Automatic Tool Changer Issues

Hey everyone,

I have an Acer EMC with a Fagor control here and the tool changer has been giving me some real issues the past few months. At first it was an intermittent problem were the ATC arm was not getting any further than the initial turn and latch to the spindle tool and pod tool. I would reset everything manual and then it would work.

Long story short the problem keeps coming back and doesn't seem to be an easy reset this time.

The ATC arm will complete the tool change but not return to its home position and let the tool pot go back up into the carousel. Ive gotten a few different errors throughout testing it the most common being Pocket up/Down Fail (arm not at home).

I tried to replace some sensors and make sure they are adjusted correctly; and that didn't do the trick.

Has anyone seen anything like this? Would appreciate any view point to get me looking outside the box of tricks I have already tried.

Thanks!!

If all the wires and sensors are good, then it is time to look at sheared or mangled keys, pins or rollers inside the box. Had a setscrew back out of an internal arm and hang up enough so that the tool arm could not get to home position. Had a roller that I replaced just because it didn't seem right. There is some wear on one section of the cam that worries me, but so far it has not caused a problem.

Is it built completely by Acer?
I didn't know they made a machine with an ATC.
Could make your gremlins worse.......

Is the pot up/down controlled by a pneumatic solenoid valve? And can you operate the tool pot up/down manually?

Not ACER specific, but just a generality....

On most all machines the tool clamped sensor needs to turn on before the arm will return to home. Have you verified that switch or sensor is working?

VTM said:

Is the pot up/down controlled by a pneumatic solenoid valve? And can you operate the tool pot up/down manually?

Click to expand...

Yes up down can function manually.

Thank you all for the ideas!

So just to add a follow up for anyone comes across this post with similar issues.

I replaced an arm positioning sensor and readjusted the sensor height for all 3 (induction sensors above a cam set up) no luck.

I checked all wiring for the ATC made sure connections looked good and nothing was shorted. and compiled the PLC.

I tried to do a tool change command using a different/non common tool pod thinking there was an issue with how a tool was clamping thanks to the advice i got on this thread and it worked! I then tried it with 2 of our most highly used tool pods and it still worked. So back to being confused and not having an definite answer. The only thing I know for certain is I've never had so many gremlin problems with any other type of machine. (machine is not old, bought new in 2012 to replace an older one with anilam control that also was riddled with ghost problems)

I honestly think that compiling the PLC is what did the trick. Not the first time this machine has gotten "confused"

Thanks again for the ideas everyone!

Thanks for coming back to let us know what worked.

Too many other posters leave everyone hanging with a dead end thread.