Auto Tool Touch Off & Tool Change Command Programming Help

[BlackflagMFG]

Hello everyone,

I’m currently running CNC12 v5.1 on my CNC router and have encountered an issue while setting up the auto tool touch-off cycle and tool change command for a rack mount ATC. Everything is working except there’s no safety check in place to verify the Y-axis position before moving the X-axis during tool changes. As a result, when the machine executes a rapid movement in the X-axis, it can crash into the tool rack if the Y position isn’t clear.

Here’s a breakdown of the issue:
• I need the Y-axis to clear to Y -2.2 to safely move past the tool rack.
• The only available location for the tool setter is currently at Y -0.4.
• The issue arises after the machine checks the first tool height and then proceeds to change tools to auto-probe the next tool in the rack. It will rapid in the X-axis into the next tool holder position instead of moving to a safe Y-axis clearance first.
• This same issue will arise if I call up a tool change when the machine is in the home/park position

I’m looking for suggestions on how to change the M6 macro or add logic to ensure the Y-axis clears to a safe position before the X-axis rapid move before a standard tool change and the auto probing cycle tool change. I am also using the CHIPS tool library manager, not sure if that makes a difference for the macro. I have attached a current report and photos of the machine setup.

Thanks in advance for your help!

[cncsnw]

If you wanted to fix it for just your machine and installation, you could edit the M6 macro, around line 117. Just below the "N200" line, you could add something like:

Code: Select all

IF [#5022 > -2.22] THEN G53 Y-2.22

More generally, Centroid should probably add that as an option to the "RackMountBin" system. That is more complicated, because it tries to be universal (rack may be aligned along X, or along Y, at the plus end or at the minus end, with no requirement that the bins be uniformly spaced). Ultimately, it should be possible to generate another 'A' option to the tool_position.cnc files that says "if the clearing axis is beyond the clearing position then move the clearing axis to the clearing position".

If you were to use the "Batch Measure" feature that is built into CNC12, you would probably also find that, after a tool is picked up, the X and Y axes move in a straight line to the tool touch-off location; and that that will also cause a crash with other tools in the rack. Perhaps CHIPS has smarter logic for moving to the tool setter, if it sees that your tool setter location is beyond the rack clearance position.

[BlackflagMFG]

Thank you! That worked perfectly for preventing the machine from crashing during a tool change when it's in the home position.

I’ve been trying different M6 macros to stop the machine from moving in a straight line back to the probe during batch measurements after the first tool change, but no luck so far.

I’ve attached my M6 macro below. I’ve added safe moves and dwell times to the "Tool Touch Off Sequence" (lines 157-172), but the machine doesn’t seem to follow them. Is there another file I should be looking at or something else I need to adjust to get batch measurements working properly?

The goal is to make sure the machine moves to a safe area Y = -2.2 then X = -0.5 before it rapids back to the touch probe.