ATC + Manual Gang

[Chaz]

Hello Chaz,

Can I confirm a few things.

Machine - Parameter 1, is 1? Or should this be 3?
Gang - Parameter enabled? Correct?

Tool 1, offset 9 (I have an 8 tool ATC) - I use Rear approach? What tool vector - 6 or 8?

What else do I need to do?

Machine - Parameter 1 should be 1
Gang - parameter enabled set to 1 correct
Tool 1 offset 9 - Rear approach with tool vector 6


Which WCS are you using? G54 - WCS 1
Looking at your last report for the X origin for WCS 1 - G54 it is different from the rest of the origins. For X they all should be the same.
Looking at the Z Origin they all are zero. Normally for the lathe Part Z0.0 is the end of the material. And this changes from part to part.

Also looking at your tool offset the X for tool 1 through 8 are 0. Tool 9 is 27.10781. Is tool 1 your reference tool? If so the other tools should have an offset in for X if they have been setup.


Just to make sure what is going on. For example we will assume the material is 25 MM diameter. IF you are using different size material use that size where I have 25 MM.

Once you have X0.0 set for the center line for all the origins go in to the Tool Library.

For the example you can set the Part Z0.0 the end of the material and in the Tool Library set Z Ref there also. So Z Ref would be 0.0

In the Tool Library (from the main screen F1 Setup - F2 Tool Offset) using your reference tool to set the X Diam at 25 MM with the tool against the material. Now you can measure all the tools in your 8 station tool changer (F2 Measure Tool) for X on the 25 MM diameter and Z on the face of the material.

Now for measuring the Gang tool change the X diam to -25. Then bring that tool against the material on the back side and measure the tool (F2) for X and the face of the material for Z.

After you have the tools setup (T0101 and T0109) would you be able to do the following MDI commands?

In MDI:
For tool 1 offset 1 -T0101
next do a X25. Make sure the tool is clear of the part for Z. Does the tool go to 25 MM?
Now jog clear and press Tool Check.

If you have measured any of the other tools in your ATC you change to them and do the same thing to make user they were measured correctly.

In MDI
For Tool 1 offset 9 - rear gang tool - T0109
Next do a X-25. Make sure the tool is clear of the part for Z. Does the tool go to the back side of the material at 25 MM? If not how far from the material is T0109?

Thanks, will work on this during the week.

I zeroed all my offsets (ie, they are not set) as my old method was different. In this case, I am using tool 1 (i did not measure the 0 point accurately), I simply wanted to get the logic working (ie, tool 1, offset 9, flipping X over so that X reduces towards me, not increases).

I cleared all the WCS before I restarted with this, so surprised its not correct, let me double check.

I did use some MDI commands (instead of Shuttle wheel) and the direction had not changed (ie, 25mm on T0101 and T0109 was the same direction). Let me go through all of it again and see what it does.

Thanks

[Chaz]

A quick question. There was some discussion on another thread about gang tooling.

When using my normal ATC, the command to part will say something like 'goto X30 Z-20, reduce X till 0 at F50'.

When I use the gang (parting from other side), is the command the same or does it become 'goto X-30 Z -20, increase X till X = 0 at F50'?

IE, its not actually flipping X+ and X- and therefore the post processor needs to work this out?

[cnc_smith]

Chaz,

A quick question. There was some discussion on another thread about gang tooling.

When using my normal ATC, the command to part will say something like 'goto X30 Z-20, reduce X till 0 at F50'.

When I use the gang (parting from other side), is the command the same or does it become 'goto X-30 Z -20, increase X till X = 0 at F50'?

IE, its not actually flipping X+ and X- and therefore the post processor needs to work this out?

For your ATC the X will be positive for the tools to go to the front side of the material to cut.
For the gang tool coming from the rear the X will be negative to go to the back side of the material to cut.

Yes the post processor needs to wok this out.

Just a double check on the turns ratio for X. You may have it set right. You are in Diameter mode so the measured move would be half of the commanded move for X. You can use MDI to make the move to double check this. You can do a incremental move with a U instead of the X absolute. With the tool all the way out in MDI type U-50. (mm) the cross slide will move 25 mm. For Z it is 1:1 on the move whether in Diameter mode or Radius mode. For X in Diameter the move ratio is 2:1 for the commanded move to the actual move. In Radius mode it is 1:1. This is just a double check to make sure because we just had another user having problems with a program giving errors and said the turns ratio was set correctly. We had him check the turns ratio again for X and it was set wrong. Double for what it should have been and this was what was causing the error messages in the program for arcs.

[Chaz]

Chaz,

A quick question. There was some discussion on another thread about gang tooling.

When using my normal ATC, the command to part will say something like 'goto X30 Z-20, reduce X till 0 at F50'.

When I use the gang (parting from other side), is the command the same or does it become 'goto X-30 Z -20, increase X till X = 0 at F50'?

IE, its not actually flipping X+ and X- and therefore the post processor needs to work this out?

For your ATC the X will be positive for the tools to go to the front side of the material to cut.
For the gang tool coming from the rear the X will be negative to go to the back side of the material to cut.

Yes the post processor needs to wok this out.

Just a double check on the turns ratio for X. You may have it set right. You are in Diameter mode so the measured move would be half of the commanded move for X. You can use MDI to make the move to double check this. You can do a incremental move with a U instead of the X absolute. With the tool all the way out in MDI type U-50. (mm) the cross slide will move 25 mm. For Z it is 1:1 on the move whether in Diameter mode or Radius mode. For X in Diameter the move ratio is 2:1 for the commanded move to the actual move. In Radius mode it is 1:1. This is just a double check to make sure because we just had another user having problems with a program giving errors and said the turns ratio was set correctly. We had him check the turns ratio again for X and it was set wrong. Double for what it should have been and this was what was causing the error messages in the program for arcs.

Thanks, in which case there is no issue. My movement is correct, the machine works as it is. I had assumed (incorrectly) that the correct Gang setup would flip the X over to mean that it works from + to 0 from the top.

I do however suspect it can be done, the parameter 1 option suggests this, there is code elsewhere which also suggests its possible.

Thanks