How does a CNC milling machine perform tool setting? In large-scale CNC machining, so-called tool setting essentially involves measuring the offset distance between the program origin and the machine origin, then setting the coordinates of the program origin in the machine coordinate system with the tool tip as the reference. Tool setting is a primary operation and an important skill in numerical control (NC) processing. Under certain conditions, the accuracy of tool setting can determine the machining accuracy of parts, and at the same time, the efficiency of tool setting directly affects the efficiency of NC processing. It's not enough to just know the methods of tool setting; one must also be familiar with various tool-setting configurations of the CNC system, as well as how these settings are called in the machining program. Additionally, one should understand the advantages, disadvantages, and application conditions of different tool-setting methods.
Generally speaking, in large-scale CNC machining, the programming for numerical control and the actual machining on the machine tool are carried out separately. The NC programmer selects a convenient coordinate system and its origin based on the design drawings of the part, which we call the program coordinate system and program origin. The program origin usually coincides with the process or design benchmark of the part, hence it is also referred to as the workpiece origin.
After powering on a large-scale CNC lathe, a return-to-zero (reference point) operation must be performed. Its purpose is to establish a unified benchmark for position measurement, control, and display in the CNC lathe. This point is known as the machine origin, and its location is determined by the machine's position sensor. Since the position of the tool (tool tip) relative to the machine origin remains fixed after returning to zero, for convenience in tool setting and machining, the position of the tool tip after the machine returns to zero can be considered as the machine origin. The programmer compiles the running trajectory of the tool (tool tip) according to the coordinate data in the program coordinate system. Due to the existence of X-direction and Z-direction offset distances between the initial position of the tool tip (machine origin) and the program origin, the actual position of the tool tip has the same offset distance as the programmed instruction position. Therefore, this distance needs to be measured and set into the CNC system so that the system adjusts the motion trajectory of the tool tip accordingly.
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