Method for determining a position of a work piece in a machine tool

A method for determining a position of a work piece and/or a tool in a machine tool, the method comprising:

• clamping a work piece at the machine tool;
• subsequently inserting the tool into a rotatable spindle shaft directly or via a tool holder;
• rotating the spindle shaft;
• applying an electrical voltage between the work piece and the tool;
• displacing the tool and the work piece with respect to one another;
• if a contact occurs between the tool and the work piece, determining a change in the applied voltage or a resulting current flow through the work piece and the tool;
• and
• determining and recording the respective position of the work piece and/or the tool for controlling and/or regulating the machining of the work piece,
• wherein determining the respective position of the work piece and/or the tool is made at surfaces of the work piece, which have been machined with a previously used tool, in an environment of a residual material machining to be performed with the tool,
• wherein the residual material machining is aligned with the tool by contacting the work piece at the surface machined with the previously used tool.