Sensoring tool use and removal MV-40B fanuc MF-M6

Made my start in cnc a couple of years ago with a Mori Seiki Tl-1 lathe. This summer I managed to get a 1993 Mori Seiki MV-40B mill with fanuc MF-M6 control.
I bought it with the understanding that all manuals were with it, but the programming manual was not with it. I imagine that manual goes to the shop floor and ends up ruined or lost eventually.
The operation manual goes through tool set up and sensoring tools (2) can be added.
That's all fine I set my edge finder as sensoring tool 1 and set an empty pot and figure all is great.
So I call sensoring tool 1 "tool 1" and if I want to use it I call tool 1 to the spindle and it does it and locks spindle rotation (nice for indicator use) and do my touch offs and when done is where I'm lost. How do I get my sensoring tool back into the tool mag? Is there a special M-code? google search brings up m64, but that does nothing. Calling the next tool produces an alarm "ex1449 sensoring tool in spindle" Calling t0 m6 gets same alarm.
I can switch to handfeed and then remove the tool manually, but that does no good as far as the machines concerned it's still in there and same alarm.
Only way out I have come up with is To remove it manually and then delete it from the registry.
How do I get it back into the tool mag after use? What am I doing wrong? Is there an M code for sensoring tool removal/return to mag?

Go to the tool table and assign an imaginary tool number to any other pocket. Then MDI in the imaginary tool number and an M06 and the machine will put your tool 1 back in the carousel. Keep in mind you cannot call a tool number/tool change that does not have that tool assigned to a pocket.

I have never tried this with a tool registered as a sensor, but on many Mori mills, M33 returns a tool in the spindle to the magazine.

Dan from Oakland said:

Go to the tool table and assign an imaginary tool number to any other pocket. Then MDI in the imaginary tool number and an M06 and the machine will put your tool 1 back in the carousel. Keep in mind you cannot call a tool number/tool change that does not have that tool assigned to a pocket.

Click to expand...

I re-entered my sensor tool as sensor tool 1 and put it in pocket 1 same as twice before.
It would be put in the spindle by calling tool 1 both times before, but now gives me a EX201 improper T command. Not sure why.
Something I'm missing about calling the sensoring tool? Got lucky before? cycled the machine off and on 2 times but still the same.
Tried your imaginary tool and called it, and it empties the spindle just as you intended so I can see that that would work.

Vancbiker said:

I have never tried this with a tool registered as a sensor, but on many Mori mills, M33 returns a tool in the spindle to the magazine.

Click to expand...

See reply to Dan. If I could call my sensoring tool I can see that this is probably the proper way to put it back in the mag.
In the "custom" screen under tool entry it shows "tool in spindle" "empty pot" "sensor tool 1" "sensor tool 2" I always figured empty pot would be where it would put the sensor tool after use.
Calling my sensor tool was not working for me (as per reply to Dan) but I tried M33 on the tool currently in the spindle and it put it in pot 30 which was the one I had entered as empty pot.
So the "empty pot" thing makes sense to me now. Now I just have to figure out why I can't call the sensoring tool.
Thank you very much, and thank you Dan also I forgot to in your reply.

Pallet changing

Now I tried a pallet change with 9303 (unload pallet A)
I had moved pallet A to the "dock" before in the customs menu with the commands there multiple times to get the pallet dock aligned with the machine.
I did not get a book for the changer so that took awhile trial and error, but I got it aligned where I could unload and load that pallet.
Since then I found the load unload programs in the control and I have some work to do on pallet B so thought I'd try loading it.
Well I screwed up. I had a vise on the table that protruded off the side slightly. It didn't clear the out door so stopped the pallet mid stroke.
Machine stopped pushing the pallet and I went into the customs menu and reloaded the pallet back onto the machine table. All seemed fine at that point. I could unclamp and reclamp the pallet just fine from the customs menu. I even pushed it into the holding bay and pulled it back onto the machine table and re clamped it. So I thought all was fine.
I then ran 9303 again (I did not move x or y) I then get alarm EX 0627 (apc not home position)
X and y will not move by the hand wheel or jog and will not zero return.
On the program screen 9303 shows distance to go as 0 for both x and y.
I was pretty sure the table was clamped when I tried 9303 the second time but now I'm wondering if it wasn't as It no longer shows it clamped in the customs menu and running clamp and unclamp there does not move anything, but I can hear a relay or solenoid click when trying to clamp. Table appears clamped (lower position).
I had originally thought that when I ran the pallet into the door stopping it that maybe it move the x axis off the sensor, but with distance to go showing zeros could that still be the problem?
Or is it more likely that the sensor on the table is not tripped into "clamped" and Apc not home is as close a code as it comes up with?

Little update. Typing 98 when entering the custom menu lets me run comands ignoring faults if I understand that right.
So pallet can be unclamped and moved to the pallet changer and then moved back onto the machine.
The thing that doesn't work is the machine never senses that the pallet is clamped. The clamp pallet A just keeps flashing rather than being hi-lighted showing clamping was done.
There is a horizontal switch that is depressed by the pallet when pulled into place on the table.
I was at first thinking this was not the clamp verification switch as it is depressed by the pallet even before the pallet is clamped down. But I see no other switch. Anyone know if that is the pallet clamp/verify switch?

You really need the ladder diagram for the machine or at least the wiring diagram so that you can look at the machine input for that switch to see if the switch is working. Is this a proximity switch or a mechanical switch. Pretty sure most Mori's of that vintage used mechanical switches. Is it possible the switch is sticking? Without looking at your I/0 you are gong to drive yourself crazy.

I have taken the end and rear cover off the electric/air "box" on the left end of the table. The sensors for table "in" and table "clamp" are proximity sensors.
I will attempt a pic. The foreground one is table "on" (left) and the one in the background is table clamp/unclamp. Table on is illuminated when the table is in place and table clamp/unclamp illuminates when the table is unclamped (as evident of larger end as the pin moves up with the table).
Since the machine never acknowledges that the table is clamped even though the proximity switch is correctly turned off when the table clamps, I guess I'm tracing that wire back to the control to see if/where in the control it is and if it's ok.
I still have to think that this is software based as the switch is powered and working as it should as far as I can tell.
Can the switch be powered and not hooked to the control?
seems far fetched, I guess it could be receiving power and be picking up an erroneous ground somewhere along the way making it appear functional?

Typical cell phone image (sideways)

Just because an indicator light turn on and off on a prox sensor, does not mean it is working properly and sending the input to the control. You need to verify the state of the input signal at the control.

Vancbiker said:

Just because an indicator light turn on and off on a prox sensor, does not mean it is working properly and sending the input to the control. You need to verify the state of the input signal at the control.

Click to expand...

Yes I'm chasing wires searching for clues. One big clue is the big page marker in the wiring diagram book that says "pallet clamp". Guess the previous owner was chasing this problem also.
They had 2 MV-40's and I think i got some paper work on both. One is an upgrade to tsc not sure if that is the machine I have or not will have to investigate. Didn't know that was even an option in 93. None of the tooling they sold me after the fact that was from this machine is tsc so probably was the other machine that got it.
The wiring from the table to the cabinet is pretty suspect. The outer stainless is torn and the outer steel conduit cracked in 2 places in the same area. Ohming the wires to the next junction (top LH corner) and bending shaking the wire/conduit does not effect the ohm reading on the wires, but I may take that apart and replace the conduit anyway.


I ohm checked some of the proximity switch wires into the electrical box (do more today) and so far they are good.
Haven't followed them from their junction in the electric box forward. Looking at wiring diagrams looks like they will be going to a timing relay?
I don't know what I'm doing. My experience with wiring is automotive and usually I'm looking for loom damage from mice or rubbing or melting. And much of the time nowdays it's problem is in a module and the only fix is reprogram or replace.

Vancbiker said:

You need to verify the state of the input signal at the control.

Click to expand...

Like stated above, You need to find the parameter for this and verify it at the control. Then work from there. You don't poke around with a DMM until after you do this. You're just wasting your time otherwise.

I use a friends 93 MV40 frequently. That control is just a Fanuc OM. I hate navigating that control, but it's been reliable.

On the tool/sensor deal I think you may need to realize that the toolchanger is random and pot numbers don't coincide with tool numbers.

I never label a reference tool. I just set it as tool 0 (zero). Most machines let you store a tool zero in the magazine, but you're probably not going to call tool zero by accident in a program.

Garwood said:

Like stated above, You need to find the parameter for this and verify it at the control. Then work from there. You don't poke around with a DMM until after you do this. You're just wasting your time otherwise.

Pretty new at this as my only cnc experience is with the 83 mori lathe.
I'll figure out what your telling me eventually.
This table has lots of wiring to it that most don't have I think.
Inside the end compartment there are 12 din blocks and there was a wire broken off one of them. I may have broken that, but they are pretty badly corroded (green etc)I ordered new ones(din blocks). The 12 terminal block up on the top rear left corner was broken in 3 pieces. Got a new one for that already.

I use a friends 93 MV40 frequently. That control is just a Fanuc OM. I hate navigating that control, but it's been reliable.

This one is a 16m near as far as I can figure. Internet says so, paper work says so, even have a fanuc warranty card in the paper work that says 16m A.

On the tool/sensor deal I think you may need to realize that the toolchanger is random and pot numbers don't coincide with tool numbers.

Yep fully aware that the only time tool and pot numbers might coincide is when installed. Control has entry for 2 sensoring tools, just not sure why they won't change from the spindle once installed. As far as running them manually I guess it would all be the same if put in by hand and then selecting spindle orient?

I never label a reference tool. I just set it as tool 0 (zero). Most machines let you store a tool zero in the magazine, but you're probably not going to call tool zero by accident in a program.

Click to expand...

I'll try that. Not sure why it would be any different than calling it tool 1 as I was.
Thanks for the help. I'm trying my best.
I've had a couple of things to fix on the 1983 lathe and found info on the web easily. Had to solder in a velocity controller on to an axis board even. Maybe that's cause all the lathe problems have been common and everybody had troubles and had to fix them so the info is out there.
This newer (93) I don't find as much info. But then how many were pallet changers?
Maybe that makes a difference.

I can't even replie correctly. Not sure why the quotes are the same color as your message. All but the last one that I did the same as the rest.
That's a mess.
Sorry.