Hello Guys,
I know that the common thing to have is tool offsets in the Z direction, in order to accommodate different tool lengths in the same spindle.
But if you have two spindles in your Z carriage, or maybe two different processes... for example, a drill head and a plasma.

Is it possible to program an offset in X, Y and Z, for the secondary process, and just call for a toolchange?

for example:
Primary process - Plasma
secondary process - spot drill.

the spot drill is 1" offseted in X, and 2"offseted in Y, and 1/2" offseted in Z in relation to the plasma torch.

Could you just call the plasma head T1 and the drill head T2, and just call for the toolchange to switch from one process to the next?

regards
Fernando

You could call one G54 and the other G55

Graham

so work offsets are equivalent to tool offsets...

ok, noted!

thanks a lot
Fernando

Work offsets set up individual datums that can be used in many ways.

Lets say that your datum point for your torch is at X4.0 Y2.0 and Z-3. you would set these figures into G54 then in G55 you would put X5.0 Y4. Z-3.5 or what ever the centre distances were.

Then if you were using the torch the gcode would be started with G54 and if you are going to use the drill you would command G55.

You can change from one to the other at any point except with in a G52 local offset.

Your height offsets can be global or local to a particular work offsets.

Graham