Mori MSG-805/Meldas 64 Live Tool Lathe ABS Zero Questions

[MountaineerMiner]

I hate to even ask this since there are several other threads on the subject already but I was not able to resolve the issue I have by following them. I feel like it will be something obvious at this point.

Machine is a Mori Seiki SL-204 with the MSG-805/Meldas 64 control and live tools but no sub spindle or y axis. I purchased new batteries when I bought the machine last year but didn’t put them in right away…regretting that now! New batteries installed and all alarms cleared except the Z70 Absolute Position Error. Following the manuals and the forums I found the ABS-SRV page in the NC Control but have failed to get passed the ORIG-RTN state to the OK state. The problem I think I am having is that I can’t move the axis without changing the encoder type to incremental (changing 2049 to 0 from 2) but doing so causes an error when trying to complete the ABS initialization procedure (since its in INC).

Is there a password or sequence of keys that are needed at some point in the process to allow the axis to move per the instructions (step 6, 8 and 9)? There are some non-English Youtube videos that show the process on a mill and they enter a password but the interface is either the Mit interface, some other tool builder, or a newer Mori.

I have tried starting at the zero marks in the machine and at a distance negative of the zero marks, moving the axis in INC. Neither has worked.

I believe I have all the manuals, but they all references the same basic Meldas instructions, I have not found a specific Mori interface specification, does one exist?

Are the live tools and turret indexed following the same procedure as the X and Z? I have not found any specific instruction on those and do not see any “zero” marks for them.

For the spindle (C axis) am I correct that there is no zero initialization necessary since it is incremental?

Below are the instructions I have:



This is the screen after completing through step 6:


This is the screen following step 7:


After completing step 7 the machine does not move or stop as indicated in steps 8 or 9. Powering down the machine and the drives resets the state to NG.



Any suggestions appreciated.

Thanks

Mike

 

[Vancbiker]

My Mori with Mitsu control will only move using the handwheel when setting the absolute encoders. Have you tried the handwheel or just tried using the jog buttons?

 

[MountaineerMiner]

Vance, is your Mori a mill or 2 axis lathe? Im starting to piece together that may be my issue. All of the instructions I have found cover zeroing linear axis and I may also need to index the rotational axis because of the mill turn features. If its on a lathe, does your turret also use an ABS encoder? Have you zeroed it too?

I believe I need to zero the turret first, then possibly the live tools and spindle. Im uncertain on the spindle, but the live tools are showing an error too. At a minimum I think I need to set the A and T axis to INC and try to complete the homing on X and Z in ABS; that should at least get me headed in the right direction.

Below is a video I made showing the trouble shooting I have done so far:

Thanks
Mike

 

[Vancbiker]

Mine is a mill with the mitsu based MSC802 control. It has absolute encoders on the 3 axes and an incremental encoder on the magazine. You should not have to change the encoder type in parameters to zero the absolute encoders.

 

[MountaineerMiner]

Mine is a mill with the mitsu based MSC802 control. It has absolute encoders on the 3 axes and an incremental encoder on the magazine. You should not have to change the encoder type in parameters to zero the absolute encoders.

Ya, changing the encoder type for the live tools and the turret didn't do anything to help with the X and Z. I found a section in the Operations Manual that covers enabling Zero Point Adjustment on the Operations Panel. I was able to complete the X and Z after changing this setting to "Valid" by aligning to the indicator marks (I later learned this only gets you close, since its a C axis lathe you have to sweep in the x with an indicator then back off a set amount; more on that later).

I then talked to a retired independent service tech (from when they still existed) and he has me pointed in the right direction on the remainder of the process. You need to line up the live tool drive with the groove in the turret and zero it before indexing and zeroing the turret, he said you can damage the unit if this is not done correctly.

Zero Point Adjustment Function Instructions:


Drive dog that needs aligned: