Citizen Cincom F16 Conversion

[DaleMcMahan]

I have a Citizen Cincom F16 swiss type lathe that I would like to convert using a All-In-One. The F16 is a two axis lathe using FANUC brush type 9 amp motors so I am convinced the all-in-one can handle the motors. My concern is this: The lathe has two turrets with 5 tools on each. Both turrets are ganged to the x-axis so one cuts from the negative side and the other cuts from the positive side. Each turret has a different home/limit position too. Can the all-in-one be made to handle this type of machine?
Thanks for any advise.
Dale

[tblough]

Allin1dc can certainly handle home and limits for four axis. You'll have 6 or 7 inputs left over that might handle what you need for the two toolchangers but if that's not enough, an I/O expansion card is fairly inexpensive.

You will need to customize the plc program to control the toolchangers but that is pretty easy as well. Without knowing more about the servos, you may need to change the encoders but again that's a fairly easy job.

[DaleMcMahan]

Thanks Tom....so the essence of my question boils down to this. Can the all-in-one be programmed to allow the machine to cut and home on the positive side of the part and then switch to cutting and homing on the negative side of the part literally with every other tool change? Has anyone made a similar conversion?

Thanks

[tblough]

Not sure what you mean by homing on positive and negative sides of the part. Once the machine is homed, you can set up to 6 different work coordinate systems (up to 18 with the extended WCS option).

[joneg]

is the fanuc a dual path control that runs both turrets simultaneously?

[cncsnw]

The Centroid control will have only one X axis, and the plus and minus directions on that X axis will not change from tool to tool.

You can have tools (whether in twin turrets, or as gang tools) approaching from both the plus side and the minus side of the part. Tools that cut from the minus side need to be programmed in negative X dimensions.

I am guessing that by "homing" you really mean a safe retract at the end of a machining operation: you are asking whether the control will automatically move X+ to clear a tool that is on the plus side, and automatically move X- to clear a tool that is on the minus side. The answer to that is no. You are responsible for that in your CNC programming. You would need to be careful with, for example, G28 moves (though if you set your G28 position so that the turrets are approximately equal distances either side of the part, that should work.

Generally, Centroid tries to reserve the word "homing" for the process of locating machine home after the power has been turned off and back on. Since there is only one X axis, and that axis has only one plus direction, then after power-up X will home to its home switch (generally the X+ switch). All movement after that, including movement to position tools that are on the X-minus side of centerline will be measured from that same machine home position.

[DaleMcMahan]

Thank you.... that was a perfect answer. Yes safe retract is the proper term. I understand that I will need to modify the plc to perform these operations and likely I will have to have help from Centriods tech staff. This machine has lots of life left in it and new they are big $$$. I will be ordering a system soon.

thanks again....loving my acorn too.
Dale