Mill/Lathe Digital Read Out

This page describes how to use the digital read outs for the manual mills and lathes. Most digital readout systems use a magnetic linear encoder to track the location of a carriage on its track, although there are also rotary encoders and many other types of encoder that rely on optics, capacitance, or inductance to measure travel.

Manual Mills
The manual mills have 2 kinds of digital readout systems, the 100S and 200S readouts from Acu-Rite.

Setup:
The system can be turned on by a switch on the back of the display. Take care to remember that, after 90 minutes, a decimal point will roll across the screen signalling that it is idle, which can be cancelled by pressing any button.



Zeroing:
Before you begin you need to perform the zeroing process. The details of this process are posted on the wall behind the manual mills.

Once the mill is in the correct position the datum can be set by ensuring you are in absolute mode by pressing the "abs/incr" button. You then press the "zero" button on the right side of the screen that corresponds to the correct axis. This allows you to enter the value the mill is at relative to the datum and is confirmed by pressing "Enter". It is important to note the radius of your tool when zeroing, and to make sure you are using the correct sign relative to what side of the part the mill is on. It is always worth it to visually check your zeroes as well.

Absolute/Incremental Mode:
By switching to incremental mode using the "Abs/Incr" button it is possible to rezero the DRO without removing your datum. This allows you to measure lengths without keeping track of start and end positions. When you are finished you can see the position relative to the datum by again pressing the ABS/Incr button.

Unit Change:
The DRO's can use either inches or millimeter units. Ensure you are using the correct units by pressing the "mm" button and checking the readout to tell you what the system is using.

Additional Functionality:
To answer any additional questions, the manual for the 100S digital readout system can be found here: [[media:100Sgeneral.pdf]]

Zeroing:
Before you begin you need to perform the zeroing process. The details of this process are posted on the wall behind the manual mills.

Once the mill is in the correct position the datum can be set by ensuring you are in absolute mode by checking the top of the screen next to the unit readout. You then press the "zero" button on the rightmost side below the screen. Select the axis you would like to zero with the buttons on the right side of the screen that correspond to the correct axis. This allows you to enter the value the mill is at relative to the datum and is confirmed by pressing "Enter". It is important to note the radius of your zeroing tool, and to make sure you are using the correct sign relative to what side of the part the mill is on. It is always worth it to visually check your zeroes as well.

Absolute/Incremental Mode:
By switching to incremental mode using the "Abs/Incr" button it is possible to rezero the DRO without removing your datum. This allows you to measure lengths without keeping track of start and end positions. When you are finished you can see the position relative to the datum by again pressing the ABS/Incr button.

Unit Change:
By pressing the left and right arrow buttons on the bottom right of the display, new menus are revealed. You will find a button for switching between inches and millimeters. The current state is represented at the top of the display.

Additional Functionality:
To answer any additional questions the manual for the 100S digital readout system can be found here: [[media:200S_Man_en_532823-24_Ve02.pdf]]

Manual Lathes
The manual lathes's use NMS300 digital readouts. This guide will cover the basic functionality of these displays for most applications.

The Display:
The display automatically turns on when the device is in use.



Zero/Set Mode:
There are 2 main modes in which one can define an axis on the NMS300 Displays. These are the zero and set modes. A user can toggle between these modes by pushing the zero/set button. The selected mode will be displayed on the screen in the bottom right corner. Zero Mode: When in zero mode, to zero an axis a user must simply move the lathe along the axis to the location they would like to define as zero. Then the user must select the arrow button immediately to the right of that displayed axis. This will zero only that axis.

Set Mode: Set mode allows users to define the current location of an axis. First, move the mill to the desired location. Next, select the arrow next to the axis to be defined. Lastly, type in a numeric value to set that axis location to and hit enter. It is also possible to zero an axis in set mode. To do this, simply hold the arrow next to the axis to be zeroed for three seconds.

Undo Function:
The undo function allows users to undo their last input into the display. To undo a previous input, such as zeroing an axis, press the undo button.

Centre Find Function:
The centre find function allows users to divide an axis value in half. First, push the 1/2 button and then select the arrow next to the axis to be halved.

Unit Change:
To switch between inches and millimeters, select the in/mm button. The current units will be displayed at the bottom left of the screen.

Absolute/Incremental Mode:
There are 2 modes in which users can save axes, absolute and incremental mode. To switch between these modes, select the abs/inc button. The selected mode is displayed at the bottom center to the display.

Absolute Mode: Absolute mode should be used to define the the main point of reference when machining the part. Do this by setting axes locations by using zero or set functions. This should be done at the very beginning of the machining process.

Incremental Mode: Incremental mode allows users to define axes without affecting the axes already set in absolute mode. This can be done multiple times while machining a part.

Additional Functionality:
The above information covers the functionality needed for most applications. For additional uses, the manual for the NMS300 is linked below.

[[media:NMS300Manual-023-82340-UK-0.pdf]]