Haimer 3D - Calibration Problems

[uli12us]

Are you sure, you have no spindle or toolholder problem. Maybe a little chip that is clamped between spindle and toolholder.

[Neale]

I know about the "autoleveller" software that will probe the surface of a piece of work and modify gcode so that depths are accurately referenced to the real surface of the work and not where the surface should be.

Is there an equivalent that anyone's written (Mach3 add-on?) that would do the equivalent for second-operation work? Clamp the work down without needing too much care, probe a few reference points, and then modify the toolpath to allow for misalignment (mainly rotation, I guess). After all, with CNC machines, we don't really need to align work with a fixed table axis in the same way as with manual machines (he says, having been clocking bits of aluminium plate this evening for coordinate drilling hole patterns).

[uli12us]

If you have a good control SW, than you can enter a turn of your part in each axe.
But thats not as good as you clamp your part parallel to X-Z.
You'll see the small steps, when the control correct the position, against a move only in 1 axe.
And a autoleveller works best with a switched 3D-Tester, because you can move, and the control automatically stops and take the measure if the switch is actuated.
With a manually operated tool you must take over each measure manually.

[matt-b2]

Are you sure, you have no spindle or toolholder problem. Maybe a little chip that is clamped between spindle and toolholder.

Hi uli12us, no - There is no noticeable run-out on the Haimer's shaft when it is in the collet holder, but the run out on the probe can be visibly out (1-2mm) only a day after calibration. I alway keep the collets and spindle clean - Never have a problem with end mill run out.

[komatias]

Hi uli12us, no - There is no noticeable run-out on the Haimer's shaft when it is in the collet holder, but the run out on the probe can be visibly out (1-2mm) only a day after calibration. I alway keep the collets and spindle clean - Never have a problem with end mill run out.

Matt,

can you run us through your process a bit more?

What spindle taper do you have on the machine? R8 MT-3, ISO?

Are you using a single collet chuck that you torque-untorque each time and replace endmills or drills with the haimer?

If you can spare it, se aside one collet chuck and use it only for the haimer. That way it is clean and will be as repeatable as possible (not trying to teach you anything you don't already know)

Was helping a lad out that had bought a 20mm LED/Beeping type edge finder by Vertex. He had it in a ER40 collet chuck and was also seeing massive runouts due to the length of the tool, basically the taper of the collet and that of the chuck were out and could be tweaked by hand. Once the tool was tweaked, it was fine...until he rammed it into the side of a vice