ACU-RITE MILLPWR 3 Axes - Manual (Page 32)

DRO
MILLPWR ®
Operation Manual 2-9
Establishing Datum
Datum, also known as workpiece zero or absolute zero, is a point of reference that
MILLPWR bases all of your part's coordinates from.
Datum will need to be established for every job. Datum's location may be indicated on
your print; if it's not, establish a datum that allows you to enter most of the part's dimen-
sions directly, with the least amount of calculations.
When establishing datum, you may find it easiest to locate a known point on each axis,
such as the edge of the part or a location on the vise or fixture.
Refer to the procedure below as a basic guide for establishing datum. You may decide to
"touch off" using an electronic edge finder, a mechanical edge finder or a tool. Datum
may be set at a point on the top surface or a position above or beneath the surface. X
and Y datum may be set on an edge, or offset into or off of an edge, or where there's no
material present (such as in the center of a circular part) do what's easiest for your par-
ticular job.
MILLPWR will retain datum even after your system has been powered down.
See “Recalling A Datum”.
Note: When the “Datum” menu appears, you will also be asked to establish a Z-axis
retract position. The Z-axis retract position is the position that the quill returns to
between program steps (refer to Conventions located in Section 1).
To establish datum:
Where and how datum is established will vary from job to job. The following is one of
the most common methods of establishing datum. These basic principles can be applied
when setting datum for your parts, making adjustments to the procedure as needed.
First establish datum at the corner where the left, front and top surfaces of the part inter-
sect. This is accomplished by "touching" each face with the tool that is being used for
cutting.
Define datum one axis at a time. Begin here with the X-axis:
• From the DRO screen, press the DATUM softkey.
• Insert the tool.