setting the work coordinate system

work coordinate systems (WCS)

when to use the G54 Work Coordinate System

we use the G54 work coordinate system to reference the machines “home” position (X0,Y0,Z0)

this is used when the exact 0,0,0 location is not critical for the part you are machining, and you can roughly align it with the 0,0,0 position of the machine

for parts that have precise 0,0,0 requirements, you will want to use and set the G55 (or higher) work coordinate system.

Please work with a staff member to determine the best course of action if you believe the model may require more than one work coordinate system (i.e. flip milling, the use of multiple jigs, etc)

please do not alter the G54 work coordinate system!

Setting the G55 (or higher) Work Coordinate System

it’s critical to set G5# in your CAM software so the machine knows what reference point it should be using.

Please always make sure the correct coordinate system is selected prior to starting your part file, or else it may cut in an area you were not expecting!

The G55 work coordinate system (WCS) is one of several available on most CNC machines. It allows you to set a specific location in your machine's workspace as your starting point for a particular job. To set the G55 WCS, follow these steps:

Move the machine to the desired location for the G55 WCS. This should be a point that will be easy to remember and able to be accurately repositioned.

the corner of a vise

a carefully located cut or mark in your stock

you can also use a dowel pin in the collet to help find the exact corner of your stock. find more about that here:

Press the "Offset” key on your machine's controller.

Select "Set Work Offsets" from the menu that appears.

Select "G55" as the WCS you wish to set.

Input the X, Y, and Z coordinate values for the location you have chosen.

Press “Enter" to save the G55 WCS.

Once you have set the G55 WCS, you can use it as your starting point for jobs that require that particular location as a reference point.

you will also need to make sure you set this same work offset in your preferred CAM package!

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RhinoCAM work offsets

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COMING SOON: Fusion work offsets

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COMING SOON: MasterCAM work offsets

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