Southwestern Industries, Inc.
TRAK
EMX Knee Mill, Bed Mill & ProtoTRAK
EMX CNC Retrofit Safety, Programming, Operating & Care Manual
66
What are the incremental dimensions?
X
Y
From D to E
From E to F
From D to F
From L to B
From G to M
From H to M
From M to H
From K to K
Check your answers at the back of this section.
Tool Compensation
One of the things that makes the ProtoTRAK EMX so easy to use is that you get to
program the dimensions of the finished work piece that are right on the print,
instead of the centerline of the tool. Let’s say you programmed the square shape
below shown as the solid line.
The ProtoTRAK has no way of knowing whether you want to cut a pocket out of the
material, so you want your tool to follow Path A, or if you are squaring up a block so
you want your tool to follow Path B. This is what tool cutter compensation (or cutter
comp) is about.
Once again, it is easier to think about these concepts when you imagine the tool is
moving along a stationary point.
The rule is: Looking along the direction of tool motion (imagine yourself standing
behind the tool as it moves away from you) is the tool to the right (tool right) of the
work piece, or to the left (tool left) of the work piece.
Examples of tool right are:
