Broken Tool Changer!! How did this happen?

Loading tools for a job. Place tool 2 in spindle and call up tool 3 on control to put in that tool. Press cycle start for M6 and turn to get tool 3.....hear the tool changer move over to spindle and engage tool 2.....hear the tool pop out of the spindle (sometimes they stick a little.....most times they don't)...hear tool changer index to position 3, but hear terrible grinding noise......turn around just in time to see the spindle rapid into the empty spot of tool 3, but notice tool 2 is sorta laying sideways in the slot and taking up space in the tool 3 slot so when the spindle rapids down....BAM....right into tool 2 laying sorta sideways in the tool 3 spot shearing off the bolt for the roller on the top rail of the tool changer and watch in horror as the whole right side of the tool changer drops down several inches and kinda just sways back and forth for a few seconds. Needless to say, I practically $hit my pants and just stood there staring in disbelief for what seemed to be several minutes. I found the roller that rides on the top rail of the tool changer and it appears to be in fine shape. Other than the bolt being sheared off, I could not see anything else that is damaged. There were no alarms on the control, so I just shut if off and went and pouted in my office. Called Haas.....of course no one there......and hopefully be getting a call back from them tomorrow. Have any of you ever experienced anything like this......especially on a Haas? It appears to be an easy fix, provided I can get the sheared off bolt out of the tool changer housing, but DAMN.....why, and how the hell did that tool 2 get laid over sideways like that.....that's what I want to know.

Later,
Russ


Talk about a BAD day!




That tool is jammed in there good.....can hardly budge it!


The roller appears to be fine.....I just hope I can get the sheared off bolt out.

Had a similar thing happen on a Mazak once. First response by management was to try to blame it on Operator Error (ME) I pointed out that I was deburring parts with my back to the controls so no way I hit the wrong button. Mazak tech said it was probably a voltage spike causing a temporary software malfunction. Voltage interuption can make it think something has happened that hsan't. Same deal, no alarms, none of the famous Mazak screen big red MALF. Mazak dealer/tech sold them a Bigbux voltage regulator thingy that seemed to have fixed the problem.

Man, that sucks.

I have noticed that toolchangers have been getting kind of cheezy lately. I've seen too many broken HAAS turrets now.

What model year ist it? Maybe after time the screw holding the wheel just decayed and got weak..The good thing about the no alarm fact is that you can still run your machine, right? At least you can keep going untill you get it fixed. On our gantry mill we no longer use the toolchanger. kind of sucks but tools are heavy and high rpm's tend to stick holders in

anyway, Youll get that screw out. I like using broken down carbide endmills to take screws out. very high rpm

When you have frequent tool sticking problems , there is too much force on the carousel plate,and its gets bent,
when this happens one of the legs of the pocket does not sit snug in the toll holder groove,

It happens frequently on our HAAS VF4, ,we keep avoiding those pockets, and when we finally do not have enough good ones , we take out the plate and remove the bend.

In your case a , a very big bend went unnoticed.....


I hope there is not too much damage ...

MJM

Wrustle

I have had the very same thing happened twice on my MinMill. Once on the front pulley and once on the back.
Not sure about your VF, but on the Mini it was either a 1/4-20 or a 5/16-18 shoulderbolt through that pulley.
One weak freakin little bolt to hold up all that weight if you ask me.
Got lucky and was able to easily remove the broken one. Replaced it with a longer one made by your's truly. I did not undercut the back of the thread, rather made a nice radius to come up to the shoulder, thereby eliminating the weak point. It's been there for 3 years now.