How to Calibrate your ATC Positions for WinCNC / ShopSabre

Changing ATC tool positions will impact tool changes. Our self-centering ATC Forks, precision dowel pin-aligned Bases, Risers, and Forks prevent position shifts over time. 

If you're adding our ATC Pedestals to your machine, you'll want to carefully make sure each position is where your machine thinks it is. It is not a difficult process, you need to use - surgeon-like-focus - to jog your machine to each position.

WE DO NOT RECOMMEND CHANGING TOOLS OR RUNNING PROGRAMS BEFORE CONFIRMING POSITIONS

✅ If you need to add tools to WinCNC yet, do that FIRST here.

To Calibrate Positions:

1. Remove all tool holders from their forks, and make sure there is a tool holder in the spindle.
2. In WinCNC, set to tool zero - L110T0
3. In "Settings", find "Tool Positions" to see what your current positions are set to. (For the Drop-In pedestals, these positions will be very close to the new positions you will be setting for your new pedestals. The purpose of calibrating is to have the positions set exactly where they need to be.
4. Turn off "Soft Limits" (icon with 4 red arrows). Please remember that this is off during this process.
5. Raise the tool holder high enough to safely clear the pedestals/forks in Z. 
6. Jog back as far as you can without hitting the Y limit (Ex: for us, this is roughly Y107.25). Consider the speed you are making these movements with.
7. Jog the tool holder in X to line up with the fork in the tool position you are setting. You can eyeball this step.
8. Lower the tool holder in Z to line up with the forks (making sure the tool holder isn't going to hit the fork in process). 
9. Slowly jog the tool holder in -Y. As it jogs, make sure it's centered on the forks in X and in Z. It helps to do this in smaller increments. When the tool holder touches the forks, make sure it touches both sides at the same time. If it touches one side first, it's out of alignment in X. When you have the tool holder in the center of the fork, spin it by hand and feel for tension. Jog in small increments in Y/-Y until you find the least amount of resistance, that's your center point.
10. Now that you have the tool holder in position, go to "Tool Positions" under "Settings". Click on the tool position you are currently calibrating. You don't want to accidentally highlight the wrong position here. Now click the "Get Pos" button (get position). *This sets the new X/Y/Z for this tool position.
11. Jog in Y back to the furthest setting again (Ex: for us, roughly Y107.25).
12. Raise tool holder in Z to safely clear the forks. You are now done with this tool position and can move on to the next.
13. Very important step. After you have calibrated and saved all of the new tool positions, and before setting any heights on z-probe, set to T1 (or to any tool position other than T0).
14. Now it is safe to set your tool heights on the Z probe.