Matrix Nexus - How to Program a Multifeed Bar feeder?

[Isak Andersson]

Hello. We have a Multifeed MX-1B with our QT Nexus 250-II MS. I've managed to manually move the pushrod, cross slide, etc. The bar feeder itself seems fine.

The thing is when I call the bar feeder with either an M68 or M69, nothing happens. The machine just waits forever.

When I try to open the chuck with an M206, it waits for about 20 seconds and then errors out with 282 Chuck Clamp Exceed Time.

It's in auto mode and the auto rdy led is green. What am I missing?

 

[Philabuster]

Does the machine have the correct parameters enabled to use the bar feeder? I know if the parameters are not set, the machine does not know to look for an external input like a bar feeder.

My machine had a robot feeder that was long gone, but the machine's parameters were set to look for the robot and the lathe would not do anything in auto mode until I disabled that particular parameter.

 

[Isak Andersson]

Does the machine have the correct parameters enabled to use the bar feeder?

Not sure, but I know the previous owner used the bar feeder so it should have. Although, I noticed that the install guy was changing a bunch of parameters when he couldn't figure out how to get rid of the tool check macro. It wouldn't surprise me if he messed something up then.

Do you know which parameters this could be by any chance?

 

[Philabuster]

Do you know which parameters this could be by any chance?

Sorry, I do not. Do you have the electrical books for your machine? If so, the parameters will be in there.

If the machine was originally purchased with the bar feeder, then Mazak will have the correct parameter list for your machine.

 

[CNC Hacker]

I'm not sure how they do it in Europe, but for American machines with these kind of options you get an electrical bill of materials that lists the parameters, M codes, and wiring diagram for the bar feeder interface. I would take a look in your electrical cabinet to see if there is one in there.

 

[Isak Andersson]

I found the parameter list in the electrical cabinet but it doesn't mention anything about the bar-feeder. I guess the bar-feeder was purchased at a later date.

I also found an "Operations Set-up & Electrical Manual" for the bar-feeder but this doesn't mention anything about parameters. It's just a generic manual for Hydrafeed. Not specific to Mazak.

What else could it be?

 

[Philabuster]

What else could it be?

The machine needs to know it has a bar feeder. The only way it knows that is by enabling a parameter.

I googled it and I think I found the parameter for your machine. Parameter F163, Bit 0, change it to a 1. I do not know if you need to power down and restart the machine for it to take effect or not.

This site was from a PM member here:

https://victoriacaruk.com/Mazak Parameter List, M-Codes, Alarm Manual forl Matrix.pdf

 

[CNC Hacker]

That F parameter is just for a special bar feeder scheduling page. Enabling it won't help if the M68/M69 codes aren't doing anything right now. Isak is gonna need some PLC parameters, usually RB's to enable the bar feeder.

Which actually reminded me of something, look under the maintenance wrench menu for a "Bar Feeder On" soft key. Normally if that is off, you'll get an illegal M code alarm trying to use the bar feeder commands, but it's worth a shot.

Most likely you're gonna have to get in touch with your local Mazak people. Hopefully all the European QT's use the same bar feed interface, so they can check what is set on your machine. I hesitate to give you parameters from one of my lists because I don't know if the PLCs are the same and PLC parameters are machine model specific. Don't want to mess up something else in the process of getting the bar feeder going.

 

[Isak Andersson]

under the maintenance wrench menu for a "Bar Feeder On" soft key.

Hey, that's some progress at least. I can now use M68 in a program but M69 just waits forever like before.
What's really strange, tho is that M206/M207 is waiting without any error now. In MDI both M206/M207 do work, so why not in memory?
If I could just figure out why the chuck won't open/close then I could at least run a single bar at a time, I'm thinking.

Most likely you're gonna have to get in touch with your local Mazak people.

Yeah, about that. We don't really have an official tech center here in Sweden. Instead, we have something called a general agent which basically means we get to pay a lot of money for a guy that clearly doesn't know what he's doing. That's not my opinion, by the way, the guy pretty much admitted it after 3 days of trying to get the bar-feeder up and running. I'm not super keen on asking them to send another guy that, hopefully, knows what he's doing, you know.

 

[CNC Hacker]

So when the bar feeder on button is active, you can't use the foot pedal to open or close the chuck either. So it's likely waiting for a signal from the bar feeder. I also always put an "M5 M205 M305" before any M206/207 commands in bar feeder call section, because I've found it can throw alarms otherwise. Even if the spindle isn't turning, the M5 "releases" it in the ladder to let the M codes work for the chuck.

Can you call the Mazak UK main office? Tracking down that interface documentation should have the answers we need on the machine side at least.

 

[Isak Andersson]

I also always put an "M5 M205 M305" before any M206/207 commands

Aha. That actually worked. M69 is still a problem but I should be able to run in single bar mode now.

Can you call the Mazak UK main office?

I might do that. we'll see how it goes...