Locating Program Zero on the Lathe
Hello,
I am developing an eLearning course on locating program zero on the lathe. I understand that the Z0 is almost always located on the finished part face but could also be located elsewhere, such as on a chuck jaw or the chuck face.

Based on what I've found, placing Z0 on the chuck jaw or face complicates machining commands and requires the programmer and/or operator to account for leftover stock and possibly other factors. I am having trouble explaining the issue and what calculations would be needed as I can't find examples of anyone using this method. Does anyone have experience with this?

Any feedback is much appreciated!
2 Replies
To locate program Zero on a lathe, face your stock and set the Z to 0.0.

Y 0.0 is the center of the spindle.

Program zero, or part zero, on a lathe is the center of the face of the stock.

On the lathe, Program Y 0.0 is the center of the cylindrical stock.  All Y coordinates should be positive.  The only time you  will need a negative Y on a lathe is when facing, then you want to go -0.01 over to make sure you get the center nib off the part.

Z 0.0 is usually the part face and the numbers go negative towards the chuck, this way you know the tool is off the part if it is in a positive coordinate

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