Increasing the Z axis coordinate would move the spindle up, decreasing it would move it down into a workpiece. For example, increasing the X coordinate value moves the table left, but looking from the perspective of the tool, it’s moving right along a workpiece. The movement of your CNC along the coordinate system is always based on how your tool moves, not the table. Whether it’s a milling machine, router, or laser, they all use this fundamental movement system. Put all of this together, and you have a CNC machine that can cut various sides of a workpiece in the XY plane and at various depths along the Z axis. Y-axis allows movement “forward” and “backward”.X-axis allows movement “left” and “right”.Although it’s difficult to describe axes using relative terms, based on each axis, you typically get the following movements from the perspective of an operator facing the machine: Using the Cartesian coordinate system, we control CNC machines along each axis to transform a block of material into a finished part. Place your hand in front of your CNC machine, aligned with the machine’s spindle, and you’ll see the axes line up perfectly. Hold your hand out palm up with your thumb and index finger pointed outwards, and your middle finger pointed upwards. These planes are divided into four quadrants, numbered 1-4, with their own positive and negative values.Īn easy way to understand the Cartesian coordinate system in relation to your CNC machine is using the Right Hand Rule. For example, when the X and Y axes meet, you get an XY plane, where most of the work happens on 2.5D parts. When two axes connect, they form a Plane. Any numbers to the left of the Origin are negative, while numbers to the right are positive.Ĭombine the X, Y, and Z axes at 90-degree angles, and you create a three-dimensional space for your CNC machine to move around in. One point on the line gets designated as the Origin. Reduce the Cartesian system to its basics, and you have a familiar number line. This system allows a machine to move in a specific direction along a specific plane. Nearly all CNC machine uses a Cartesian coordinate system based on an X, Y, and Z-axis. Let’s first start with the basics of the Cartesian coordinate system. The coordinate system might seem complicated at a glance, but it can be broken down into simple components. What movements to use to machine your part.How far away your tool is from your part.Without a coordinate system, your CNC would have absolutely no way of knowing: You can think of the coordinate system as how CNC machines understand 3D space. That origin point you just set for a 1″ long endmill isn’t going to work for a 3″ long drill.

Each bit has a different length, which changes the distance between the spindle datum and the workpiece. Things start to get complicated when adding in a variety of milling tools. If only it were as simple as shoving a block of metal into your CNC and pressing go. To do this, the machine needs to understand the position of the stock in physical space. However, something like a milling machine has to subtract material away from an external object.

There’s no question about where the piece starts on the build plate. Why Do Coordinates Matter for CNC Milling?Īdditive machines build a part from the bottom up. In this article, we’ll be covering the basics of the CNC coordinate system, including the Cartesian coordinate system, work coordinate system (WCS), and offsets. The technology might change, but the fundamentals remain essentially the same. Even the latest CNC machines are the same at their core: they use an X, Y, and Z-axis to define the coordinate space inside the machine, and a tool (sometimes an endmill, sometimes an extruder, sometimes a laser beam) moves around that space. You’ll use your CNC milling coordinate system fundamentals everywhere, not just for one particular CNC machine. Français (French ) Italiano (Italian ) Deutsch (German ) 日本語 (Japanese )

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