I am looking for any information for using Mach 3 with a grinder. After facing the grinding wheel we need to set Z to zero so we can continue to grind. Is there a procedure that I am missing to do this routine? I found a couple of posts that mention that others are doing this but I can not find the posts.

Any help would be much appreciated.

Do a search as there was a person who was trying to use Mach for a surface grinder about a year or so ago.

RICH

I have been searching. I only come up with a post that says they have read about this, but no link.

Thanks,

Keith

After facing the wheel you could just reference the axis and that would make the axis zero.

The main problem with using Mach for a grinding machine is the rate of change to the grinding wheel  as compared to the stock removed.
You need to compensate for it before commanding an axis move. Such is the case if you want an automated operation.
I have never seen any data on somethng like that. I guess you could measure in real time and adjust accordingly in some way.
I don't recall any automated application of Mach to a grinding machine.

RICH

You do it just like a tool heigth reference. Use a switch like a good tool height setter.

After the refacing  go to the tool height position and reference home that axis to the switch. We do the same thing in plasma work to constantly find a new Z zero.

(;-) TP

OR are you looking to do it live with the spindle running???  Done that as well (;-)

(;-) TP

I am trying to do it with a live wheel. The wheel will be faced at some z level by a fixed diamond. Once the wheel is faced I want Z to be 0 so I can run the same program over again. If I can can automate my z ht by just setting a new tool ht from the current z position with out an operator keying in he information that would be great or hitting a button to set the ht.

Keith

It takes a small laser or led beam you probe down untill you break the beam. Then you auto set your Z to zero. 

(;-) TP

It was simpler than that when I got down to doing it.

Like I was saying the diamond we face with is fixed. It is always the same. After we face the wheel we want Z = zero so we can go back to work on the same part we were just grinding. G92Z0 takes care of that. Now we just grind away always knowing what the new diameter of the wheel is.

keith

There you go (;-)

Good Job, (;-)