That time a setup error cost me a 40 inch aluminum plate at the shop

I was running a job last Tuesday and forgot to zero out my Z after a tool change. Nothing teaches you to double check your offsets like watching a $300 piece of metal get plowed through. Has anyone else had a crash that made them change their whole pre-run checklist?

3 comments

3 Comments

emmawood21d ago

My buddy had that exact thing happen on a Haas mini mill a few years back. He said the sound of that endmill hitting the table at full rapid is something you don't forget easy.

the_hayden21d ago

Tbh that sinking feeling when you hear the crash is brutal. We've all been there.

jackson.matthew22d ago

Man I read about a guy who had a similar thing happen on a CNC lathe, he said he forgot to re-zero after a tool change and it drove the turret right through a stainless steel part he spent all morning setting up. Something about how the digital readout was still showing the previous tool's offset so it looked fine on screen but the actual position was way off. It made me start doing this thing where I physically tap the workpiece with the tool before any cut, even for roughing passes, just to confirm the clearance is real and not just numbers on a display.