How do you register material on your machine

[TTalma]

Just as the title says how do you register material on your CNC. I am referring to it's placement from X,Y,Z zero point.

Do you just fix it to the table, move your axis to a point, and set that as zero?

Do you have registration pins, bars, or something else to make sure your 0 point is always in the same place?

I plan to make some fixtures and am looking for the best way to make sure I always place them at the same point each time.

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[ger21]

A couple different ways.

I have location fences along X0 and Y0, and use cam clamps to hold my parts against the fences.
I home the machine before machineing the fences, so they are at machine zero.
I just turn on the machine, home it, place the part against the fence, and cut.

I also have threaded inserts in my table, and a layout of the holes in my drawing template. So I can also bolt parts to the table through holes, and know exactly where they are on the table. (I'll first use the fences to drill mounting holes in the stock)


On our work machine, we have pop up pins to locate sheets.

It's a 5x12 table, and I also engrave a 4x8 outline, and use that to locate smaller parts.

If I need precise locations, I'll place a sheet on the vacuum table, and route a fence in it to locate parts. I don't turn the vacuum off until I finish, which can make it difficult to remove parts.

[TSJ]

Does anyone have a model number for the pop up pins ger21 mentioned?

[fretman_2]

I don't have homing switches...never have used them (I have them and plan on installing them one day). I sometimes set zero (X,Y and Z) in the center of the part and have the machine return to X0, Y0 after cutting just in case I need to recut deeper. Sometimes I set zero based on a location that I can easily go back to on the part (such as a corner, etc). In this instance I'll use an analog volt meter set to ohms and a piece of aluminum of known thickness. Then attach a lead to the aluminum and a lead to the bit. Then get close to the part and move the spindle in thousands of an inch until the bit touches the aluminum and the meter moves. Then I set either X0 or Y0. After that set Z0 and I'm good to go. Good enough for most guitar parts.

I've rarely had any problem doing it that way cutting the 2D parts I cut.