the machine drop to Z-zero much lower than what I just set.
For instance, today I needed to make .10mm off the face of my part to make the fitment perfect. So I decided to do this manually by jogging the machine. First, I put the bitzero on top of my part, then jogged the machine over and using the Z-only probing option, touched off on top of the plate. Next, I removed the bitzero and manually jogged my end mill off to the side of the part and jogged down to zero (confirmed by the readout on the screen). I, then, set my end mill at -0.10mm on the Z (by the screen in carbide motion) and powered on the router and made a pass across the part. Instead of taking off .10mm as indicated by the controller, I ended up with over 2.5mm being removed from the top. Part ruined……
Since there was no program to be run here and the setup was very basic using the bitzero to touch off on top of the part, is it safe to say the zero is being calculated wrong in the controller or machine thinks it’s somewhere that it is not?
