DRO Feature

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GlennW
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DRO Feature

Post by GlennW »

A couple years ago my Lathe DRO keypad failed from old age and the manufacturer now only had an updated control head, so that's what I got. I saw that it had a feature to accommodate numerous tools through a numbering system, but never really paid any attention to it.

This evening I needed to start on a handful of smaller parts, so I figured I would give it a try since I only needed three tools for the first operations and having never read the manual I figured it couldn't be that complicated to figure out.

Anyway, I chucked up the stock and eyeballed the stick out for the first part. Dropped the first tool onto the QCTP and called it Tool 0. Touched off, faced the end, set Z 0 and and then turned it to size. Drilled the stock. Set up the second tool and named it Tool 1, touched off and set Z 0 and bored the stock to size. Set up the third tool, Tool 2, touched off, set Z 0 and then parted the stock off to length. I thought that this was going to be a bit of a pain if I didn't index the stock to start, as I would be setting Z for each tool on all of the parts. Went on to extend the stock for the second part and touched off and faced with Tool 0 and set Z 0 and turned the part to size. Much to my surprise, when I dropped on the next too and checked Z 0 it was correct, and so was Tool 2. It turns out that when you touch off and set 0 on the first tool, (Tool 0 is apparently the Master tool) it recalculates all of the other stored tools so that they will also zero correctly!

My CNC mills index tools this way, but it never occurred to me that my lathe DRO would do the same for me. So basically, I could number and index a bunch of commonly used tools and only have to touch off and set Z 0 on one master tool and they will all be ready to go.

Perhaps I should have looked through the manual when I got this thing a couple years ago, because this is going to work well for me... :oops:
Glenn

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Bill Shields
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Re: DRO Feature

Post by Bill Shields »

It is really cool..my dro does that also...but is annoying to remember how to use...too many key strokes.

Like u said. I was making a bunch of parts that required 5 tools...

Almost made me feel like I was at work (software developer for a CAM company) and tool offsets are taken for granted except for dinosaur controls where you have to know and calculate pivot distances.
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GlennW
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Re: DRO Feature

Post by GlennW »

Mine is quite intuitive actually. Press the "tool" key, enter the tool number, press "enter".

It has a separate display window that indicates the current tool number.

I keep all of my tools in holders ready to drop onto the tool post, so setup to make a part will be quite quick.
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RSG
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Re: DRO Feature

Post by RSG »

Cool! All of this is assuming the tool post is not moved obviously, I have this feature but for the most part can't use it.

The parts I'm working on now for instance, the inside back-plates require sixteen tool changes which, would make this system ideal for saving time but six of them require compound angle set ups on the top slide along with angle changes for the tool post which would loose its orientation. Here's an example below for interest sake.

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GlennW
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Re: DRO Feature

Post by GlennW »

I would think that you could utilize it for most operations other than the angular cuts. (the first nine operations.
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Re: DRO Feature

Post by RSG »

Interesting, but after moving the compound and tool post everything would need to be reset on the DRO again would it not? The point of reference would be lost.
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GlennW
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Re: DRO Feature

Post by GlennW »

Not sure about yours. but you would have to reference the diameter settings again for all tools, but for Z offsets, only the first tool (master tool) would have to be referenced.

What if you devised a hard stop for the compound where all you had to do would be to swing it back against the stop to get back to the original setting after making the angular cuts?
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pete
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Re: DRO Feature

Post by pete »

Yep it's a handy built in feature on most of the more modern brand name dro's. My Mills Newall system also has it. Unfortunately with a R8 spindle your sort of locked into multiple ER collet chucks, end mill holders or something like the Tormach TTS or other quick change that has a repeatable Z position before you could properly use it for multiple parts. Unfortunately I'd lose way too much money in what I have for R8 tooling to now go with any quick change set up as nice as that would be.

On a lathe I think it also makes having a pretty decent Aloris, Dorian, Multi Fix, Tripan etc quick change set up just about mandatory. I don't think the cheapest off shore Aloris type clones will repeat close enough to where you can be all that confident in your exact tool point position. The correct dro can do it, but the tool post and holders at least with my cheap set probably can't. If you've got to move your tool post angle or compound. Then if? you could come up with a repeatable Z,Y axis position setting for a magnetic base and a dial indicator with an elephant's foot indicator tip some where on the lathe bed or against the cross slide it should be possible to get your master #1 tool back to a known position verses the lathe spindle C/L once you've repositioned back to your rough starting point. Since my lathe doesn't have a dro right now it's not something I've been able to try to completely figure out yet. Better might even be an indicators zeroed in each axis on the master #1 tool.
RSG
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Re: DRO Feature

Post by RSG »

pete wrote: Fri Jul 09, 2021 1:40 pm
On a lathe I think it also makes having a pretty decent Aloris, Dorian, Multi Fix, Tripan etc quick change set up just about mandatory. I don't think the cheapest off shore Aloris type clones will repeat close enough to where you can be all that confident in your exact tool point position.
I agree with you here, I have done the tests using my off shore tool post and while close its still out a few thou either way on repeatability. But for the roughing work it would be ok.
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RSG
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Re: DRO Feature

Post by RSG »

GlennW wrote: Fri Jul 09, 2021 12:30 pm What if you devised a hard stop for the compound where all you had to do would be to swing it back against the stop to get back to the original setting after making the angular cuts?
That's not a bad idea actually.

This years run I sort of did something along that line were I set up the first tool square to the chuck using the blade of the parting tool then dropped the other tools on the tool post and manually set them up once so as I cycled through a part the next tool was close to being accurate. It worked ok for the roughing phase but I still took a cut, zeroed the DRO and recalculate the final cuts for all critical measurements there after. I'm happy with a thou either way for most operations but the spool lip and bearing journal must be withing a few tenths for every part.
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Patio
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Re: DRO Feature

Post by Patio »

RSG I have one of the Dorian "Quadra" tool post holders. It will index every 15*. I have modified some import holders, by milling the corners off, so that it is usable. It uses larger tool holders than my normal QCTP, which I have many holders for. I have not used the Dorian enough to know how well it works.
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RSG
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Re: DRO Feature

Post by RSG »

Thanks Patio!

Looks like a great tool holder. I like that idea of the chambered corners to lock more than one in at a time. If I wasn't so invested in the current unit I have I'd consider that but I already have almost 40 holders now. Perhaps when I buy a 14x40 I'll look at this unit.
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