I switch between projects on my Nomad often, most of them are multi CNC stepped with other manipulations in-between. When returning to a project I use the MDI to return to the recorded X, Y machine position but I’ve always reset the Z by hand. I’d like to
I just tried recording the Z as well and returning to it again. But this doesn’t seem to work, at least in a straightforward manner, which I suppose is due to the differing stick-out between bits.
There must be some way to do this since the machine can “remember” the zero between bits.
On the larger machines with a BitSetter, the Z Zero is ‘remembered’, but it is wronguntil you visit the BitSetter.
Since the Nomad also measures tool-length, you could try the following
When ending a session, leave the last tool in the spindle
At the start of the next session, immediately hit the button for “Change Tool”. Don’t change the tool, just use the tool from the last session. Let the machine measure the tool.
After that, check if the Z Zero is now where it should be.
Sorry, I should have been clearer. After project A, say, I do project B with a different zero Z (and different tools). Now I want to return to project A and its zero Z.
While the zero for Project A is still active, move to the zero position, click on “Position” to toggle to “Machine Position”, make note of the numbers, then return to that position after Project B and re-set zero there then.
This does not work. I tried again to be sure, it in fact doesn’t work even if I don’t reset the zero.
My test procedure:
• establish and record a zero Z
• record the machine position
• turn off the Nomad
• reposition the bit’s stickout
• turn the Nomad back on and initialize
• move the Z to the recorded reading
The results: The zero Z does not match the previous position in space even though the machine position reads the same. The difference in Z’s appears to be that by which I changed the stickout.
This makes sense since the position of the Z carriage would be different with different sickouts to achieve the same height above the bed, that is the zero Z.
Something internal is being done to compensate for that between bit changes while the machine is still active with a particular zero Z. But I don’t know how, or if it’s possible, to tap into that information and use it.
I do have a fall back in that surfacing is the first step in my current workflow and the bits I use for that are collared which should have the same stickout. So I could load the bit then move to the recorded zero. Still, it would be nice if there were a more universal way to do this.