Questions about tool# and H#

Sounds like a recipe for a crash. What is wrong with Pathpilot's handling of tools not in the ATC as is?

snowgoer540 wrote:

I think I’m picking up what you’re putting down.

I don’t follow the use case for case 1 since they are 3 different tools. But I do follow having the same tool with different features at different Z offsets.

Linuxcnc can do that.

T1 M6 G43 H1
T1 M6 G43 H2
T1 M6 G43 H3

Would be tool 1 at three different offsets. But if I understand it correctly, it’s still not exactly what you’d be after since H2 and H3 correspond to T2 and T3’s offsets.

Unless I’m completely misinterpreting it. Admittedly I didn’t spend a ton of time on researching it …
 

[apologies to the OP if this side conversation is going off-track]

On a turret lathe the tool number is the pocket or index number.  Yes, there are three different tools - but you still have to command the lathe to rotate the turret to the correct position.

And once there you need different X/Z offsets for each tool in the gang block.

I'm not super familiar with LCNC's G43, but a quick read of the manual indicates you're absolutely correct on the "H" word after a G43.  It's not clear to me if that's just the Z offset, or all the offsets in the table for that tool number.  But I think you're right.

Having an H2, H3, Hn loaded in the tool table is exactly the right way to handle gang tools on a single turret position.  "Tool 1" corresponds with "turret position 1", and I suspect one would set up their table with tools #1 to #n corresponding with turret positions.  Tools after the highest turret position could be numbered #101-#199, #201-299, ect. for a somewhat logical brain-prompt. i.e.

T1 M6 G43 H101 calls turret position #1, with tool #101's offset.
T1 M6 G43 H102 switches to another tool in the same gang block.

Or some other scheme using variables/parameters might be set up in a remap.  A post processor might need some fairly significant tweaking so the CAM program makes sense to the user... but F360 (sort-of) permits calling tools using offsets which are not the tool number.


 

Lathe work is definitely not my strong suit, but I think I follow what you're explaining. I appreciate the extra effort on my behalf. I do have a Slant Pro, but I rarely use it.

I do still struggle to see the application in a mill, more specifically a Tormach one.
 

Vmax549 wrote:

A case comes to mind where the OP is doing prototype work and using a lot of tools NOT in the tool changer. Instead of unloading the ATC and reloading with the correct tools the OP simply manually changes tools and assigns the tool length offsets by changing the H#. The tool number stays the same and just the H# changes. This can save a ton of time when working on an unknwn prototype.

SO IF you knew the last H# and stored it away in a #param when it comes time to restart with the tool changer simply put back in the last Tool the ATC ran and input the saved H# and you are back in business. I know simply write it down ?? Yes but that is me working for the machine I prefere it the other way around (

( TP

I just don't follow the logic here on why you'd want to do that. You still have to enter the offset length into the offset table. The tool table has 1000 slots available, the ATC only holds 10. I think having the same tool with different H (offset length) numbers is a recipe for disaster. Perhaps I'm missing something?

I dont have a tool changer anymore (I found it to be unreliable and after dropping the third tool onto the table and shattering it, I decided to sell it), so all of my tool changes are manual. It's pretty simple to keep it straight, I set up my job ahead of time, most of my tools are reused, and any new ones, I prepare and plan for. I never mix T and H numbers, they always stay together. I have literally no idea how you'd keep it straight otherwise.

snowgoer540 wrote:

I do still struggle to see the application in a mill, more specifically a Tormach one.

 

Me, too.  The only mill-use case I can imagine on short notice is a combination tap-drill.  One of those things that has about an inch of drill flutes followed by 1/2" or so of tap threads.

I had a job a few years ago drilling & tapping 3 radial holes on a cylindrical part (think 2" OD pipe) where one of those would have been useful as heck.  Would have been hand-programming job to make sure it drilled through, retracted a little to give some accel time, and then started the G33 threading.  Even using my 4th axis one of those would have saved 10 seconds or so a part in tool changes.

Maybe using the "H" feature would have saved some tapping lead-in time for the tool. But, as someone pointed out, having a tool that's physically longer than your tool offset requires some care to avoid crashing.

It actually works very well. The guys I help use it ALL the time. It is a main stay to them. I have sat a watched it used AND it does save time for them.

And I know a LOT of people that use it that way.

NOW ME personally ?? I use matching H# T1 H1. My poor old pea brain can't handle the swapping around and sooner or later it will happen CRASH (

All the controllers I have used have allowed the mix/matching of H#