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Brother C00/Speedio

havocworks

Plastic
Joined
Nov 26, 2013
Location
ohio
I am starting a new job tomorrow. Life been kicking my butt the last 2-3 years and decided to try for a steady paycheck for once! Great gig for me, related to my own industry, less than full time which lets me still continue to do my own thing, etc.

It's a really small company where I will be running a couple of Brother Speedio machines making simple parts that have already been laser cut. Anyone know if there is a PDF manual for the control anywhere? I looked but didn't find anything, only the B00. The control looks pretty straight forward but the more I know the better.

I'll mainly be pushing the green button and swapping out parts to start with but would really would like to get as familiar with the control as I can quickly. My own machine (in my garage) has an Acramatic 2100, which is all I have experience with.
 
Bring multiple spare pairs of underwear. I don't set rapids to 5 unless the program has been well proven :)

The three things that come to mind that could immediately be an issue for a new user are:

- Make sure you know how to install the tools correctly. It is really easy to think you did it right but to have not aligned the key and seated it all the way. You need to be SURE it's installed into the magazine holder correctly, you can see this if you peak under the tool and see the wide key that inserts into the drive slot of the toolholder.

- The Rapid/Feed knobs are your friend. Rapids are not linear, I think it's 0%-5%-20%-50%-100%.

- Tapping cycles are so fast that your tools better be set up right, and for some reason the control does not stop at the feed plane if your Feed is set to 0. As soon as it rapids to position it goes in at 100%. Tapping cycles are usually over before you even have a chance to blink, so... make sure your tools and depths are set correctly.

I don't have a manual to share but I've had my Speedio for just over 1 week and it's already mostly second nature. Still a LOT of stuff to learn for me, but the basic operation stuff is down solid. There are quite a few menus to get into and these machines make it easy to access an overwhelming amount of information, however the layout is very logical and easy to navigate to do the things you need. The operation is still similar to any other machine where you need to tell it what tools you have and their info, and where the work is. Doing so is straightforward and I have both those lists set up under the user-configurable hotkeys.
 
The machines will have come with a stack of manuals. The two most useful for general stuff are "operation" and "programming."

If you are button-pushing, then the most useful screen for you in Memory mode will likely be "Position" "Modal 1" or "Modal 2."

These things move FAST.

Also, learn to love "Cancel with Saving." LOL
 
There is a pdf programming manual. I don't have it here at home, do have it on the confuser at work.
There is a parameter to set a dry run value above the actual part. I set mine at 2". You could also raise the Z value in your coordinate system to run the program above the part, or even leave the material out and test the program. There is also a parameter to set the dry run speed. From the factory, it runs faster than the programmed feed rates (on my machines at least).
As noted above, once it's in the tapping cycle the feed rate over-ride doesn't work, there is a reason for this. If you think about it, it would run the hole and the tap.
Post up your questions, lots of good Speedio people here.
 
hmmm I don't have a digital copy of the C00 manuals, but I'll see if I can get one. In addition to "Cancel W Saving" (haha) remember MANU MODE -> ATC button to make sure the spindle is DOWN before hitting "CYCLE START." If the spindle is UP (often the case after loading a new tool) you will get a "Z-Axis Overtravel" (I think) alarm and be like, "What the hell am I doing wrong!?"

Also, going off of the rapid/feed overrides I THINK if you crank the rapid knob down to 0 it will stop the program altogether even if it is doing a "feed" move, no?
 
I must have missed your new machine thread Dethloff?

If all your doing is pushing the button, be sure to pack a spare pair of shorts. I still cringe, even on a proven program, when I set the rapids to 5 and I have had my Brother for now almost 5 months. I wish 4 was like 75%, it is just a touch slow, but 5, man...

I made the mistake the other day of coming into the shop early, after I had worked late, part was proven, had run 10 or 15 the day before. It was 6:30 on a sunday morning, went to bed around 1. Turned the Brother on and pressed go.

I damn near died.... I had rapids on 5 and feed up to 100%.

I think, nerdlinger, 90% sure, that the machine will continue cutting with the rapids at 0. Pretty sure I made that mistake once...

If any of you guys come up with a pdf manual, I would love to get a copy!
 
Also, going off of the rapid/feed overrides I THINK if you crank the rapid knob down to 0 it will stop the program altogether even if it is doing a "feed" move, no?

No. The rapid override doesn't affect the feed speed, and visa versa. Rapid override set to 1 (actually 0) does stop the program, but only once the program hits the first G0 in the code.

There is another fun trick with the rapid and feed override knobs -- it is possible to have the knob not in one of the detents, in which case you will get an error "Feedrate override switch is off the position" which is confusing, but OK, at least you just have to nudge the knob into one of the detents and the program will continue.

Regards.

Mike
 
BrotherFrank was kind enough to share the pdf with me. (BobCad/Cam has sent me a new post they developed from that, not tested yet)
If you pm me your email, I'll send it to you.
 
I must have missed your new machine thread Dethloff?

If any of you guys come up with a pdf manual, I would love to get a copy!

Yeah I guess I should make one of those :)

I would like the manuals in .pdf form just to be able to search for words. Hooooly cow there's a lot of info in that stack of manuals.

Setting Rapid to 0 does not affect Feed speed. I frequently set my Rapid to 0 when proving a program once the tool is cutting so I see exactly where it ends before it goes to the next op.
 
Thanks guys. First day went smooth other than 1 oops on my part at the end of the day. Ran about 300 simple tap/drill parts. These things are awesome, make my late 90s bed mill seem like a snail. I did catch myself trying to poke the screen a couple of times (used to the a2100 touch screen)
 
Searchable PDF would be nice. I've had my brother a couple weeks. Control is pretty straight forward. This is my first real machine, but its scary fast. Really incredible when your program is proven and you let her rip. I've been making 303SS sprockets/hubs. Helical bored holes are beautiful. I still have a ton to learn on the control, but getting parts out takes priority for now ;-).
 
I still have a ton to learn on the control, but getting parts out takes priority for now ;-).

5 months later that is still true...

I am :willy_nilly: each month until overhead and the Brother payment are in the bank, then I try to slow down and learn as I go.
 
hmmm I don't have a digital copy of the C00 manuals, but I'll see if I can get one. In addition to "Cancel W Saving" (haha) remember MANU MODE -> ATC button to make sure the spindle is DOWN before hitting "CYCLE START." If the spindle is UP (often the case after loading a new tool) you will get a "Z-Axis Overtravel" (I think) alarm and be like, "What the hell am I doing wrong!?"

Also, going off of the rapid/feed overrides I THINK if you crank the rapid knob down to 0 it will stop the program altogether even if it is doing a "feed" move, no?

Haha! Don't forget "Handle Mode" when you try to hit the ATC button right after getting the Z-axis position error. LOL
 
The only annoying quirk I’ve found so far is that I use tool numbers that don’t match pockets a lot (14 tool magazine, tool numbers up to 35 so far). You can ONLY change tool numbers per pocket if you go MDI-ATC Tool. Manual, Memory and Edit under the same screen won’t let you change the tool number per pocket. I forgot how to do this every time, I finally forced myself to remember how to do it. It’s very easy to set up any tool number you want and leave the tool info in the control, I just forgot how to do it every time haha.
 
Mind sharing how you do it? Tech showed me and I’ve forgotten. :crazy:

I’ve been so busy I haven’t looked up how to do it again. I really need to because my tooling numbers are getting mighty confusing!

Random question, when you measure a tool, does it reset your offsets or leave them?
 
Mind sharing how you do it? Tech showed me and I’ve forgotten. :crazy:

I’ve been so busy I haven’t looked up how to do it again. I really need to because my tooling numbers are getting mighty confusing!

Random question, when you measure a tool, does it reset your offsets or leave them?

I'll see about putting a video together today, with duplicating the tool offset program.

The tool offset is tied to the tool number. If you go into ATC tool, the tool data refers to the tool # which goes up to 99. The toolsetting program is specific to the tool #. There's two ways to do things. The 'easy' way is to have multiple Tool 1's or Tool 5's, and just reset their length when you swap them out. The more correct way is to have unique tool numbers, and to duplicate the toolsetting program so that you can use Program 0036 to set the length of Tool 36, then that data is permanently stored, even after you remove Tool 36 from the magazine and put another tool in that pocket.
 
I'll see about putting a video together today, with duplicating the tool offset program.

The tool offset is tied to the tool number. If you go into ATC tool, the tool data refers to the tool # which goes up to 99. The toolsetting program is specific to the tool #. There's two ways to do things. The 'easy' way is to have multiple Tool 1's or Tool 5's, and just reset their length when you swap them out. The more correct way is to have unique tool numbers, and to duplicate the toolsetting program so that you can use Program 0036 to set the length of Tool 36, then that data is permanently stored, even after you remove Tool 36 from the magazine and put another tool in that pocket.

Well, the *REALLY* good way is to modify the macro to activate by pot number, not tool number. I.E. - calling program #1 sets the length for whatever tool number is installed in turret position 1. It is easy enough to do (calling M6T101-121 changes to the respective turret position irrespective of whatever tool # is set up), and macro variables are available to tell programs what tool is in what turret pot at any time.

I renumber tools for each program, so I never have gotten around to doing this.
 
I've been using my speedio, getting parts out etc., but have some questions on the C00 control operation. Is there a way to define max rpm by pot number as opposed to the tool #. I'm using a Haimer in position 1 on the turret with a max speed of 0 defined on tool 1 to avoid mistakenly spinning it. Well, as you may have guessed I somehow reassigned tool 1 by accident, and since the max speed is assigned to the tool and not the pot, well... Lets just say some Haimer parts ended up in the chip pan :dunce:.

Haimer probe length offset:
When I set Z=0, for my G54 WCS, I enter the length of the Haimer (tool offset 1) in the dialog box at the bottom of the data bank tool list. Is there a way to automatically add the Haimer probe length to automate the process ?.

Also on the control using a Haimer to set work offsets. Looking for a better way if possible. My only other experience with CNC was using Mach3. I could see both machine and work coordinates on the same screen. I would touch off X for example and "zero". The work coordinate would reflect "0". On the brother it reflects the machine coordinate position whenever I set G54 zero. I have to go to the manual screen to see "absolute coordinates" which reflect would I would consider Work coordinates "0". If I'm trying to set my WCS to the center of the stock, I have to switch back and forth between screens to do the math to locate the center point. Is there any way to get both machine and absolute coordinates on the same screen while still being able to jog the machine using the Haimer ?.

Maybe there's a better work flow I'm not seeing for setting WCS zero using a Haimer.

Thanks in Advance.
Matt
 
I've been using my speedio, getting parts out etc., but have some questions on the C00 control operation. Is there a way to define max rpm by pot number as opposed to the tool #. I'm using a Haimer in position 1 on the turret with a max speed of 0 defined on tool 1 to avoid mistakenly spinning it. Well, as you may have guessed I somehow reassigned tool 1 by accident, and since the max speed is assigned to the tool and not the pot, well... Lets just say some Haimer parts ended up in the chip pan :dunce:.

Haimer probe length offset:
When I set Z=0, for my G54 WCS, I enter the length of the Haimer (tool offset 1) in the dialog box at the bottom of the data bank tool list. Is there a way to automatically add the Haimer probe length to automate the process ?.

Also on the control using a Haimer to set work offsets. Looking for a better way if possible. My only other experience with CNC was using Mach3. I could see both machine and work coordinates on the same screen. I would touch off X for example and "zero". The work coordinate would reflect "0". On the brother it reflects the machine coordinate position whenever I set G54 zero. I have to go to the manual screen to see "absolute coordinates" which reflect would I would consider Work coordinates "0". If I'm trying to set my WCS to the center of the stock, I have to switch back and forth between screens to do the math to locate the center point. Is there any way to get both machine and absolute coordinates on the same screen while still being able to jog the machine using the Haimer ?.

Maybe there's a better work flow I'm not seeing for setting WCS zero using a Haimer.

Thanks in Advance.
Matt
Matt,
There is an easier way to use the Haimer. Say you want to set the l/h edge of the part as "X-.03" then run the Haimer to zero against the edge, and go to the offset you are going to use (54?) with the cursor on the X part of the offset. You'll see "automatic setting"above the F2 key. Push the F2 key, and enter "-.03" in the field - and don't forget to push the enter key so it's recorded. When you do that, you'll see the current location and adjusted value in different fields. Do the same thing in Y. I've been touching off in Z, and entering the length of the Haimer in Z also, until recently. There is a way to have the Z adjustment for the HAimer work automatically, I'll have to do a little more typing for that one. BrotherFrank, showed me how to set that one up a couple of days ago.
HTH....
 
To add to eaglemike's method, to set the Z is a little convoluded. I bring my taster to 0 and know that the gage length is 6.6423". I go to the POS screen and subtract that number from the Absolute Z, and then that derived number is what I use in my work offset. That's the only slower and 'oops-able' part of setting the offsets.

You can see all three machine dimensions under the POS screen, the very top-left button on the screen. You have to be in Work Offsets to change the positions though.
 








 
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