Need help with programming problem on qt8

I'm definitely new to Mazatrol programming. I finally got this machine to a condition that it might even be able to make a part. After about 6 months of fixing things. I made this simple program just to see if the machine would run it. When I went to check it things don't look like they should. It seem that it can't write the code. Instead of cutting straight lines it goes on an angle for one pass then just goes everywhere. Just wondering if there is a card that is junk or maybe some parameters not set correctly. I checked all the parameters that I could that I thought may affect this but I'm just learning so I'm hoping one of you smart people would be willing to help me out. Attached are a couple of pictures of the program and the check screen.

If your tool data is incorrect, you may get some pretty funky tool paths. Post pics of your tool data page. Your code looks OK.

Here are pictures of the Tool File and Tool Data file hope they help
Thanks,
Bob

novation1 said:

Here are pictures of the Tool File and Tool Data file hope they help
Thanks,
Bob



View attachment 211807View attachment 211806

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Check your parameters pages and post a photo...
In Mazatrol T2, any time you have a bunch of asterisk characters "******" it is a sign that you lost data or parameters.
At the very least, I would zero out those *.***** because that's junk data.

I'll bet you have some wacky or missing parameters in there that could easily be re-entered to correct your problems. Do you have a factory parameter sheet?

novation1 said:

Here are pictures of the Tool File and Tool Data file hope they help
Thanks,
Bob



View attachment 211807View attachment 211806

Click to expand...

On your tool data the DEP-ANG needs to be 95 degrees if the insert has a negitive 5 degree lead angle.

Thanks Kevin66 That was the problem. I changed the 5 to 95 and the 7 to 97 and the tool path worked a it should. Now I have to figure out which parameter I changed to make my B-Axis not home. I don't plan on using it but it needs to home in order for the machine to go into auto mode. I'd actually like to find parameters to eliminate it all together. I don't think anyone has used it in years. There isn't a chuck on it. I did "0" out all the (*) out of all parameters and tool file. Thanks for the help.

That subspindle can come in very handy. It may be worth your time to get it up.

I'm sure at some point it may. Right now there is very little information on troubleshooting it and very little time to do it. Having the machine up and running now would be more beneficial. Even if I could get to home that would be great. Or find a way to trick the control that it homed. It is in the home position now but every time the machine is in E-stop or the power is cycled it has to be re-homed. Since I got the machine 6 months ago it hadn't moved until last week it started homing most of the time. Yesterday it stopped homing again. Now I can't get it to move. If it was just changing some parameters to have it not think it has a sub spindle it wouldn't be hard to change them back when I have time to mess with it.
Bob

Well today is a good day in that the B-Axis homed for what ever reason. So I got to try a program to see if it will actually work. In auto mode, single step, the tool will move to the starting point but the spindle doesn't start. I can hit cycle start and the program will move to line 7 but the tool never moves past the start point and the spindle never starts. The spindle works fine in manual. Goes forward and backwards and the speed is variable. Obviously not in auto mode. Anyone got any ideas on why this may be happening?

novation1 said:

Well today is a good day in that the B-Axis homed for what ever reason. So I got to try a program to see if it will actually work. In auto mode, single step, the tool will move to the starting point but the spindle doesn't start. I can hit cycle start and the program will move to line 7 but the tool never moves past the start point and the spindle never starts. The spindle works fine in manual. Goes forward and backwards and the speed is variable. Obviously not in auto mode. Anyone got any ideas on why this may be happening?

Click to expand...

Try cycling the chuck. Usually you'll get an alarm if it's not clamped, but it's worth a check.

Further investigation of the same topic:
In manual mode, did you run the spindle with the chuck open or closed?
There's a switch in the control cabinet to select ID clamping or OD clamping.

If the spindle runs in manual mode with the chuck open, you may be set to ID clamping... (jaws go outward to clamp).
If that's the case, you just have to flip the switch.

Update on No Spindle

I've been checking as to the cause of the spindle not starting. I've re-initialized the control, put all the parameters back in and made sure there are no asterisks in any parameter. One thing that I have noticed in any of the posts that I have read yet on putting the parameters in are the parameters on pages attached to this post.

When I got this machine it had set for quite a while. Not sure how long it was. There were batteries attached to only the 784-8 and 784-9 cards. The 727 card had no battery. The batteries that were on the 784 cards were corroded from leaking. Luckily they were not attached to the cards. They were attached by extension wires so the cards were not damaged. After getting power to the machine I checked the parameters and took pictures of them. The 2 attachments are the parameters that were on the original pages. I got a folder of what looks to be the original parameters with the machine. These 2 pages are not among them. Does anyone know what these parameters are for? (The 131 error has been addressed a while ago.)

Currently the machine has no error codes. It will finally home the sub spindle. It will go into Auto mode and run a program in dry run. It won't start the spindle in a program. The spindle runs fine in manual. In checking through the wiring manual, following the logic for spindle forward in auto, it looks like it doesn't set M3. I can follow it back farther than that but I don't know what the logic is referring to as to the memory locations. I found this out by using the IO check on the Diagnosis screen while it is in auto mode running the program up to where the spindle should be turning. I seems that the logic in the control is not working correctly. None of the IO locations that are on or off when they shouldn't be are related to any external switches or relay contacts. I attached the logic page. The first instruction on line 8 is off when it should be on. That goes back to M3 but it is not on due to another instruction on page 40 line 17 is off when it should be on. M11.N is off keeping M3 from being on. What M11.N is referring to I'm not sure. I'll probably call Mitsubishi and see if they have any insight as to what is going on. If anyone knows what it is I'd appreciate your help.

Post your code for the subspindle program. You may have a problem there. Subspindle programming is anything but intuitive.

I don't really have a program for the sub spindle. I was just trying to get the sub spindle to home when I start the machine so it would go into Auto mode. I found out that setting bit 7 on OP2 parameter to 0, which is for a M348 style of parts catcher, it will home. According to my parameters for this machine it should be at 1. I did get the spindle to start in Auto but only when the program is in Dry Run. That seems to be another problem of the NC not getting any RPM signal. I'm working on solving that now. If someone could post a picture of a working program that starts the coolant and chip conveyor in it that would be helpful. I have 3 books on programming Mazatrol. I don't think anyone of them shows how to deal with that. They show how to program different shapes but not a complete working program.

Bob

Not sure on the chip conveyor- can it be turned on and off under program control? The coolant start stop just use the Coolant On/Off M codes but for it to work you have to have the coolant on soft key pressed while you are in auto mode.