Tool Measurement Problem

[Kerry Fullington]

Does the tool sensor have a problem measuring small, sharp tools. I have been setting up profiles in PanelMetrix this weekend and have one tool, a 3/16" radius ovolo with a 1/16" tip that doesn't seem to measure properly. the other tools to cut this profile work fine but this tool when set to cut 3/16" deep in PanelMetrix never touches the part, floating approx. 1/4" above it. The code in PanelMetrix shows a Z-0.185. I have to enter bogus depths in PanelMetrix for this tool to make it work.

I tried re-measuring the tool and after, I had to change all my previous settings entered for that tool in PanelMetrix to get proper cuts. Everything leads to that tool not measuring properly. The .5" compression and the 1" flute that are also used in this profile work fine with depth settings in PanelMetrix.

[Will Williamson]

No, that has not been my experience with small sharp tools. I do make sure the tool sensor in clean underneath which requires taking it apart every once in awhile but most of the time I just blow underneath with air. Any variations are in thousands of an inch not a quarter inch
First I would prove my tool daylight settings by manual touch off as compared to tool sensor measurements if those are not within a couple of thousands of being the same your Set Spoil dimension in the M999 macro is off
I verify all this in control nesting by cutting a small Square and calling each tool as a outline tool.
Then if those are correct you can start looking at Tool Setting, Control Nest Settings or Panel Matrix setting.
More than likely it is operator error. Good Luck

[Kerry Fullington]

Will,

You are probably correct about user error but I haven't located it yet.

All four tools used in this profile were measured just prior to this set up and the ovolo is tho only one giving any trouble. It will be a week or so before I will have a chance to play with it again.

Kerry

[Josh Rayburn]

Kerry,
You could change the daylight value of the tool manually "on the fly" as you are machining, this would be a lot simpler than messing with Panelmatrix and re-coding everything. I don't know what could cause that kind of discrepancy (sonuds like it WAY off), but it is common for sharp tools (like a V tool for example) to be as much as .02" off when measuring.
jnr

[Kerry Fullington]

Thanks Josh,

Keith and I discussed this as an option Saturday when we were tweaking the PanelMetrix files. That is what he opted to do but I find it unacceptable. One of these door profiles uses 13 different tool paths, 8 of them with the tool in question. I want to know why it is not working properly. Something like this will come back and bite you when you are the busiest.
We had 7 different door profiles to set up Saturday so I didn't have much time to look at the problem. I am going to look closer at it this week when I not under pressure.

I remembered hearing that there could be a problem when measuring sharp tools but the .02 you mentioned in measuring the tool would not be a problem. I think there will always be a little tweaking to get things perfect after any tool change. My problem is at least 1/4" off.

[Josh Rayburn]

It's definitely a strange one Kerry - was that one separate file or was it part of a big piece of code? Is it possible that you forgot to change a wasteboard thickness or something like that?

[Brad McIntosh]

Kerry,

In Panelmetrix there is the TOOL ID use throughout the program to reference the items in Pmetrix' Tool Library and then there is the "Tool Call" setting for each tool. This is the number that Panelmetrix will actually use in the output NC code. Usually this is defined to be the same as the internally used TOOL ID, but occasionally it gets overlooked and a mix up can occur.

Can you make sure that the tool you are referencing and the one that is being output is the same as the tool that you are measuring (as in the same T#).

(* If this isn't the issue then I am really stymied! )

[Will Williamson]

The thing that messed you up the most was thinking that the machine measured the tool wrong. these measurements can be proved in control Nesting.
Is it possible the tool was incorrectly specified as a straight tool? there fore it held the tool away from the work surface the amount of the radius.
Stuff like this only happens to me on the week end when you do not have access to Thermwood tech support

[Kerry Fullington]

Brad,

I am not where I can check it today but I think you probably nailed it. I placed the ovolo cutter in position 5 which had tool #5 in it. I used this for the tool call in PanelMetrix when my ovolo is actually tool #13. I have been measuring tool 13 and trying to cut with tool 5 which isn't on the machine any more.

This was a sharp tool measurement problem. the guy measuring the tool isn't too sharp.

Kerry

[Kerry Fullington]

I finally had the chance today to check this out and Will was correct (User Error) and Brad was also correct that I had PanelMetrix calling the wrong tool.
Fixed the tool setup and all is working great and I learned something

Thanks for all the help.

Kerry