Interesting issue today with the Z axis touch off puck

[mrnewman]

I had an issue pop up today related to the Z axis touch off puck that I thought I would share in case anybody else has experienced the same.  I was performing a tool set on Z before cutting a grid into my spoil board.  I was using a fairly new and very sharp 60 deg v-bit at the time, but I have seen something similar on other sharper bits.  When the spindle reversed after touching off the puck for just a moment it kind the puck seem to "stick" to the tool bit and almost instantly dropped off and everything continued on normally.  When I started to run the grid program it was set to run a profile path at .03" depth but to my surprise it went back and forth a few times not even touching the board.  I stopped the program and re-home it so I could think about what went wrong.  After deciding that the stuck puck did not record the zero until it dropped off and open the tool set circuit thereby resulting in z being set above the actual spoil board.  That would lead to my program running above the board vs cutting into it.  I reset the Z manually and re-ran the grid program and everything ran perfectly.  So pay attention if it appears your puck moves slightly while doing the tool set because it may not be recording the proper Z zero point.  Fortunately the error resulted in my spindle hovering above the board vs going the other way.  Just a heads up to everyone if you had not seen this before.

[gerry]

It sounds like you are lowering the Z too fast for a toolset.

I have a B18+ controller for a Axiom Pro V5. I have my TOOLSET SPEED set to 150. This slows the descent of the bit onto the puck greatly. I lower the Z at full speed NEXT TO THE PUCK (for reference height), then move the puck under bit and hit TOOLSET. Measure your puck height with accurate calipers and set CAD THICKNESS appropriately.

This is fast and it doesn't slam your bit into the puck.

[mrnewman]

Thanks for the info. I'm just starting to dig into the menu and advance functions. Looking at the manual I see where this is setup so I will take a look at this setting tomorrow and adjust accordingly.

[zaxis4]

I have had this issue also. I have found that if while setting Z if you press the tool too hard into the workpiece or the spoil board or in your case the puck it causes the calibration for "All Axis Home" to be inaccurate. The Z setting is always too high. What causes pressing the tool into the work too hard you say!!! This is what happened to me with my new V5. I was not used to the fast and slow mode on the controller. When setting Z, you are changing modes to zero in on XY or to set Z=0. Well.......if i got in a hurry or careless you could think you are in "slow" mode when you are in "fast" and OOPS!!! you stick the bit into the workpiece. This almost always causes the "home" calibration to get out of adjustment and "All Home" must be done again in order for Z to work again. It only takes a time or two and you catch on quick!!

I have found that if I really want to be accurate for Z=0 I use a piece of paper. It is much more accurate when you want a pocket to be exactly the depth it is supposed to be. It seems to me that while the puck is fast and convenient, there seems to be a "bounce" or some phenomenon, that causes it to be a little bit inaccurate now matter how slow it is approached by the bit.

[gerry]

Jan 14, 2022 13:36:15 GMT -5 zaxis4 said:

I have found that if I really want to be accurate for Z=0 I use a piece of paper. It is much more accurate when you want a pocket to be exactly the depth it is supposed to be. It seems to me that while the puck is fast and convenient, there seems to be a "bounce" or some phenomenon, that causes it to be a little bit inaccurate now matter how slow it is approached by the bit.

Two points....

Slowing down the descent of the Z gives you a much more accurate reading. It will stop the 'bounce' and pitting of the puck. Lower the TOOLSET SPEED.

Calibrate your puck!!! They do not come from the factory anywhere near accurate. Check the puck with a good set of calipers and set CAD THICKNESS. Iterate through the settings until you get a repeatable and ACCURATE setting. Setting this once will last a long time.

[zaxis4]

My point.....

Paper is accurate....use the puck for convenience and speed. If you want to slow down the tool set to the speed of watching paint dry. By all means do it. I am only making a suggestion and what works for me. I do not claim to be an authority by any means.

[joeblow]

Definitely slow your toolset speed down and calibrate your puck if you plan on using it.

Couple years ago I did an interesting experiment regarding the puck. I did 10 separate toolsets, each time with the puck in the same location utilizing the same bit. If I recall I used a .25” ballnose. After each toolset I raised Z up to the limit and wrote the Z height number down. Rinse and repeat. Only 2-3 times was that number the same. The difference between the low and high was .008” if I recall correctly. At any rate it was 2-3 manual movements in slow on the HHC for an AR6 which moves .1mm (.004”) with each click.

Certainly not enough to lose sleep over unless your doing repetitive work that required consistent and accurate fitting parts which I was doing at the time. Moved onto using paper to set my Z and never looked back. Oh and I did perform the same test with the paper method and each time the reading was exactly the same. I mic the paper I use and it is .004” which, once again, happens to be the amount of manual movement I can initiate on the HHC.

Often times I really don't leave enough material behind to utilize the puck with tools changes unless, of course, I'm setting Z to the spoilboard.

[zaxis4]

Exactly!! That is what I found out. Some of the techs at Axiom suggest paper also.

[jgarciaa]

Jan 12, 2022 20:49:55 GMT -5 mrnewman said:

I had an issue pop up today related to the Z axis touch off puck that I thought I would share in case anybody else has experienced the same.  I was performing a tool set on Z before cutting a grid into my spoil board.  I was using a fairly new and very sharp 60 deg v-bit at the time, but I have seen something similar on other sharper bits.  When the spindle reversed after touching off the puck for just a moment it kind the puck seem to "stick" to the tool bit and almost instantly dropped off and everything continued on normally.  When I started to run the grid program it was set to run a profile path at .03" depth but to my surprise it went back and forth a few times not even touching the board.  I stopped the program and re-home it so I could think about what went wrong.  After deciding that the stuck puck did not record the zero until it dropped off and open the tool set circuit thereby resulting in z being set above the actual spoil board.  That would lead to my program running above the board vs cutting into it.  I reset the Z manually and re-ran the grid program and everything ran perfectly.  So pay attention if it appears your puck moves slightly while doing the tool set because it may not be recording the proper Z zero point.  Fortunately the error resulted in my spindle hovering above the board vs going the other way.  Just a heads up to everyone if you had not seen this before.

Consider exploring the Monport laser for its reputation for being user-friendly, high-quality, and affordable. Unfortunately, I can't access external websites like monportlaser.com/collections/co2-laser-engravers/products/monport-40w-lightburn-ready-12-x-8-co2-laser-engraver-cutter-with-fda-approval?sca_ref=5031521.ka374VZjm3 Regarding the issue with the Z-axis touch-off puck, it's essential to pay attention if it appears to move slightly during the tool set process, as it may not record the proper Z zero point. This can result in unexpected behavior during CNC operations, as experienced in your case. Make sure to manually reset the Z-axis if needed to ensure accurate positioning before running your programs. Additionally, regular maintenance and inspection of your CNC setup can help prevent such issues from occurring in the future.