Engineering Document

007-5000-004

Using the Renishaw Rotating Tool Setting Software on

Hurco Machining Centers with WinMax Controls
1 Revision Log

Name Date Revision Description Version

Gerry Traicoff 02/15/10 Initial Document Release REV 1.0
Modified the name of the macro file, added
Gerry Traicoff 2/23/10 comments on the parameters to the 9855 call in REV 2.0
the sample program.
Changed references to Absolute Tool Length
Gerry Traicoff 6/25/10 REV 3.0
mode and to tool probe stylus
Gerry Traicoff 8/3/10 Revised to match Version 8.1.5.x software REV 4.0
Added important notice to zero calibration
Gerry Traicoff 9/24/10 REV 5.0
mode for registers #138 and #139
Revised setup to include calibration of master
Gerry Traicoff 4/18/11 REV 6.0
reference tool for Zero Calibration Mode.
Included instructions to set the Z Reference
Gerry Traicoff 4/21/11 Position to avoid out of travel limit in positive REV 7.0
Z direction error.
Gerry Traicoff 4/27/11 Revised for Absolute Z Mode. REV 8.0

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Installing a Renishaw Rotating Tool Setting Software on a Hurco
Machine Tool with the WinMax Control
Control Software Version
Confirm that the software build is Version 8.1.2 or higher. To see the version press the
Input console button. The version is displayed on the screen. See the end of this
document for additional notes for running on versions 8.1.2 up to and including 8.1.4.35

Software Requirements
In order to run the Renishaw macros you will need to have the Tool Probe, ISNC and
NCPP software options installed on your control.

To confirm the software options are turned on Press the Auxiliary console button, the
Utility Screen, System Configuration, Display WinMax Configuration, Display Software
Options, then cursor down the list until you see the probing options. If the square in front
of the option is green and says “Installed” then the option is turned on. If the square is
red and says “Not Installed” then you have to go to the Opti Client program to turn them
on.

OptiClient :To turn on options with OptiClient, access the Windows start button, the
pop-up will have OptiClient as a choice, click on that and the program will start. Then
under the Install tab , double click on Mill Options. Then scroll down and select the
options that you need to turn on. The tab in front of the option will be clear and when
you select it, then it will place a check mark in the tab (green tabs indicate the option is
already turned on). Then press the “Request License Code/s” tab (the checked box will
turn yellow). Then press the Pending tab and you will see the chosen options and the
dates requested written in the in the space. Choose the options in the save pending
block and hit save pending file. The file will be written. You need to email Hurco and
attach the file. They will return the file after confirming that the option is paid for and you
can return to OptiClient to run the file that contains the options and license to activate.

Load Programs
There are two files to load; the “WinMax Contact Tool Probe.fnc” file that contains the
probing macros and the “Sample WinMax Contact Tool Probe Program.fnc” file that
gives you an example of calibrating the tool probe and measuring a tool.

Press the Auxiliary console button, the Program Manager soft key then press the Open
soft key and navigate to the drive that contains the files. Highlight both files and read
them into memory.

Note: The sample program is in Inch units. You will need to setup the tool and part
values in Inch units.

NC Parameters
There are several NC Parameters that affect how NC programs function. In order to run
the Renishaw macros you will need to change the Allow Vacant Variables parameter to

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Yes. You can access this parameter by pressing the Input console button followed by
the Program Parameters soft key. Then press the NC Parameters, NC Configuration
Parameters then the More soft key. Set the Allow Vacant Variables parameter to Yes.

Important! You will also need to set the NC Configuration Parameter: Reference Point
Z parameter to -0.0003” (-0.008mm). Otherwise you may get an Out of Travel Limit in
Positive Z direction when attempting to probe tools that have an initial calibration length
of zero.

Note: You have to be editing a G Code NC program for the NC parameters to be

accessible.

Set NC Dialect
The WinMax control can support two G Code syntax formats; Basic NC and ISNC. You
will need to set the NC Dialect to ISNC. This parameter can be found on the Utility
Screen. Press the Auxiliary console button, then Utility Screen, User Preferences, NC
Settings.

Load Master Reference Tool (calibration tool)

Press the Manual console button (in the Machine Mode section). Press the F1 Tool
Management soft key then select the Spindle Tab. Enter the number of the master
reference tool (calibration tool) into the Tool In Spindle field (the sample program uses
tool #2). Then manually place the tool into the spindle.

Tool Setup
Select the following: Input console button, Tool Review, Tool Setup to access the Tool
Setup screen. The example program uses tool 2 as the master reference tool, so
create a Tool 2 tool as an End Mill. Enter 2 in the Tool number field and set the Type as
End Mill.

To access the Tool Probe Setup Parameters

Select the following: Input console button, Tool Review, Tool Setup, More, Tool Probing,
Tool Probe Setup.

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 Tool Probe Setup Screen

Fill in the following information:

Type Touch Probe *After changing the Type you may need to exit the screen
and then return in order for the input fields to change for
this type of probe.

You can leave the remaining parameters set to their existing values for conversational
probing.

Tool Probe Deflection Offsets

Go to the Tool Probe Deflection Offsets page under F6 and zero out the deflection
offsets for the tool touch probe. The Renishaw macros will calculate their own set of
deflection offsets.

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 Tool Probe Deflection Offsets

Make sure to set the Apply G Code Offset parameter to NO. The Renishaw macros do
not use the deflection offsets from the Conversational setup. Note that versions prior to
8.1.5 do not have this parameter. For those versions you will need to zero out these
deflection offsets.

Set Tool Calibration Mode to “Absolute Z mode”

You will need to change the tool calibration mode to Absolute Z mode for tool length
calibrations.

To switch to Absolute Z: Select the following: Auxiliary console button, Utility Screen,
User Preferences, Tool Utilities and Settings. Set the Tool Calibration Mode to
Absolute Z mode. You will see the message:

Warning: The tool calibrations used by the previous mode cannot be used in the new
mode.

OK or Cancel choose ok .

Renishaw Min/Max Tool Length Setting

You will need to modify two lines in the Ren Settings subroutine inside the macro file to
define the longest and shortest tool that you will be probing. These parameters are
used to rapid above the probe and are important values to set in order to avoid crashing
your tool into the probe.

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Press the Review console button and select the 9750 (REN SETTING) subroutine and
press return or select the Jump To Subroutine softkey.

Approximately 15 lines into that subroutine you will find two registers being set; #138
and #139. These are used to move the tool in RAPID mode above the probe. #138 is
used for the long tool setting. #139 is used for the short tool setting.

Set the assigned values for these registers based on the tool length of the longest and
shortest tool that you will be probing.

O9750(REN SETTING)
…
.
#138= 10.(LONG*TOOL USE 10 FOR ABSOLUTE MODE -17.4 FOR ZERO CAL MODE)
#139= 4(SHORT*TOOL USE 4 FOR ABSOLUTE MODE -22.4 FOR ZERO CAL MODE)
…

Set Tool Length

You will need to set a tool length before you run the programs. Select the following:
Input console button, Tool Review, Tool Setup, Tool Offset soft key to display the Tool
Length Offsets.

For Absolute Tool Length mode you can enter the absolute tool length of the master
reference tool.

Important! Make note that if you are measuring a tool that is not being measured
directly on top of the probe stylus the LONG tool SHORT tool values are NOT USED!

This means you MUST enter a nominal tool length in the tool length offset table for the
tool you are measuring. If you are using a D parameter in the call to 9857 macro then
you are telling the macro that you are shifting from the center of the tool probe stylus
and not moving directly on top of the probe. WHENEVER USING A D PARAMETER
YOU MUST GIVE A NOMINAL VALUE IN THE TOOL LENGTH OFFSET FOR THE
TOOL YOU ARE PROBING!

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The Renishaw macros use a clearance of 4” when moving above the probe. So if your
probe is too high and you have a long tool where you cannot physically position 4
inches above the probe you will get an out of travel limit in the positive Z direction. If
this is the case you can adjust the #113 register value to give yourself a little less
clearance to be able to position above the probe. That line looks like this:
#113=3.937(INITAL*CLEARANCE)

A Sample Program
The Renishaw sample program is a single FNC file with separate commands to
calibrate the probe and make calls to measure or check tools.

The best way to describe the use of this program is to illustrate it here with commentary.

The name of the program is “WinMax Sample Contact Tool Probe Program.fnc”

%
(* SAMPLE PROGRAM FOR THE CONTACT TOOL PROBE *)
G80G90 G20
T2 M6
(USE THIS CALL TO CALIBRATE THE PROBE)
/G65 P9855 D.5 R.5007 T2
(USE THIS TO MEASURE A TOOL)
/G65 P9857 B1. H.001 T2
M2

Calibrating the Tool Touch Probe

Press the Auxiliary console button, then Program Manager. Highlight the “WinMax
Sample Contact Tool Probe Program.fnc” file and press the Enter key.

Make sure the T command specifies the tool number of the master reference tool that
you will be using for calibrating the tool touch probe.

Remove the Skip “/” character from the 9855 command line. Make sure the T code
matches the tool number that you are using. Change the R parameter to match the
diameter of your master reference tool. Change the D parameter to the diameter of the
round stylus.

/G65 P9855 D.5 R.5007 T2

Position the Tool a small distance above the probe stylus, for example 0.2”.

Press the Auto console button, make sure the program that you are about to run is the
“WinMax Sample Contact Tool Probe Program.fnc”, then press the Run softkey followed
by the Cycle Start button.

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The tool will move around the probe calibrating its location and deflection offsets.

The Base address register for storing values is #700. Refer to the Renishaw
documentation for looking up the resulting calibration results.

Measuring Tools
After calibrating the probe you are ready to measure tools. Replace the Skip character
on the 9855 command line and remove the Skip character from the 9857 command line.
Press the Input console button then Part Programming to edit the program.

/G65 P9857 B1. H.001 T2

Adjust the H parameter to the tolerance that you will be checking against. Change the T
code to the tool number you are measuring. This command will measure the tool length
for the tool you have specified.

Press the Auto console key, make sure the program you are about to run is the
“WinMax Sample Contact Tool Probe Program.fnc”, then press the Run soft key
followed by the Cycle Start button.

Resulting measurement are stored in the Tool Length Offset table for the tool that you
are measuring.

At this point you will want to consult the Renishaw Tool Probing documentation to
become familiar with the parameters that can be passed to each of the routines used to
measure or check tools.

End of Document