G20/21 offset values converting FANUC 6T

[BodoW]

Hello Guys,
This might be a stupid question or maybe the control is just stupid.
When I set my offset values for the tools in the Turret and I do it in imperial it´s ok for the imperial part.
But when I need to do some metric stuff and switch with G21 to metric and I check my offset values they are not correct converted.
For example I have an imperial offset of 2.1234 I get a metric offset of 21.234. So it´s just multiplied by 10 and vice versa divided by 10.
Do I have to change some parameter which is now 10 to 25.4 or do I have to live with it?
I think it´s somehow weird that this happens.
How are you handling this problem? Can I send some file with imperial offsets to the control when I come from metric?
I think Fanuc should be able to program a simple conversion very easily even in the early eighties.
Soon I have to switch from metric to imperial again and wanna avoid to type in all 12 X,Z,R values manually into the control.
Okay, I already have a conversion spreadsheet with the corresponding values but it takes a lot of time to type everything in and typo´s can always happen.

Regards
Bodo

 

[angelw]

Hello Guys,
This might be a stupid question or maybe the control is just stupid.
When I set my offset values for the tools in the Turret and I do it in imperial it´s ok for the imperial part.
But when I need to do some metric stuff and switch with G21 to metric and I check my offset values they are not correct converted.
For example I have an imperial offset of 2.1234 I get a metric offset of 21.234. So it´s just multiplied by 10 and vice versa divided by 10.
Do I have to change some parameter which is now 10 to 25.4 or do I have to live with it?
I think it´s somehow weird that this happens.
How are you handling this problem? Can I send some file with imperial offsets to the control when I come from metric?
I think Fanuc should be able to program a simple conversion very easily even in the early eighties.
Soon I have to switch from metric to imperial again and wanna avoid to type in all 12 X,Z,R values manually into the control.
Okay, I already have a conversion spreadsheet with the corresponding values but it takes a lot of time to type everything in and typo´s can always happen.

Regards
Bodo

Hello Bodo,
The control won't do the conversion and there is no parameter to set to make it do so.
If your control is equipped with the User Macro function, a quite simple Macro Program can be written to convert the existing Offset from Imperial to Metric and vice versa, thus saving to the trouble of hand input of the converted offsets.

Regards,

Bill

 

[BodoW]

Hi Bill,
so it´s a stupid control....
At least not me.
How do I find out if has the User Macro Function?
Yepp, I haven´t worked with macros up to now. So I have to dive into the topic Macro programming.
Actually I thought about Macro and Variable using for a while now. We mostly make Rollers, crowned or grooved on this machine
and for the groove or the crown I could write a program with variables. But as I said I have to dive into this topic. Now it seems sooner than later.
I guess the machine has it enabled or better said I hope so, because the first owner of this machine produced crankshafts on this machine I think for Dodge or Chrysler.

Regards
Bodo

 

[William Lynn]

I never ran in metric mode. I always converted metric dimensions to imperial. I'm not metric fluent and was not comfortable running in metric mode.

 

[BodoW]

I´m opposite, with around 55yrs talking metric I´m actually uncomfortable in imperial.
And my private opinion is that imperial is less accurate. I can type in 1 micron but in imperial it´s 2.54 microns.
0.0001 to 0.001. This what our machine gives me.

 

[Donkey Hotey]

If you are comfortable in metric, set the machine in metric and never, change it. Convert your imperial drawings to metric and work in the units you're comfortable with. That's exactly what I do in the opposite direction (imperial machine and tooling making metric parts).

I'm surprised the machine hasn't crashed when you've done it. There are settings all over a CNC that involve feed rates, retract distances, calibration amounts, offsets, angles, etc. Some of those would need to convert and others need to stay the same. Who knows which ones got converted each time? Macros or no macros, there is no way I'd convert the machine back and forth unless there was something in that exact Fanuc manual that specifically spelled out that it was designed to do this seamlessly.

 

[angelw]

How do I find out if has the User Macro Function?

Hello Bodo,
Via a short program or via MDI, execute the following command:
#1=100.0
If the control executes that without an alarm, your control has the User Macro feature. Another way of determining if the control has the User Macro feature is that there will be screen pages to view and register values in Macro Variables;

Regards,

Bill