Mazak VQC 20/50 CAM-M2 control...... need some help.

Hello everybody,

I am trying to learn how to get a VQC 20/50 with CAM M-2 control running. I am familiar with Mazak T-32B Mazatrol programming........ but the M-2 control, and milling is foreign to me. Anyway, my first round of questioning. I have read the manuals, and they are next to worthless. I have figured out how to home the machine, and I'm now trying to load tools into the tool changer. I've figured out how to index the changer. What I'm getting stuck on is....... what is the difference between TOOL FILE , TOOL DATA and TOOL LAYOUT ??? The manual says to put in the information about your tool in TOOL FILE. You have 5 choices, of which don't match the tool I'm trying to input.....no explanation of why. My #1 tool is going to be a center drill.....and that's what I'm trying to load into the "tool library" of which I've had no success. Once I choose one of the 5 choices (that doesn't have drill as an option), it asks for nominal diameter. In this case, my drill is .125 ......so I input .125 and it comes up 1.2, and will not accept .125. Is the damn thing metric ???

Anyway....... long story short, can someone tell me the procedure for loading tools into the "tool library", which of the 3 (or all 3) I'm supposed to use ???

And........ tool length....... is that the same as gage length, and where is that measured from ??? How close does this measurement need to be .... scaled ??? Does this input in
inch or metric ???


There are probably too many questions in one post, but I need this info or I can't move on to the other stuff I'll have questions on.



Thanks,


Frank

Ha! At last a subject were i might be able to add something as i have been down this road myself not to long ago.

As i understand it, generally you dont need to use the TOOL LAYOUT page when you are using the mazatrol, there may be exceptions to this however, like if you call a iso subprogram, but im not sure.

In the TOOL FILE page you enter the nominal diameter and max cutting dept of the mills, like face mill dia 80mm.
You dont have worry about drills on this page.

My machine have a 30-tool magazine and the tool file have 64 tools i think?
As you said this is a more like tool library.

The TOOLDATA page is where you enter the actual lenght and diameter of the tool, which as far as i know is from the spindle nose.
On my machine everyting is entered in metric, but i dont know if all machines are like that? On some controls this can be set by a parameter.

Can you take a picture of your screen, maybye that would make it easier to explain?
What happens if you enter 0.125 instead of .125?

Hi Frank,

I know nothing about Mazak mills so no help there but nice to see you on the forum and glad you're making good progress on getting the mill up and running.

Mazak tool data page uses the nominal size of the tool as the NAME of the tool . . . and rounds numbers up, as a 0.201 drill likes to be called a 0.21 drill. The convention helps when the control auto developes tools. For a 1/4-20 tap unit, the control will automatically choose a center drill, a 0.21 drill, and a 1/4-20 tap. Here is where tool layout comes in. After you have finished your program, run tool layout . . . enter the work number of your program, and press SHIFT, never ASSIGN. The control will respond with which tools are in the magazine, and which tools need to be loaded.

If you happen to press the ASSIGN key, the machine will choose the most efficient tool organization in the magazine AND PUT THOSE TOOLS IN THOSE POCKETS, except YOU now have to physically move the tools to the pocket assigned. See why I say Never press ASSIGN? Real chance for foul up, and only useful for long running programs that need to be efficient as possible. Remember this generation of machine does not have random tool storage.

Frank,

Does your mill have a functioning tooleye?

Mine does not, so i have a 5.99 standard and use a .01 feeler gage off the table to set my tools. Go into tool data- key down to your tool then over to length. Press teach- enter 6 input. This should work with any length standard.

Ben

Ben,

No, my tool eye isn't working.


Frank

No, my tool eye isn't working.

Click to expand...

don't feel bad
those things are a real sht to keep going
I gave up on mine after about 10 years

I have never been so frustrated in getting a machine going. I can't get this damn thing to do anything for me. Every time I try to do something, something else comes up that I have no explanation for and can't figure out how to get around. As usual..... manuals are useless. If I had somebody that knew the control get me past all of the stupid shit, I could figure out what's going on. I have, quite literally, been stuck trying to enter tools into Tool Data off and on for a week........and still can't get it. Now, I'm trying to pick up a damn center drill and find the length. I have a 2" dial setter that I have on the table. I bring the tool down to touch it and I get a "stored stroke limit" alarm. Apparently, the parameters in the machine won't allow me to get within 2" of the table ??? So, now I have to figure out how to get around this problem. The manual says to clear it, push reset. No mention on how to change the parameter, or what parameter to change........ just fix the problem and hit reset. OK.... thanks for the info....... I guess. At this rate, I should have this machine figured out in maybe 8 or 9 months.


Frank

I was able to figure out how to load a face mill in the machine and I ran it manually to rough out some 8620 rounds into square. The first chips off the machine were nice to see..... but it would be a whole lot nicer to run it in auto.


Frank

No mention on how to change the parameter, or what parameter to change

Click to expand...

if your getting a stored stroke alarm I would say you are within 1/2" of the end of the ball screw.....maybe closer
changing parameters of this nature should be done with all due caution

I might suggest a taller setting device or a 2-4-6 block under your present one

Here's a pic of where I'm at. Should I be at the end of the travel this far away from the table ??? It doesn't look right to me. When Mazak came out, they had a real problem putting my parameters in........ and I believe they installed parameters from another source.

Sorry, can't figure out why that is rotated on it's side, and can't figure out how to correct it.

The reason you are running out of z stroke is because Mazak built these bridge style machines with about 7.5 inches from the table top to spindle nose. I have always built riser tables for mine about 4" tall with 1/2-13 holes on a 2" grid.
Mazatrol can be frustrating at first but once you learn what it wants to see it is very powerful for piece work.I can help you with all your questions. PM me and I will give you my phone number.

enslow714,

I will have plenty of questions. Just getting started with this and ran into this problem. It blows my mind that they would make the machine so that you don't have enough stroke to get to the table. I understand that would eliminate crashes on the table...... but what if you have something bolted to the table........then the only option is to use long tooling, losing a lot of rigidity.


Frank

All machines have the spindle 4 inches thereabouts ftom the table. However it was an option on the VQC and AJV to have the column height not Z axis travel extended. This was mainly optioned on machines supplied with a 4th axis. You know how squeezed you get for height on verticals when drilling in the part chucked on the 4th. However some people got the extended option to suit their particular work on machines without a 4th.

but what if you have something bolted to the table........

Click to expand...

you need to move on from that frank
that spindle aint going to the table
make a riser
buy long tooling
start cuttin' metal

Sorry guys if I sound dumb. I have a million questions.... and every one of them is a newby question. I have never ran a vertical machining center, only manual mills and Prototraks....so I don't even know where to start. If I cant get my tools to the table, then do I need to use a block or whatever of known length so I know how far from the table I am, or does it really matter?? The idea of zeroing out the tools is so that each one is picked up and the cutting edge is known. After that, you set Z zero in the program right??? Boy this makes me frustrated. Can't get past the simplest shit because i can't wrap my mind around what the machine wants.

Ok....... read through the manual AGAIN (for whatever help that is)...... I used a ground block that I have that is 7.238 from the table. I went to the Tool Data page. I had already entered 3.9 as the tool length (as eyeballed with a dial caliper). The manual said to bring the tool down to the 7.238 block, push Teach, the Length will flash, then enter 7.238 and push input. I did that. Now, before I pushed that input, the number 3.9 was already entered, as length from gauge line and distance from table surface seem to both share the same space under Length..... after inputting 7.238, the number changed to 3.747. Anyone care to explain that ??? If the 7.238 number is actually stored for that tool, where do I go to check to make sure that it is stored ?? Already, I can see that this machine is far more complicated than the lathe.


So many dumb questions.........



Frank

Try touching off try teach then enter "0" input. Go back and highlight it again and enter your length of the block then input.

This is not from experience, just a suggestion.

So many dumb questions.........

Click to expand...

you need to move on from that too frank

no one thinks you should know how to run a 30 year old mill just because it landed on your dock
no one on this forum minds answering any question
I'd help you with this code work but I'm more clueless than you
so fire away

you'll get it
just like you did your lathe