Milltronics Power Supply

So my machine has been a little quirky since the new control was installed a few weeks ago. It likes to drop a tool now and then. Yesterday it decided to "lock up" on me a few times. I have to turn off the machine to reboot, just like a normal computer. EXCEPT now it wouldn't reboot. I call the company to troubleshoot. 3 hrs. later I get a callback. (they were very busy)
Anyway we track down to a suspected bad power supply on the new control. I ask "isn't this a brand new power supply, on my brand new computer?" NO, it is the same one you had in there.
Well I go to the computer store to locate a power supply. $37.00 & I have a brand new PS.
I mean all power supplies are the same, aren't they? WRONG! My new one is an ATX model. Not what the old one was.
So... the conectors are all different. I needed two 6-pin connectors, but this one had a 20 pin in its place.
SH%@!!
I butt spliced in the correct connectors, and check out the new supply, after grounding out the GREEN "SIGNAL-OK" wire (You would be suprised how long it took me to figure that out. I am sure all of the computer savy individuals would know this) I test the PS. It seemed to work, so away I went to the machine. As I hooked up the new/old connectors that I had just spliced in, I noticed a 20 pin connector on the new mother board that I could have used all along! #$@$ %#^& &*%^!!!!!
So one day down time, and $37.00 and lots of cuss word and I am machining again.
Rant off. Jsut had to get that off my chest.
Doug.

Sorry to hear about your power supply. I'm curious about the machine dropping tools, being a tech that does alot of service on Milltronics I hate to see machine problems go unresolved. If I can be of any help let me know.

Dan

BFHAMR,
the machine will drop a tool every once in a while, now that it has the new control. It never happened before that (other than operator error)
The one time I have witnessed it, it did not M19 (orient) the spindle before bringing in the tool arm (umbrella style). The tool arm hit the tool as it is supposed to, and since the spindle was not oriented it caused the spindle to rotate a little bit. When the drawbar let go, the tool just dropped, as the tool arm was not grabing the tool all the way around like it is supposed to. Then it grabed a new tool from the carasel(sp?). The spindle not being oriented let the drawbar grab the tool without having the drive tang lined up with the drive tang slot on the tool holder. Thus the tool was sticking out of the spindle about 1/2" more than it is supposed to. I, E-stopped the machine as soon as all this happened.

The other times it did this, I heard it drop a tool, and was able to get to the machine before too much damage was done. But I didn't witness the problem.
I have brought up the diag. screen and watched it go thru the tool changes, looking for the "1" on the P7 orient, and it worked. Go figure, a watched pot never boils.
Anyway, I am not sure what could cause this. Maybe an intermitent short somewhere in the prox. switch on the air cylinder that locks the spindle. I really have no good way to tell, other than waiting for it to happen again with my volt meter in hand.
Thanks for any light you may be able to shed on this.
Doug.

It is odd that the problem has surfaced after updating the computer.
I guess a few things come to mind.

1} The prox switch may be set too close to it's threshold when the orient cylinder is extended but not in the orient position.
2) Noise on the prox switch line.
3) Problems with the computer interface panel.
4) A bad prox switch.
5) Software problems that ignore the orient command.
6) A broken orient roller, this allows the orient cylinder to extend further, fooling the control into thinking that it is in the orient position.

The best bet is to try to duplicate the problem. My usual MO is to do lots of toolchanges one after another while watching the I/O.
Try turning off the air and then give the machine a M19 command, it should never orient because the orient roller will never extend. If it does orient then I would start looking at the diagnostics screen (the orient input) to see if it ever goes high when it isn't supposed to.

You might also consider adjusting the arm in prox to make only when the tool is in alignment. If the spindle isn't oriented then the toolchanger arm won't come in as far and the switch won't make. This is more of a measure that will stop a toolchange rather that fix the original problem. Better this than a ruined spindle bore because the machine thought it had correctly changed tools.

A couple other things. Because you had your computer updated I would check a couple of parameters. Make sure the toolchange height is correct, this was a problem on a recent upgrade. Also you might consider setting the drawbar delay to 0.5 seconds. I had a problem recently with another machine that was also updated and it was dropping tools, the problem was it wouldn't put them away completely before the drawbar released. By adding this delay I eliminated this problem.

If you prefer I can be reached by email

Dan

Dan, I appreciate the time you are taking to help me. Thanks.
Yesturday, I ran a few programs, and about 100 tool changes. Not one problem.
It is just that intermitent.
I did have to reset the tool chage heigth. I have had the spindle regound, so that changes the G32 heigth about .050.
I also had to put in a delay after the drawbar, so it would fully disengage the tool before Z going up to G90Z.1 At first it was ripping tools out. NOT GOOD! That has been corrected.
I will have to reread your post a few times, and go thru your list of possibilities. Again thank you. I will get to you with whatever I find.
Doug.

BFHAMR,
First let me thank you for helping me with this.

I think we finally fixed the problem.
Everything was / is working as it is supposed to.
But it still would drop a tool about 1% of the time.
I think it all came down to speed of the new processor, and the lack thereof the old iron. I put in another M19 orient in the tool change macro, along with a G04p.5 in between the two. Now it verifies for a second time that the spindle is oriented before letting the tool arm come in.
I am running a sub-program right now that changes tools 6 times. I am looping that 100 times. If all goes well it will make 600 tool changes today. Hopefully without dropping a tool into the styrofoam filled box that rests under the spindle.
So thanks again.
Doug.

Update, it has cycled 250 times without a problem....so far

I'm happy to hear things are going good. If you have any future problems let me know.

Dan