Setting ATC tools as a group

Tool touch off

Setting tool groups is a process of setting the cutting tools in the Automatic Tool Changer in relationship to each other. In order to do this you must choose what is called the lead tool. All tools from this point forward should not be changed or removed and only adjusted through the wear offsets page.

Only in the event of a broken or new tool will any modifications be made to the geometry offsets page.

To set up a machine tool in this manner it is no different than the touch off process that is normally used except for the tool you have decided to use a the lead tool. For this tool it is necessary to make the Z-axis geometry offset 0.0 and set the work offset at Z 0.0 on your part. Now, call up each tool and set the geometry offsets in the Z-axis as you normally would. 

All tools are now set in relationship to the lead tool. From now on only set the lead tool in the work offset at Z zero. You may offset for wear in the wear offsets page.

This is a great time saver. If you have a hundred tools in the ATC they are all set. Every set up now only requires that the lead tool be set.  

It sounds wonderful right. Why isn’t everybody doing this? This process is very error prone to untrained operators and those not used to the process. If your organization decides to switch over to this process then every machine tool should conform to these rules. It is very confusing if some machines are set up this way and others are not. One tool set up incorrectly on either type of set up could spell disaster. 

Make sure that your management team is on board and every employee knows of the change. Otherwise you are asking for trouble.