Bill I tried your 2 program examples and all it did was send the head home orient the spindle then I heard it fire one of the solenoids instantly on then off with no tool changer movement.
Vancbiker I tried a G30 in place of the G28, the head went up but the ATC light did not come on. With the G28 it does. That ATC light has to be on to do anything with a tool change.
Hello Dan,
When you say that the Head went up when executing G30, do you mean that it went to the Z axis Reference Return Position.
The way you have described the sequence of the Tool Changer, I suspect that the Z Reference Return Position would be correct for executing a tool change. You can confirm that the Z axis is at the correct height for a trouble free tool change by the following procedure.
1. Place a Tool Holder in the Carousal Tool Holder that is in the Ready position for a Tool Change.
2. Using a Height Gauge or whatever device you have on hand to be able to measure from the machine table to an easily reached horizontal surface of the Tool Holder (bottom face, or bottom surface of the Tool Change Flange of the Tool Holder).
3. Using the same Tool Holder, but now held in the Spindle of the machine (assuming you can insert a tool holder into the Spindle by Manual means), take the same measurement from the machine table to the same horizontal surface used in the measurement described in point 2 above. The difference between these two measurement should be Zero, or very close to Zero.
At this point, I would be doing as Kevin suggest in quite a few Posts earlier and that is to manually actuate the Solenoid Valves associated with the Tool Change to ensure that there is no mechanical hangup that's inhibiting the tool change. With no tool in the Tool Changer, or the Spindle, the Z axis at Reference Return and the Spindle orientated with M19, with the operating sequence of your Tool Changer, there should be no possibility of harming the machine (check first that the Spindle Nose is at the correct height as detailed above).
At each step, there should be a proximity switch to provide confirmation to the control that that part of the tool change sequence has been completed. For example, when the solenoid valve for Tool Changer, or Tool Changer Arm to move towards the Spindle, there should be a proximity switch to confirm that the Tool Changer has moved in and therefore, gripping the Tool that would be in the Spindle. In many cases, there will be a LED on the switch to confirm that its being made. If that is not the case, you will have to find the Input Bit in the Diagnostic Parameters; these will be in the "X" registry.
When carrying out the test of operation of the solenoid valves and the movement they control, ensure that the corresponding proximity switch is in the correct state before and after the operation. For example, the prox switch to confirm that the Carousal, or Carousal Arm is in the IN position when sent towards the Spindle, should be Off when the Carousal or Carousal Arm is at Home and On when it the Spindle Tool Grip position. There may also be a second proximity switch associated with the Carousal Tool Grip Home and Spindle position to confirm that the Carousal is at Home when it should be at Home.
Regards,
Bill
