Vf2 probing and work offsets

Hey guys. So I've got thrown in the deep end here a bit at my new job. Out milling guy no longer works here and I'm left trying to figure out how to run our Haas vf2. I have a little milling experience on a Hurco at an old job.

This machine has a tool probe and work probe. The work probe is pretty self explanatory, I touch and it zeroes that axis. I'm a little confused on the tool probe though. It's mounted on the table, and when I touch off it does...something, but how does it relate to the work zero? I don't know where the tool probe zero is, do I? Does this make any sense?

The tool probe measures from the gage line to the tool tip and writes that as a positive (should be anyways) offset into the tool offset page. In your tool offset page, assuming you have the standard Haas probe OMP40 or something like that, you should see a positive 5.xxx for the length of the probe.

WIPS - The Haas Wireless Intuitive Probing System - YouTube

Watch this. The Haas website has a wealth of well done videos to walk you through most anything.

The tool probe is calibrated by a tool of known length.(as measured from the face of the spindle to the tip of the tool)

When you measure your tools, the lengths are recorded as length from the face of the spindle to the tool tip. (positive tool offset)

Your work probe is calibrated the same way.

When you measure your work in Z it will calculate the distance from spindle face to work (allowing for the length of the spindle probe) and put that number in G54 (or whatever WCS you tell it to)

When you call up tool changes and tool offsets it does the same thing. It takes the number in G54 (large neg.) allows for the tool length (positive number) and moves the resulting amount.

ie:

G54 Z-16.000
Tool offset 1 = 6.000

code :

G54 X0 Y0
G43 H1 Z1.0

This will take the -16.000 in G54 and add the 6.000 for tool 1 for a total of -10.000 to the face of your work.

Since it's programmed to go to Z1.0, the distance to go should be -9.000.

You can double check this stuff with a tape measure.

I touched off an endmill and the tool offset is 4.695. That sound correct?

Edit: oops didn't see other replies, will need to look into it.

Thanks for the help, it makes sense now and machine is running!

Another question while I'm here. In the Offsets page, when I'm putting numbers in, it won't let me type in a number directly, I have to type in a number relative to what's in there, for example if I'm changing a tool from a 1/2 drill to a 1/8 drill, I can't type .125 for the size, I need to type -.375. Is this normal? Seems odd to me.

wdevine said:

Thanks for the help, it makes sense now and machine is running!

Another question while I'm here. In the Offsets page, when I'm putting numbers in, it won't let me type in a number directly, I have to type in a number relative to what's in there, for example if I'm changing a tool from a 1/2 drill to a 1/8 drill, I can't type .125 for the size, I need to type -.375. Is this normal? Seems odd to me.

Click to expand...

Yep. Enter key = add the value

F1 key = write, what you type in is what you get.