weird Ffanuc toolchange after startup

[sigmatero]

I have an older Fanuc control on a Sharp 2412. When I start the machine up in the morning I have to take the tool out of the spindle or it will usually try to load it on top of another tool when I do my first toolchange. The machine homes just fine and spins the umbrella and after the first toolchange it seems to know where the correct tools are except for the one you took out.

Is there a setting or way to get the machine to remember what tool is in the spindle when I shut down at night?

 

[GENERALDISARRAY]

Isnt it a 0i mate control?

Does it have to find the #1 tool in the magazine every morning?

 

[13engines]

If you have the original manuals for the machine, you might find info somewhere about Keep Relay Settings and things like that. Maybe one of them would have a setting that would help you out. If you don't have that info you're probably out of luck, as I'm thinking something like that is a MTB thing and not a Fanuc one. Also sounds a little bit like a poorly written ladder.

Personally, I never leave a tool in the spindle when shutting down. My machines seem to know what tool is in the spindle, but one machine I have has to re-learn where the carousel is every time I restart. Even after a simple E-Stop.

I have no experience with Umbrella type tool changers, but you could try T0M6 each night before shutdown to clear the spindle. Typically, at least on a swing-arm type changer, T0 is a legitimate call. Maybe it is for your machine too.

 

[sigmatero]

Actually, now that you mention it the tool is initially set to T0 (at least according to the screen). So if I have say tool #7 in the spindle I put in M6T7 and it doesn't do a toolchange and assigns that one to 7. So prob the best thing is just do a T0 at the end of the day.

BTW, one of the reasons I leave a tool in is to wash down the machine so I don't get chips and crap up the spindle. But I suppose I could do the T0 after washdown.

 

[sigmatero]

Yaa, when you home the machine the umbrella spins around. Presumably to see what tools are in there I'm guessing.

 

[GENERALDISARRAY]

it is looking for a marker denoting pocket #1. It uses a data table then to associate what tool number is in what pockets. Why it forgets what is in the spindle is weird.

Have you asked Sharp?

If I knew the control model, I could look in the parameter manual

 

[sigmatero]

it is looking for a marker denoting pocket #1. It uses a data table then to associate what tool number is in what pockets. Why it forgets what is in the spindle is weird.

Have you asked Sharp?

If I knew the control model, I could look in the parameter manual

Didn't really want to exercise Sharp if I don't have to in case something serious comes up later. I know they typically want to sell new machines and us old machine owners are a bit of a hassle. The control is Fanuc Oi-mate 10T. I have a parameter list and Fanuc manual but don't know what to look for.

 

[GENERALDISARRAY]

I was wondering if they would say something along the lines of
"Oh yeah, you need to put tool X in the spindle before power down. Or remove the spindle tool before homing. That is normal."
or maybe
"No, something is not right."

 

[sigmatero]

Well something is really weird. After I home the machine if I put in a M6T1 nothing happens, it just changes the tool number to "T0001" on the screen. Then I immediately afterwards put in M6T2 and still nothing happens, just changes the screen to say T2. (no toolchange). Then put in M6T3 and it will go get tool 3. Then M6T2 will go get tool 2 finally and M6T1 will go get tool 1 finally and other tool numbers too and sort of seems normal then (though I haven't fully vetted that yet).

But why the heck is it not getting T1 and T2 until after I've gone to T3 first?

BTW M6T0 doesn't work, just gives an error.

Still need to figure out what's happening. Might try to look in the parameters and/or table(?) to track things.

Edit: Cleaned all the sensors that I could find under the umbrella (especially the sensor near the front with the red and green light on it) and then removed all tools and reset everything from scratch and now it seems to be working better. I'll know more tomorrow when I have a chance to use it more. Was really acting strange though, even after I cleaned it. But eventually it seemed to clear up. Hmmmm.

 

[Vancbiker]

The trouble you are having is machine builder related. Any info on how the builder programmed the toolchange function will be documented in Sharp manuals if anywhere, not Fanuc’s manuals.

 

[13engines]

Just curious... what happens when you change your call around. T1M6 instead of M6T1 ?

 

[sigmatero]

Doesn't seem to matter the order of the tool number and command.

Verified today that it seems to be working much better not that's it's all clean. Doh. Imagine that.

Vancbiker thanks for that, makes sense.

The takeaway, at least for me, is that if anything seems to be acting strange clean the crap out of things or the strangeness will get worse.

Thanks for the advice and hopefully this helps someone else in the future.

 

[Don Davis 87]

Sounds like it might be a battery issue, once you power up the machine it works fine for the rest of the day. Until you fix the problem NEVER leave a tool holder in the spindle when you shut it off.