Z axis inconsistant height

[prorc (Dan Lemay)]

Hello all, hope someone can help me. When I initialize my machine everything is ok. I install the bit and hit continue and it goes over to the bit setter. Now I zero my x and y and my z axis. Once i zero it I run the program. Now it goes to the bit setter and I assume it measures the bit height. Now I start my program and the x and y are alway dead on but the z axis is hit and miss. Sometimes its 0.250 above the work or .100 above, sometime to deep( it varies). Sometimes I re-initialize a couple of times and finally it work. very frustrating.

Any Ideas?

[WillAdams (William Adams (Carbide 3D))]

Things which will cause inconsistent Z-height:

• changing the endmill w/o using the tool change prompts
• positioning the BitZero in a way which doesn’t match the sort of probing which one is doing

Please compare what you are doing to:

• Machine operating checklist
• Working With Homing - Carbide 3D
• Getting Started with Carbide Machines (if using a BitZero v2)

If you continue to have difficulties, document step-by-step what you are doing and send it in to support@carbide3d.com and we will do our best to work through this with you. For an example of this sort of thing see:

Using/verifying the BitZero

Here is how I check out the functionality of the machine/BitZero: first check that you have sent the correct Z-axis configuration This can be easily done by jogging down to the wasteboard surface, setting zero, then using the Rapid Position command to lift 6mm above the current zero — measure how much the machine moved — if it’s wrong: go to the MDI and send $$ and check that the Z-axis steps/mm match your machine setup: Belt-drive: 40 Z-Plus: 200 HDZ: 320 ​ ​c.f., Then, clamp a sui…