I am hoping someone here can help me. I have to use some cutter compensation in one of my programs ( the radius cutter had to be replaced, now it has a larger diameter) I have read the manual and can't seem to get it to work. Here is the first part of the program. Can someone suggest what I need to do?


G20
G0 G17 G40 G49 G80 G90
(.625 X .125 RADIUS TOOL)
T9 M6
G0 G90 G54 X4.9688 Y.242 S305 M3
G43 H9 Z1.5 M8
Z.1
G1 Z-.266 F10
X.125
G3 X-.242 Y-.125 R.367
...


I know that I need to set the offset value in the tool page GEOM (D) Which I did. I also think I need a G42 D09 to get the offset working. I have tried many different versions and still can not seem to get it to work. Any ideas?

Need a little more info .Are you cutting an inside rad or outside rad. You did not turn the cutter comp on or use the D in the program.What kind of tool are you using.
A rad. tool or a end mill.

Java,

Let's assume you're climb cutting with a right-hand tool. You'll need a G41 to compensate to the left side of the path. You must be in G00 or G01 to turn comp on or off (can't be in G02/G03).

G20
G0 G17 G40 G49 G80 G90
(.625 X .125 RADIUS TOOL)
T9 M6
G0 G90 G54 X4.9688 Y.242 S305 M3
G43 H9 Z1.5 M8
Z.1
G1 Z-.266 F10
G41 X.125 D09 (TURN COMP ON LEFT)
G3 X-.242 Y-.125 R.367
...
...
...
...
G01 G40 X4.9688 (TURN COMP OFF)

Tim,

It is an outside radius with a radius cutter the tool path moves from right to left so I guess I would need to shift the path to the right on the Y axis.

Dcoupar,

I will try this. I knew about being in G1 or G0 to tunr on, I tried this in the G0 right after the T9 M6 and got nothing. I will try this on Monday, although I think I need to switch to a G42. Another one of those joys of not being the guy that wrote the program and of course he is long gone.

Thnaks for your help.

It may help not to turn comp on during a G0, as G0 often will cancel radius compensation on some cnc's, or the move itself will not be compensated, so extra lead in and lead out would be required to permit the tool to shift from tool center to tool tangent to the toolpath whenever it reverts back to G1.

Thanks guys, that did the trick. I had a couple of " Interference in CRC " errors but I was able to work through those.