Denford Software & Machines

We find lots of confusion over axis directions - not helped by manuals showing table movement rather than tool movement

Hopefully the next post will clarify a bit

The following diagram will hold true for all CNC machines.

The confusion occurs when the table moves, rather than the tool.
Some manuals show the direction of the moving axis or table, not the resulting movement of the tool.

In the example below, if the table moved in the Y axis and not the tool itself, the table movement directions would be opposite to the tool directions
ie, to send the table away from the front of the machine, you would command a Y- move

hi
i have been running cnc machines for a good few years now and its always a subject that causes confusion. This is how i got used to it years ago.

think of it like this the tool does not move in x and y, the machine bed does, in the z the tool moves with the axis .
so, hold your right hand out in front of you and look at the palm of your hand with your thumb pointing up and your index finger and second finger extended to your left (like a gun shape) , now turn your second finger in to point at your chin while keeping your index finger pointing left. If you were standing in front of your mill your fingers are now pointing in the + direction of all axis.

just the way i did it and it worked for me .

col