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Warning

MillMage is in active development and in a prerelease state. Many operations and functions are not feature complete. Please report any unexpected behavior by searching for and reporting the issue or question in the MillMage Beta User Forum. Please include screenshots and as much detail as possible.

Beta Users: Finding Help

Find help and download the latest release candidate of MillMage in the MillMage Beta User Forum.

Users new to MillMage should follow the Getting Started guide.

Warning

This documentation is in active development and in a prerelease state. These documents are not complete and may include missing pages, broken links, and placeholders. Content is being updated as feedback is reviewed. Your patience is appreciated.

Probing

In this guide you'll see examples of probing with tooling and CNC accessories. Some CNC machines include built-in probing locations for Z-axis zeroing and for tool length determination, while other models require additional accessories.

The goal when probing is:

  • Determine & set the origin for the workpiece
  • Determine & set the tooling length

Consistent Zeroing Encourages Consistent Results

Because every CNC machine is different, and the material stock being used for each project will vary, the probing method you choose may be different or unique to each project.

Probing Wizard Overview

MillMage includes a Probing Wizard that will walk you through setting up a probe block or tool length probe. First time Probing Wizard users must define the dimensions and location of the probe block or tool length probe before continuing with the probing wizard.

This page has a brief overview of the probing process, with more detailed guides available on the pages for each probe type.

XYZ Probe Block

Place a machined block over the material stock or in a known position within the work area and set the Z-axis zero point.

Tool Length Probe

Establish tool length offsets when changing tooling in multi-operation jobs without changing the work Z axis zero point.

Defining Probes

Window for selecting probes to edit

To define your probes, go to CNC Tools → Probe Settings, or click the Manage Probe Configuration button in the Probing Wizard.

Select either the XYZ Probe Block or the Tool Length Probe to edit.

XYZ Probe Block

An XYZ Probe Block sits on a corner of your workpiece and is used to define the workpiece origin. To set up a Probe Block:

  • Use calipers to measure the offsets and enter them as Offset X, Offset Y, and Offset Z.
  • Set the search distance – the distance the tool will travel in each axis while probing – in Search X, Search Y, and Search Z.
  • Set the Probe Depth – the distance the tool will move below the surface of the probe when probing the X and Y axes.
  • Set the probe feed rates.

For more information, see Probe Block.

Tool Length Probe

A Tool Length Probe measures the length of your tooling, allowing you to use tool offsets when changing tools. To set up a Tool Length Probe:

  • Set the location of the Tool Length Probe relative to the machine origin in Position X and Position Y.
  • Set the Search Z value to the maximum distance the tool should travel downward searching for the probe.
  • Set the probe feed rates.

For more information see Tool Length Probe

Using Probes

Open the Probing Wizard by selecting CNC Tools → Probing Wizard, or by clicking the Probing button in the Move window.

Select the type of probe you'll be using.

XYZ Probe Block

Warning

Don't forget to make sure your probe block is connected properly and responds as expected when in contact with the tool itself.

To use the probe block:

  1. Select the axes to probe.
  2. Use the jog and position controls to make sure your tool is at an appropriate location over the probe block.
  3. Enter the Tool Diameter and check other probing settings.
  4. Click the Execute X, Execute Y, or Execute Z button to probe a single axis, or Execute on All to probe all three axes, starting with Z.
  5. The origin in the Workpiece coordinate space should now be set to the corner of your workpiece.

Tool Length Probe

To use the tool length probe:

  1. Check that the travel path toward your Tool Length Probe is clear.
  2. Click Execute Tool Length Probe. MillMage will execute the GCode shown in the Probing Wizard window.

Remember — because every CNC machine is different, the method of Z-axis probing you use depends on your CNC machine and available accessories.

Probe Block or Tool Length Probing

XYZ Probe Block

Place a machined block over the material stock or in a known position within the work area and set the Z-axis zero point.

Tool Length Probe

Establish tool length offsets when changing tooling in multi-operation jobs without changing the work Z axis zero point.

For more help using MillMage, please visit our forum to talk with MillMage staff and users, or email support.