SH500 need dist for small sensor on OD of tall vertical tool change cylinder

Hi guys,

I need to make sure that I know what the proper location is for that small CKD prox sensor on the OD of the tool change cylinder.

Does anyone know the distance from the top of the cylinder or another reference point?

2000 SH500

This is a cylinder position switch? The location should not be critical as it's just a verification the cylinder has cycled. If the sensor (likely a reed switch) is closed when the cylinder piston is that end of it's stroke you are good.

Appreciate the response.

I am doing some troubleshooting of several systems and the more loose ends I can knock out the better.

Example: knowing what is the proper range of location for this sensor and having it documented will check an item of my list that I will never have to worry about again. As long as this one goes undocumented, I'll always have to worry about it.

Would you know the general range it is supposed to be in?

Thanks again.

llf264 said:

Appreciate the response.

I am doing some troubleshooting of several systems and the more loose ends I can knock out the better.

Example: knowing what is the proper range of location for this sensor and having it documented will check an item of my list that I will never have to worry about again. As long as this one goes undocumented, I'll always have to worry about it.

Would you know the general range it is supposed to be in?

Thanks again.

Click to expand...

With the piston towards the sensor you are setting, mount the sensor so it's on when it's mounted. That's it. The sensors normally have indicator LED's right on them so you can verify they're working and adjust them.

Yep. The pneumatic cylinder is not smart enough to stop mid range. It's a dumb actuator that goes from all the way in to all the way out. The switch just tells the control that it did in fact move all way and didn't get hung up somewhere.

Thanks Garwood. Should the sensor (it does have a red LED on it that lights up when it detects the piston) indicate positive when the piston is up, or should it indicate the sensor positive when the piston is down?

Do you have one of these SH HMC's or a similar Mori Seiki machine with this same style ATC system?

I think that I have a pretty good grasp of how this type of sensor operates so the key for me is to ensure that I have the sensor in the proper (or good enough) location based on where someone else's machine with the same equipment has theirs, or understand what the sensor is expecting (pot position up? pot position down? something else?) and check for that physical condition then move the sensor to where I think it is optimal for that position.

I ask this question because I am not familiar with a sensor setup like I think you are describing where a sensor does not indicate an end travel location, but instead indicates that something has cycled and can be placed anywhere along the piston's stroke.

I agree with Ewlsey, that this sensor should in fact be indicated a specific location has been reached and is still there. I just don't know if this sensor is the "up" sensor or the "down" sensor, or some other stop along the way that should be constrained by another device. Either knowing a known location of this sensor on a sister machine, or it's function should help me troubleshoot it. I know that the sensor turns it's red LED on when it detects the piston. I just don't know what function this sensor is indicating to know where to place it.

No, I don't have an SH500, but the switches in CNC's are pretty universal. Not much has changed in the past 40 years except prox switches have gotten smaller.

Cylinder position switches are usually "tie bar mount" and mount to the cylinder tie bolts with some kind of bracket. Your machine is 15 years old. Bet there's some evidence of roughly where your switch mounts if you inspect it carefully. Some cylinder switches screw into the ends of the cylinder.

In general, a cylinder will have two position sensors, not one. One at each end of it's stroke. Cylinders with position switches use torroidal magnets fixed to the piston inside the cylinder. The "sensors" are switches- Either solid state or just a simple reed inside. There are two and 3 wire versions, but they work similar. 3 wire can be NPN or PNP style, 2 wire are all the same.

Figure which end of the cylinder you switch attaches, make sure the cylinder piston is in that end of the cylinder then attach the switch so the LED is on.

If you get a magnet near the switch you should see the LED light up.

Worse case scenario if you attach the switch to the wrong end of the cylinder the machine will have an ATC error. Swap to the other end and if the error's gone you got it.

Also, most pneumatic valves on CNC's have manual overrides. Say you need to cycle the cylinder to mount the sensor- Find the manual button and use it to set your sensor.

I agree with Garwood and ewsley.
You may be over thinking this.
The sensor is either detecting what it should or not, that's all that matters when adjusting them.

Do you have the electrical schematic for the machine?

It will tell you you exactly whats what. Contact Mori, they can most likely provide you with it in some form or another.

-Luke