What's new
What's new

2006 Fadal 3016 Fanuc with an 18i Control

Don Davis 87

Aluminum
Joined
Mar 7, 2014
Location
Houston, TX
I figured I'd try once more as I still haven't learned what I need to know. This machine has a "Fanuc" 18i control and I can only enter Tool Length Offsets or Work Fixture Offsets by manually entering the numbers, I'm sure there is an easier faster less prone to human error method of filling in the blanks. Mostly every machine I've ever owned had a 'Tool Cal" button, you simply touch the tool on the part then go to your offset page, highlight the tool number you want and press the tool cal button and the field is populated with the current Z location, same for work fixture offsets. I included two pictures of the control and a key pad that looks like ground zero for entering this information. If anyone knows these controls I would really appreciate the help.IMG_1192.jpgFadal3016 .jpg
 
I figured I'd try once more as I still haven't learned what I need to know. This machine has a "Fanuc" 18i control and I can only enter Tool Length Offsets or Work Fixture Offsets by manually entering the numbers, I'm sure there is an easier faster less prone to human error method of filling in the blanks. Mostly every machine I've ever owned had a 'Tool Cal" button, you simply touch the tool on the part then go to your offset page, highlight the tool number you want and press the tool cal button and the field is populated with the current Z location, same for work fixture offsets. I included two pictures of the control and a key pad that looks like ground zero for entering this information. If anyone knows these controls I would really appreciate the help.View attachment 318926View attachment 318927

It’s the soft keys under the CRT. Go tour your offsets page, highlight your offset you want to enter, type Z then the Input C. Soft key will appear. Press it, and it will fill in your offset. This pulls from your relative position. The work offset works the same, highlight an axis under a work offset, press the axis letter you want to set and the measure soft key will appear.
 
I have the same control/machine - here goes:

You need to press HANDLE to use either the TOOL MEAS or WORK MEAS buttons, they do not work in any other mode (EDIT, MDI, etc.)

If you press TOOL MEAS it takes you to the tool offsets, OFST will be blinking as a message next to the clock. Scroll down to your tool number, press (OPRT) soft key and you'll see MEAS B. soft key, press and it will fill in.

If you press WORK MEAS it takes you to work coordinates and WOFS will be blinking as a message next to the clock (you can get to the same page via the OFFSET hard key). Scroll down to the offset you want to change, e.g. G55, then simply enter the axis and any offset and the soft key MEAS will come up. So if I enter Z0. then press MEAS it fills it in. Doesn't need to be in Z at the time, just in the right work offset.

Fortunately I a have a tool setter and probe so have never bothered with either of the hard keys you are trying to use. When I need to change work offsets the OFFSET hard key and WORK soft key gets you right there and is independent of machine mode.

Hope that helps - good luck!
 
BALNH, I lived in Milford for just over 20 years, I have a son and grandson who still live in the 'Live Free or Die" State, In my opinion the absolute best state motto. I followed the instructions that xyzzy gave me and I'm in business. Thank You for reaching out to help, much appreciated. IMG_1195.jpgIMG_1193.jpgIMG_1194.jpg
 
My pleasure, glad it worked out!

Your 3rd picture, guide i, is an entirely different topic. A few thoughts for you: I don't believe guide was ever fully implemented on this machine. It was a part of the control from Fanuc, but Fadal needed to integrate it to use many of the guide capabilities. Anything that needs MTB integration (like probing) generates errors. The gcode editor and some routines to generate gcode seem to work, which makes sense as that is all contained within the control (it's actually a pretty good editor for that vintage control.)

I imagine you could write and execute gcode within guide. Just be a bit wary of it and don't be surprised when something doesn't work or leads you to a dead end (we use CAD/CAM so almost no editing on the machine but would have been nice if the probing was hooked up within guide.)

Does your machine have the Data Server option? If so it's quite handy plus it has Ethernet so it is not too difficult to connect the machine to a PC. You can search for threads on all this if interested.
 
Last edited:








 
Back
Top