@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:
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Current program ends and machine goes back to home.
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I flip part for the 2nd OP.
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Select “Load New Tool”.
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Insert probing pin and touch tool off on BitSetter.
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Use corner probing procedure to set zero (while holding bitzero so it doesn’t move).
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Start new program.
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Load first endmill when prompted.
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Touches off on BitSetter.
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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.
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.
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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.
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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?
@Able i really like this method. Is it always consistent? Do you only zero once the jaw is loaded so there is no discrepancy between the preloaded jaw and unloaded?
The fixed side jaw never moves so once I use my conductive probe to set my WCS it stays perfect unless I accidently get a chip stuck under my tool length probe or miss steps on an axis.
This required modeling my stock and vise setup in fusion and locking everything down with joints so the models can’t shift.
It was a bit of extra work but it paid off as now that I have saved the WCS as a preset in Carbide motion. When I need to run this job I know as long as the vise setup is bolted down in those positions I can use the preset and run. Before running if I have ran other jobs I jog to zero to confirm first.
I have 4 different setups that share the same WCS and Fusion lets me post process paths from all 4 in one gcode file but it does spit out a warning in regards to having multiple WCS but I know it is shared by every setup and all my tool paths and rapids will clear so I run it.
@WillAdams how do you work around the conductivity issue of having an aluminum fixture plate and setting the BitZero upside down on the aluminum stock to probe a previously machined hole for zero on 2nd OP?
As soon as I touch the plate to the stock the indicator turns red since the fixture plate is connected to the aluminum extrusion which is grounded.
Put a sheet of acrylic or some other non-conducting material down beneath the stock.
This is one of the reasons I moved away from Carbide Motion and the stock controller. It can be expensive but a new controller has been the best upgrade I have done to my machine. You could probably figure out a way to do probing with an inexpensive spindle probe if you used a different gcode sender like Gsender. That just requires a little wiring and learning how to make your own probing routine. No expensive new controller.
Yeah I am now going to try Gsender. I downloaded it earlier today and played around a little bit and I like the ability to customize some things.
I updated to CM latest build and the machine started jumping and stuttering in the corners which obviously ruined the part. I only updated to see if it would solve the issue we have been having with the Z zero being way off after probing or using bit setter.