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s offset can be measured, the tool must be listed in the Tool Data Table.

Below is an outline of the offset measurement process as set out in the main menu item "Measure the Tool Offsets".

                              
Step 1
Hold a billet of material (50 to 60mm square) in the machine vice.
Mount the 40mm shell cutter in the milling head.
Shut the mill door.
Start the cutter rotating at about 1000rpm
Using manual control of the X, Y and Z axes, skim the top of the billet flat by taking a light cut (say 0.5mm) across its surface.
Stop the spindle.
Remove the cutter.

                              

Step 2
Lay a strip of thin paper on top of the billet.
Use manual control of the axes to bring the rim of the milling head spindle down to just nip the paper against the billet. The paper must still move when pulled.
Click

to zero the Z axis.

                              

Step 3
Mount, in the milling head, the tool whose offset is to be measured.
Lay a strip of thin paper on top of the billet.
Use manual control of the axes to bring the tool down until it just nips the paper. The paper must still move when pulled.
Click

to record the measurement.

Repeat Step 3 if there are other tools to be measured.

Important
At no point in this process should the X, Y or Z axis hit an end stop. If this does happen start the process again from scratch.

Opti-Set
While nipping strips of paper works quite well as an offset measuring technique it does have drawbacks. For example: there is risk of damage to the end of a cutter if it is accidentally brought down heavily on to a hard datum surface; there is risk of inaccuracy if a small diameter cutter is pressed into a soft datum surface.

                              

Opti-Set is an optical setting device available in two forms: vertical and horizontal. The vertical version is used with a mill.

The device is switched on, by turning the knurled ring, and a green LED illuminates. The device is placed on the datum surface and used instead of the strip of paper in the steps outlined above.

First the the rim of the milling head spindle is brought down, a single step at a time, on to the Opti-Set plunger until the green LED goes out and the red LED comes on. A single step is all that is needed for the colours to change. If you overshoot the change, lift the head several millimetres and then come down again more carefully, a step at a time. The Z axis is then zeroed.

                              

Then the bottom cutting edge of a tool is bought down on to the Opti-Set plunger, a step at a time, until the red LED comes on. The tool offset is then recorded.

Opti-Set costs £99 plus postage and packing and VAT (price as at May 2002).

Order as:
Opti-Set V