New Machine(s) Day! Brother S700X2 and Hardinge GT-27SP

[Fal Grunt]

The thresholds start at line 667 (search for thresholdRoughing). There is no thresholdMediumRoughing because that falls between roughing and semi-finishing, it uses the semi value for L.

If you want to stop it from posting out the zero return at the bottom, I think that is in the writeRetract()) function. The home positions are set starting at line 3085; after it checks for G28) there are some ternary statements to set the home position by axis. These look like a = thing ? value 1 : value 2) and you can read them as "if thing is true, use value 1; else, use value 2." You could comment these out and replace them with specific values, like this:

//    _xHome = machineConfiguration.hasHomePositionX() ? machineConfiguration.getHomePositionX() : toPreciseUnit(0, MM);
    _xHome = toPreciseUnit(-250, MM);

I am not sure if this is completely safe, but it seemed to do the right thing when I tested it just now

Thanks!

I will of course, use due diligence after modifying the post!

 

[Sendit]

The thresholds start at line 667 (search for thresholdRoughing). There is no thresholdMediumRoughing because that falls between roughing and semi-finishing, it uses the semi value for L.

If you want to stop it from posting out the zero return at the bottom, I think that is in the writeRetract()) function. The home positions are set starting at line 3085; after it checks for G28) there are some ternary statements to set the home position by axis. These look like a = thing ? value 1 : value 2) and you can read them as "if thing is true, use value 1; else, use value 2." You could comment these out and replace them with specific values, like this:

//    _xHome = machineConfiguration.hasHomePositionX() ? machineConfiguration.getHomePositionX() : toPreciseUnit(0, MM);
    _xHome = toPreciseUnit(-250, MM);

I am not sure if this is completely safe, but it seemed to do the right thing when I tested it just now

Also have to change from mm to inches too for roughing/finishing/etc.

I'm not literate in posts or modifying them, while I have played with the fusion posts a little when I first got my brother. How did you change the values? I typically rough down to .003-.005.

I'm too incompetent in programming languages that I have searched 3 or 4 times for the G53 it outputs to try and stop it from posting an x0 y0 and can't even fix that

I'm glad you guys are here, I would never figure this stuff out on my own.

Thanks for that! I haven't dug into the logic yet - been too busy. I still need to make some changes to the Okuma post and develop one for the new Hardinge. I'm sure the Hardinge will be pretty simple.

If you PM your email and exactly how you want m298 to work, I'll edit the post for you. Roughing (what stock to leave range and L#) Semi (what stock to leave range and L#) Finish (Stock to leave 0.0, L5 or L6?)

 

[Fal Grunt]

Thanks a ton Sendit, I'll send a PM today.

 

[Rick Finsta]

I might just take you up on that offer, too.

In Hardinge news, I'm digging into that machine now. Needed a few switches and such and now I'm fighting with some of the option codes and cleaning gunk out of the nooks and crannies. I have a pretty good tooling setup so I'm sourcing tools now and hope to be making parts by the end of next week but that is pretty ambitious.

 

[Sendit]

I got a few PM's about changing the smoothing.

If you have questions PM me.

If you don't already have it, download Visual Studio Code, get it. Awesome tool. Editing Post Processors & G-Code with Visual Studio Code - YouTube Install these add on in the video


Open the post processor in Visual Studio and scroll down to line 550. This is the how the level of M298 is selected for each(roughing, semi, semi finishing, etc).

First section is what level to use for roughin, semi finishing, finishing. Where it says thresholdRoughing (0.5;MM). Change MM to "inches" and set the stock to level. Do these for the other two below. Example, if you set stock to leave at 0.10 and in Fusion set stock to leave at 0.10 or greater it trigger M298 L1.

Semifinish is the area between finish and roughing. If your finish stock to leave is 0.0 and rough is at 0.10. Semi finish will trigger at a range of 0.00005 to 0.0099999999


Imgur: The magic of the Internet


Imgur: The magic of the Internet

 

[Rick Finsta]

Had to completely disassemble and rebuild the collect closer. The last shop had filthy air and it shows. The spindle nose is deformed from suing 3-slot collets for decades on end but not enough that it is effecting function or runout. Evidently these are chrome lined, so a regrind is a major pain?

I also got the parts catcher working in one direction but it gives me an odd error when retracting. One step at a time.

I've got tooling mostly set up so I think in the next few days I'll be filling the coolant tank and trying to make some parts.

The Speedio is busy being a Speedio. Stupid fast and boring reliable.

 

[Rick Finsta]

Got the Hardinge buttoned back up and I'm just waiting for a pack of inserts so I can start making chips (r at least proving out my programs).

I do need to repair the worklight. Or, I've got a spare LED flood lamp laying around I can install instead.

It cleaned up pretty nicely. It has a setup for live tool use with a hex drive. If I start making my thumbscrews on this thing I will very likely use it to slot the heads.

If the UPS guy brings those inserts today (WTF, Sandvik?) I should have some first chips pictures over the weekend.

 

[Garwood]

Looks good, but I give that coolant lock line about a 12 second lifespan.

 

[wmpy]

is the blue motor on the back of the machine for the live tool? do you have any pics of how it works inside the machine? I've only ever seen small NSK-style air or electric motors used on gang tool machines for live tooling.

 

[Rick Finsta]

Looks good, but I give that coolant lock line about a 12 second lifespan.

I am going to stick some kind of supports in there but that's actually how Hardinge shows these thing set up in all the manuals and literature. I had it running a while without issues today. Well, excepting the giant blood blister in between two of my fingers from that f*&#ing lok-line.

 

[Rick Finsta]

is the blue motor on the back of the machine for the live tool? do you have any pics of how it works inside the machine? I've only ever seen small NSK-style air or electric motors used on gang tool machines for live tooling.

Yes it is. It has a manual motor starter switch on the front corner of the machine, and ostensibly you just leave it running? I didn't dig into the cabinet further to see if they have a start and stop signal from the PLC as well. It looks like it is just set up on the inside of the machine to take a hex drive cable. Similar to what NASCAR (or guys like me) run with mechanical fuel pumps in the rear of the car, or similar to a speedometer cable. So you would just run that up to the tool block with the live tool, I guess.

 

[Ox]

Try M51/M52/M53/M54/M55

But that does look like a complete add-on, so it may be left on all day - like you say.

But then aggin - it looks like the Liquitite goes to the main cabinet, and that the Manuel switch is for the mist collector?


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Think Snow Eh!
Ox

 

[Garwood]

I am going to stick some kind of supports in there but that's actually how Hardinge shows these thing set up in all the manuals and literature. I had it running a while without issues today. Well, excepting the giant blood blister in between two of my fingers from that f*&#ing lok-line.

Copper or steel tubing works great if you find the loc-line lets you down.

 

[Pete Deal]

Man that lathe looks nice. I’d like to have A gang tool lathe.

 

[Rick Finsta]

Try M51/M52/M53/M54/M55

But that does look like a complete add-on, so it may be left on all day - like you say.

But then aggin - it looks like the Liquitite goes to the main cabinet, and that the Manuel switch is for the mist collector?


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Think Snow Eh!
Ox

The mist collector and live tool motor are both wired through the same conduit; the motor starter on the rear of the machine is the mist collector and the one near the front is the tool motor.

 

[Rick Finsta]

Copper or steel tubing works great if you find the loc-line lets you down.

Long term I was planning on installing Swageloks and stainless hard line but I wanted to prove out my program and make sure things are pointing where I want them first. That way I can bend them to hug the bottom and not be up in the way. They'll probably be chip magnets that way, though... No free lunches.

 

[TeachMePlease]

Long term I was planning on installing Swageloks and stainless hard line but I wanted to prove out my program and make sure things are pointing where I want them first. That way I can bend them to hug the bottom and not be up in the way. They'll probably be chip magnets that way, though... No free lunches.

Home - QPM Products

Take a look through their selection of aimable coolant jets. Bet you can find something to replace hard lines, and hold way less chips. They're not cheap, but in my experience, they're worth it.

 

[Rick Finsta]

I like that style. Thing is I have like 20" between the manifold and the tools. I am actually going to hook a few up with through-tool from the manifold but I have to make some adapters to go from the Sandvik quick change wedge system to something like an SAE/AN/JIS fitting. That or use Tygon and hose clamps but it would look terrible! LOL

 

[Ox]

On the Acme's we run pipe from the manifold to near the point of use for stability, and then just put plastic flex on the end.
In the end - it is just SO much nicer!


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Think Snow Eh!
Ox

 

[Rick Finsta]

Last week the Hardinge was running. It is holding tolerance and tool life is good so far. I broke one bar puller but that was a repaired unit that may have warped from welding. No issues on the replacement.

Servos get a little loud at 100% rapids so I am running at 75%. I also built a small deflector setup to keep parts going into the parts catcher. It means there are more chips getting in there, too, but man am I loving life not having to dig through the chip bin.

After running through all the raw stock I had and knocking out a month's worth of step washers I broke down the MDI panel to figure out the backlight issue on the LCD. Of course it is a Sharp, not Fanuc, so parts availability is low. I've got new backlights coming today but there was no non-destructive way to remove the reflective foil so I may have to rig something up with a mylar balloon or something. I also sourced a refurbished LCD assembly from a "US seller" that turns out to be fucking Chicoms but that also shipped today. I'll either need it because I can't replace the backlights successfully, or I will have a spare on the shelf.

I figured I should get it fixed now while I'm waiting for material rather than have it go out when I absolutely need to be running. I considered an LED replacement but there is only one product on the market and it looks really hinky. Fanuc says they only have a retrofit that replaces the entire MDI panel for $10k. LOL no. I do appreciate how responsive they were, however.

I'm 96% convinced that this will be the last used machine I buy.