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Other Stuff => Your other hobbies => Topic started by: EL34 on October 15, 2010, 12:41:32 pm

Title: Adding a probe to Mach3 to find centers and edges of material
Post by: EL34 on October 15, 2010, 12:41:32 pm
I have been wanting to do this for a while and finally got around to it.

I set up the Probe function in Mach3 to find centers and edges of work pieces.
Man, this makes it so much easier than how I was doing it.

Check out my page here for details, bigger pics and more info
http://www.el34world.com/Misc/Cnc/CNC17.htm

Here's a YouTube video of it in action finding the Z surface and the center of a small aluminum reflector


(http://www.el34world.com/Misc/Cnc/images/IMG_6148_small1.gif)
Title: Re: Adding a probe to Mach3 to find centers and edges of material
Post by: tubesornothing on October 15, 2010, 12:50:57 pm
Nice!  I like how it rapids back to its known point before trying to find the edge for the opposite side.
Title: Re: Adding a probe to Mach3 to find centers and edges of material
Post by: simonallaway on October 15, 2010, 12:51:20 pm
Does the irregular shape of a drill bit affect the accuracy of this technique?
Title: Re: Adding a probe to Mach3 to find centers and edges of material
Post by: EL34 on October 15, 2010, 12:57:46 pm
Quote
Does the irregular shape of a drill bit affect the accuracy of this technique?

I don't run drill bits, the picture is of a 1/8" diamter end mill.

Maybe a two flute bit, but remember that the tool has spirals
So as long as the spirals are deep enough down, you probably don't have to worry about it.

On the four flute bits, it's not that big of a deal at all.

Anyway, I run it twice or three times to get an average
I turn the spindle just a bit each time I run the routine.
Title: Re: Adding a probe to Mach3 to find centers and edges of material
Post by: supro66 on November 21, 2010, 06:30:34 am
As an inspector in a machine shop I have been doing the same thing for years for a set up

Zeiss CMM