3 axis dro question

craigsoutdoorsports

craigsoutdoorsports

H-M Supporter - Silver Member
H-M Supporter - Silver Member
Joined
May 1, 2022
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15
Just installed a grizzly dro on my round column mill. Still have to attach the z scale but was playing around with the x & y today and trying to learn some of the functions.

My question is, at the end of the day how do you save your work so you can shut down the mill and dro and pick back up where you left off the next day without having to start all over again?
 
Supply the 120V to the DRO directly from a wall plug. Don't shut off the DRO with the switch on the head. It stays on all the time, so unless you have a power failure, the information is always there. If you are not needing to keep the information stored, you can shut off the DRO to save power, but it consumes so little, don't worry about it.
 
My Newall DRO retains position info even if there is a power failure. Just "push any button" to resume.
Check your documentation to see if your DRO supports this feature.
 
My DRO, a Ditron D80, when power cycled remembers where it was. Except, if the axes are moved while DRO power is out, it doesn’t know about that. There is a mysterious procedure to establish a known reference point that on a power up, you can find that reference and recover the positions. But dang if I can figure it out from the instructions provided.
 
Many DRO's "remember" where they were - even adjusting if the handwheels are turned while the readout is off. Some do not. If yours doesn't, you are stuck leaving it on, and hoping that gremlins don't move your dials. Of course it's pretty easy to find your reference edges again, usually.
Alternately, zero your dials, write down your absolute (DRO) position and go from there...

GsT
 
I have had Grizzly DRO (H6087 -H6098 series) for eighteen years. and can count on both hands the number of times that I have shut it down. However, if you choose to shut it down, it does retain the position values. This also includes any parameters which have been changed from the factory defaults. There is also a function called ref datum memory which will enable you to recover the machine reference although I have never had a need to do so.

It is common practice to start the machining day by re-referencing your work for most accurate work. This eliminates the possibility of something untoward having occurred in your absence. It is a fairly simple procedure and you have piece of mind. In a case where My reference will disappear due to subsequent machining operations, I set up a reference datum at a convenient spot on the mill table. Reference this in absolute mode and use the incremental mode to zero your work.

On another note, the DRO is fairly close to accurate as received but for best work, the scales shhould be calibrated . The calibration procedure is in the back of the operation manual.
 
Thanks for the advice all. I’ll try and learn not to shut it down and unplug it like I do all my machines when I leave for the day. Just one of those stupid habits a guy gets to doing and suddenly it’s been 30 years and you’re still unplugging everything at the end of the day. Still don’t actually remember what made me start unplugging everything in the first place?

Edit to say I do remember why I started unplugging. I heard years ago of a guy’s shop burning down in the night due to a short at a plug one of his machines was plugged into. Been unplugging ever since
 
Just leave the DRO on and everything else unplugged. I have a touch-screen LCD display for the DRO and I adjust the brightness to minimum to protect the screen.IMG_8207.jpg
 
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