I am using a PCNC1100MX in a Makerspace setting. There are multiple users for the machine, each of us using different tools.
Is there a best practice when it comes to numbering tools in Path Pilot used by multiple people? My tool 10 is probably entirely different than anothers Tool 10 - yet Path Pilot only knows Tool Numbers. It doesn’t appear that the tool number list gets reset with different program loads. (I am new at this so I may have this incorrect, please advise if so)
Looking for the best way to set up the machine being used by ten different people.
One approach for your problem might be to import/export the entire tool table for each user so they aren’t forced to a numbering scheme…you store each user’s tool offsets and tool numbering in a file that’s stored on the controller…
I’d like to hear more from others on how they are partitioning 1000 numbers for best organization practices, though…
I use a lot of micro drills so I reserved # 2-98 for drill sizes .02-0.98 same as the number. Then 100-899 are the first 3 digits of the end mill code which works pretty well as the carbide product codes have almost a completely random numbering system as far as I can tell. 900-999 are special tools, slitting saws, MCD, insert mills and weird stuff like wooden dowels and experiments.
If your running cad programs you don’t need the tool table filled out. You can just load your program measure all the tools and go. If you’re doing conversational that’s when the descriptions are needed.
I use a lot of micro drills so I reserved # 2-98 for drill sizes .02-0.98 same as the number.
I initially thought when I read this that you were putting the standard numbered drills in 1-80 but you are putting the actual size drill into the first 98 tools, which isn’t the case for numbering them by standard drill numbers 1-80, as the size doesn’t correlate to the number. If I was to do it that way, then what to do with letter drills and then the numeric imperial and metric sizes.
Seems like we should have an updated machine control language since we aren’t putting programs in on punch cards and using 1950’s computing technology when it was first implement to move us away from numbers as the “primary key” to something more descriptive…but I guess this is filed under “if it ain’t broken, don’t fix it”…
Metric/SI units…why must you make so much sense compared to our silly Imperial units…and why can’t we break free of them and daylight savings time in the US…
When I Setup my machines I use the following standard, but when I use a shared machine I number my tools in the 300s to not overlap. If you don’t have one I recommend getting an ETS to encourage everyone to touch off their own tools. I have also seen maker spaces that have a policy that you have to tear down tooling when you are done with it.
1-9 Aluminum
10-19 Steel
20-29 misc drills
30-49 odd ball and inserted tooling
I tend to use the same tools over and over so this works for me and night now lend well to other work flows.