Z zero shifting between runs on Nomad3

I’m not understanding something in the way the Z axis zeroes. For instance, I zero to (a paper’s thickness of) the wasteboard, and then run my roughing pass. I can swap cutters, Nomad3 re-probes the new length, and continues on its way with the new cutter, using my original zero. Basically, it’s compensating for the different position of this cutter in the collet vs. the location of the first one. Very slick, and a much appreciated feature. However…

If I try to run a second part with the same Z zero (just on a different place on the stock) then even though the Nomad3 re-probes, the cutter position doesn’t seem to correlate with anything. My Z will be in a different spot, and it will air-cut or crash, depending on which way it’s off.

Maybe I’m missing a step here, but I don’t think the pre-roughing zero is working the same as the between-tool-changes zero. The zero between changes (of the same run) seem to calibrate perfectly each time. But the pre-roughing zero doesn’t seem to pick up the actual length of the tool correctly.

Anyone out there have success with running a job, jogging over on Y a bit, and running the same job again, without re-zeroing Z?

Previous gen Nomad own here. I haven’t had issues that I’ve seen on zeroing locations. I have known positions for locating pins, and will need to move x/y to put stock in those positions, while keeping Z the same. I’ve also been able to run the same part further up or along the same stock for some things. It got me in trouble once, when I forgot I had added some extra parts that would make the machine go outside it’s work area.

How are you setting these jobs up? Is it in carbide create? Can you put an example file up here?

I think I have a clue. Running a repeat job, I realized I probably skipped the option to “Load New Tool” before going from run #1 to run #2. I tried that this time, and it seems to have preserved my Z zero, even after the tool change.

Trusting the plunger probe at the job start didn’t work, but forcing a “Load New Tool” seems to make the Nomad3 save this setting.

Not sure if this is considered a bug, or user error. But maybe something that could be polished in CM to avoid future headaches.

Thanks!

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