Manual tool change + tool lengh touch off

First off, orangecat I really appreciate the work you put into this and sharing.

It doesn't seem to behave like I would expect. Here are the steps I'm doing. My tool table is completely blank (no tool sizes, offsets, etc.) just a tool number.

1. Load a drill bit in a collet into the tool holder. Machine thinks it has no tool
2. Place a 123 block on top of the vice so there is two inches between the tip of the drill bit and the 123 block. Touch off and call that Z0. Remove the 123 block so if something goes wrong the tool and block won't get damaged.
   
3. From the MDI call M600 (it simply returns, does nothing)
   
4. From MDI call M6 T1. I leave the drill bit in the tool holder since this first measurement is the reference.
   
5. The tip of the drill bit returns to the same spot, verified by sliding the 123 block underneath. TLO is 0
   
6. From the MDI call M6 T2. I swap in a shorter tool, a 1/4" endmill when prompted. It is measured, the tip returns to the same spot. TLO is -.94
   
7. From the MDI call M6 T3. I swap in an even shorter tool, a broken 1/8" endmill stub. It is measured, the tip is driven below the two inch location. TLO is -1.93 the Z location the tool stops at is listed as -.94, the same TLO of the previous tool.

Perhaps I'm misunderstanding something but I would expect tool 3 to return to the two inch, Z=0 location from the first tool. It's almost like the previous tool length offset is not being cleared before saving the Z height.

Thanks for reporting this problem library. Indeed, the code failed to place the tool back in exactly the same position after the 3rd tool change. I have updated the subroutines in the earlier post (to version 1.1) to correct for this problem and tested it for multiple tool changes with significant variations running both shorter and longer.

Thanks, it works perfectly now. It's very cool to only have to touch off once and then have it automatic from then on.

Thanks Orangecat ! very good !

Orangecat, excellent work, thank you very much! It work's perfectly on my machine.

Hello,

a huge thanks to Orangecat for the script - I was looking forever for something like this.

I only have the problem that it doesn't behave within a .ngc-file like it does when I use it with only MDI.

Maybe someone has an idea, as I have tried everything and just can't get it right. It either mills in the air or rams into the workpiece...

So this is my procedure:
1. Insert the first tool of the job-file
2. Touch the tool of on top of the workpiece to set Z0
3. Load the job-ngc-file
4. Hit M600
5. Start the job-file
6. Within the job.file I have a M6 command so it ask to insert the tool (already inserted and touched off the workpiece)
7. The job-file M6 command triggers the touch off
8. Milling is correct
9. Next M6 command within the job-file
10. Z-height is wrong - either milling in the air or way below the original Z0

This is a file I used for example

Is there anything wrong with the .ngc-file that needs to be changed (post-processor) or is my order of touching off, etc. wrong?
Your help is truly appreciated!!!

Thanks & regards,
Hancock

Hi Hancock,
Does the next M6 command, prompt for the new tool, pause, and then do a touch-off?

Actually reading this, something isn't right. Perhaps the sequence for M600 is wrong. I always issue M600 in the MDI before loading the file and running it. At the first M6, it should not pause and prompt for a tool change. If it does, that's because M600 did not work as the first M6 after M600 should only do a touch-off without a tool change pause/prompt.

orangecat wrote:

Actually reading this, something isn't right. Perhaps the sequence for M600 is wrong. I always issue M600 in the MDI before loading the file and running it. At the first M6, it should not pause and prompt for a tool change. If it does, that's because M600 did not work as the first M6 after M600 should only do a touch-off without a tool change pause/prompt.

It actually does always pause and prompt for a tool change at the first M6 of the job file. Even if I would have inserted the correct Tx via MDI before (I also issued the M600 before loading the tool).
With every next M6 it also pauses and prompts for the tool change.

Thanks Orangecat for your reply and help so far!!

I'd check the installation, to ensure there isn't some problem with the way the M600 command has been configured (maybe the filename is incorrect, or the file is missing...) It's almost certainly the case that the g-code that should be associated with M600 is not being run.