Thread: Fanuc Code Question

I have a Mazak and two Super Max Mills that all use Fanuc consoles, so I'm assuming that they all use similar G and M codes. I am putting together the second super max (basically from its constituent parts, aka a billion different pieces) and have it almost back together, but am having a problem programming tool changes.

The spindle and the carousel change both tools simultaneously (there is an arm that grabs both tools and swaps them at the same time) but rather than bringing the carousel back to, say, tool 1, it puts it in the slot that it just pulled the other tool out of, say, tool 5. This means that when I run the program a second time, it grabs for tool 1 (which isn't there because its in the tool 5 slot), and needless to say this causes problems. Is there some sort of M command that I need to input after the tool change command so that the carousel will cycle to the right position? My other super max doesn't have this problem so I'm a little lost (though the carousels on them are totally different).

I'm currently waiting on a new vice and an indexer, on top of building all the jigs I need to run parts, but would really like to have it running smooth in a couple weeks so any help would be greatly appreciated. Otherwise, it will be me sitting with a book, spending all day messing with the controller trying to make it do what it is supposed to do. Thanks! Mike.

The Mazaks bring the tool out on a tool, arm M11 out, M12 back. The tool is swapped spindle to tool arm. The tool magazine is rotated to the position for the tool being returned.
Tool 1 always stays in pocket 1.

The Supermax is a random tool changer where tool 1 moves around the pockets in the magazine.
There is a group of R registers that keep all this straight, UNTIL someone presses reset during a tool change, or the battery goes flat. Then you can loose a tool (not in the tool table) or you can have 2 tool 1's, and neither is a good situation. In the supermax manual is a list of these registers. To reset up the tool changer, put 1 in the register for tool pocket 1, and 2 in 2 etc. these are stored in binary. The following table omits leading zeros.

Pocket # = Value in the register
1=1
2=10
3=11
4=100
5=101
6=110
7=111
8=1000
9=1001
10=1010
11=1011
12=1100
13=1101
14=1110
15=1111
16=10000
17=10001
18=10010
19=10011
20=10100
21=10101
22=10110
23=10111
24=11000

Then there is a register for the tool in the spindle, make it 0

It probably would help studying the one that works, before changing anything.

Bill

The Max I have that does work has a tool changer that has to grab the old tool, bring it from the spindle to the carousel, cycle the carousel and then take the new tool to the spindle, so its impossible for it to have this problem (since the changer can only hold a single tool at a time). So I think its the same as what you're describing for the Mazaks, which means I can't wade through code to find the stuff I need on that mill.

But I think the binary stuff is exactly what I need so I'll give that a shot next week (as soon as I'm done fabricating all the parts that went missing after the boss decided he wanted to take it apart, to paint it of all things, huge pain in the ass). Which reminds me, I might be hitting up this post again to ask some questions about how this thing goes together. I can't find any pictures or blueprints for the stupid thing, so a lot of it has been guess work so far. Luckily I've disassembled enough machines that I know what's going on most of the time.

Either way, thanks a million Bill, this was a huge help. Mike