CNC Lathe Live Tooling Definition and Related Haas CNC M-Codes

CNC Lathe Live Tooling Definition

The cnc lathe live tooling option allows you to drive axial or radial driven tools to perform such secondary operations as drilling or tapping, both on the face of the part and around the diameter. The main spindle provides indexing in precise increments for part positioning and repeatability.

cnc lathe live tools axial and radial

cnc lathe live tools axial and radial

Before the use of live tooling on a cnc lathe machine, the cnc lathe machine must be prepared for the live tooling operations.
for example,

  • Set parameters Haas CNC Parameters Live Tooling with G81, G82, G83, G85, G89, G95 Cycles
  • The live tool drive must be engaged.
  • Live tool must rotate forward/reverse with some programmed speed.
  • Clamping/Unclamping of main spindle for operation.
  • Spindle orientation can be used.
  • C-Axis can be used for a more precise live tooling operation.
  • At end live tool must be stopped
  • The live tool drive must be disengaged (on some cnc machine live tooling drive automatically disengages when you rotate the tool turret).

Haas CNC Lathe Live Tooling M-Codes

The following are the M-codes mostly used while using live tooling on a haas cnc lathe machine.

M133 Live Tool Drive Forward

Turns on the live tooling motor to a (PXXXX)rpm, for example,

M133 P1000

the above cnc program turns on live tooling forward to 1000 rpm.
When the live tooling is engaged the live tool motor turns slowly for few milliseconds to engage the castle gear.

CNC Lathe Live Tooling

CNC Lathe Live Tooling

M134 Live Tool Drive Reverse

Turns on the live tooling motor reverse direction to a (PXXXX)rpm, for example,

M134 P1000

the above cnc program turns on live tooling reverse to 1000 rpm.

M135 Live Tool Drive Stop

M135 stops the live tool.

M14 Clamp Main Spindle / M15 Unclamp Main Spindle

M14 Clamp Main Spindle or turns on the spindle brake.
M15 unclamps or turns off the spindle brake. The spindle will automatically unclamp when a tool change is commanded or when a new spindle speed is commanded. Also when RESET is pressed the spindle will unclamp.

M19 Orient Spindle

The Spindle Orientation option allows spindle positioning to a specific, programmed angle.
M19 will orient the spindle to the zero position. A value of P or R with M19 is used to orient the spindle to a specific position (in degrees.).
M119 will orient the secondary spindle.

Read M19 Spindle Orientation – M119 Sub Spindle Orientation.

For a cnc program example which uses M19 Spindle orientation read Live Tooling Lathe Programming Code – Spindle Orientation Haas CNC

M154 C-Axis Engage / M155 C-Axis Disengage

M154 C-Axis Engage
M155 C-Axis Disengage
These codes engage and turn on and off the C-axis motor.
The C-axis provides high-precision bi-directional spindle motion that is fully interpolated with X and/or Z motion. Spindle speeds from .01 to 60 RPM can be commanded.

For a C-axis cnc program example read C-Axis Lathe Programming Example with Live Tooling on Haas CNC