Zeros and Tool Lengths

[furloic0523]

Hey all,

Im new to CNCs and CAM softwares. Most of everything I know is self-taught with OTJ. For the past year or so Ive been using the VPS software on my Haas VF-6 here at work. Its starting to slow me down so I hopped on Fusion 360 to get complicated pieces done faster. Sadly, everybody is too busy to give this 20 year old some assistance. To the point, my machine doesnt have any sort of probing or height setter, which is giving me a hard time with "writing" these programs. What would I have to do to get my tooling heights to cooperate? The way I have been doing things previously (for VPS) is touching off my blocks with paper between the tool and my z-axis on the block, but i cant seem to make that work with the program. Any solutions?

[engineguy]

@furloic0523 

Young fella eh? Well OK, maybe this will help 🙂

As far as I am aware there is nothing in Fusion that will help with you setting Tool Length Offsets in your HAAS Control, the software will output an H** number that calls up the correct tool offset, for example if you have set Tool#1 for an operation then you will likely get an H1 in your code, this will call up the "Tool Length Offset" for Tool#1 that you have manually "touched off" at the machine and set in the tool library, so setting an actual tool length in Fusion is not transferred to the code, it is purely for Simulation purposes.

[Richard.stubley]

@furloic0523,

I'm sure you will only be a few posts away from getting up and running. 

Without diving too deep to start with, just checking ate you numbering the tools in fusion to match the number they are on the machine with the relative lengths stored in the tool table. 

[furloic0523]

After reading you solution, I believe my issue is that I dont have a way to Zero out my Z-axis currently. Im still new when it comes to this sort of thing. Ill ask one of my superiors if there is a special edge-finder for the z-axis.

[Richard.stubley]

All you really need is a reference tool.

There are a few ways to do this.

However this would be my suggestion.
Get one of these, far nicer than using paper and will save you taking the edge off your cutters so will pay for its self 🙂
https://www.mscdirect.com/product/details/28543114

Put this on your machine bed:
Get tool 1
Lower it down till the unit reds 0 (or it grabs the paper)
Hit "tool offset meas"
Your tool length is now set

Move the tool over to where your Z zero is set on the part.
Again lower the tool down till the unit reads 0 (or the paper grips)
Now make sure you are in the G offset you want to set and in the Z box in the table
Hit Part Zero set.
This will now set that position as Z zero.
However you need to compensate for the tool length.
So look in the tool table at tool 1 (or whatever tool you used)
and now minus this length from the value in the Z work offset.
(You can do this with the tool length compensation active but personally I feel that is more work)

Now set all the tools you need

Make sure your WCS in Fusion is set to the same point as on the machine.

Cycle start and enjoy 🙂


That was a really brief write up but hopefully helps. We will get you up and running!!!!