Tying a tool to a specific pocket on VF2 side mount changer.

[xnewmanx]

So I just picked up a chip fan from haas. I've always wanted to try one since I saw it, and now I can.

Unfortunately, the diameter is 2.65 and my mill's max tool diameter is 2.5". I have it currently designated as a large tool and it is tied to pocket 2 in my machine. I have a large face mill tied to pocket 4, so my tool changer looks like this

1 EMPTY
2 CHIP FAN
3 EMPTY
4 FACE MILL
5 EMPTY

This whole setup is annoying for two reasons

A) I lose pocket #1
B) The chip fan, since it is designated as a large tool, also changes in as a heavy tool, so it goes super slowly. I was really hoping to call it up frequently at the end of most of my cycles, but the slow change could add a lot of time on parts with a short cycle time.

Is there a way I can tie another tool to pocket 1 that's small diameter and I KNOW won't interfere with the chip fan and then tie the chip fan to pocket 2, hopefully without having the machine change it as a heavy tool?

I am the only one who runs this machine (I own it) so someone changing tool 1 to a 2.5" diameter tool won't be a problem.

Thanks in advance.

 

[thesidetalker]

If it has the retractable blades, you don't want it toolchanging at full speed anyway... the outside blade(s) will 'deploy' and potentially crash into the sheetmetal when the ATC arm swings it around.

 

[xnewmanx]

If it has the retractable blades, you don't want it toolchanging at full speed anyway... the outside blade(s) will 'deploy' and potentially crash into the sheetmetal when the ATC arm swings it around.

I did test the toolchanger at full speed and the blade springs are so tight that the speed of the toolchanger has no effect.

 

[Booze Daily]

According to the operator manual for my '06 VF-2SS, the large tool size starts at 3" so you should be able to leave it as a normal tool.

If you want it to slow toolchange but not have a designated pot, you could tag it "H", which is heavy but not large.
That's how I have my spindle probe set.

 

[xnewmanx]

According to the operator manual for my '06 VF-2SS, the large tool size starts at 3" so you should be able to leave it as a normal tool.

If you want it to slow toolchange but not have a designated pot, you could tag it "H", which is heavy but not large.
That's how I have my spindle probe set.

The 30 pocket changer large tool is 2.5". I also want it to NOT be slow.

 

[Booze Daily]

Well, I suppose you could reset the tool pockets to numeric order and make the chip fan something like T10 or T20 so it isn't adjacent to any of your other tools.

When you change to the chip fan it will put the previous tool into the chip fan pocket.
After running the chip fan tool change back to that previous tool so the chip fan goes back into the same pocket it came out of.

 

[thesidetalker]

I did test the toolchanger at full speed and the blade springs are so tight that the speed of the toolchanger has no effect.

Do you have the small one? I have the medium and large size Lang fans and they do open up if toolchanged at full speed on my machines.


If you are mostly running smaller tools, you can get away just fine without designating a pocket as large. When most of the tools are endmill holders or ER chucks and only 1 large tool is used, I don't bother marking it as large since it won't interfere with the other pockets anyway. Sometimes this also works if the large tools are longer than other "large" tools.

 

[xnewmanx]

Do you have the small one? I have the medium and large size Lang fans and they do open up if toolchanged at full speed on my machines.


If you are mostly running smaller tools, you can get away just fine without designating a pocket as large. When most of the tools are endmill holders or ER chucks and only 1 large tool is used, I don't bother marking it as large since it won't interfere with the other pockets anyway. Sometimes this also works if the large tools are longer than other "large" tools.

It's a haas long one. But it's brand new and maybe the springs are tighter. Also possible that my eyes are missing it. I'll take a slow motion video to be sure.

As for the interference, I am pretty sure right now it would not interfere with any other tools in the machine, I just don't know what the future will hold. If I only have to worry about the fan and one other adjacent tool, then that's a lot easier than needing to consider it every time I load a tool.

 

[TCFab]

I wouldn't worry about running it as a normal tool. I've had a 3.1 inch face mill as a normal tool since 2018 without any issues. 30 tool side mount.