VMC Carousell Type Toolchanger

i have an o word solution for tool changer but i think because of the size and weight (bridgeport 412) it may be worth doing an tool changer component for this type of changers.
i looked the last days through all the (mostly ) lathe tool changers ,..
so i think it is doable but one thing i did not figured out
how can i move the Z axis (i know it is not possible for classicladder ) ?
The VMC mill need to move the Z axis away to pick the tool or give the carousel a chance to turn ,..

My plan so far is simple.
I do have pins/and relays for
Carousel Arm save position
Carousel Arm Change Position
Spindle Collet open / close
Spindle Collet Air blast on/off
Carousel Rotation left /right (relay&pin)
Carousel Rotation On (relay/pin )
Carousel Index Pin (inductive switch )
Carousel 2nd Pin (inductive Switch ) gives an tick per tool
Spindle Index -> Gives an pin per revolution this and all spindle commands we use for Spindle orientation
Spindle Left
Spindle Right
Spindle RPM

thank you in advance
thomas

Hi Thomas

For some quick ideas, look at the carousel toolchanger I did for cncbasher
wiki.linuxcnc.org/cgi-bin/wiki.pl?Contri...oolchanger_component

The sequence etc is different but in some ways quite similar.

His works with air rams moving the carousel, a stepper rotating it and spindle draw bar on/off pneumatically

Yours should be even easier because he only had a tool 1 index and no secondary tool index.

regards

Hi Arceye i am much further than that ,..
(my day job is developer ,.. )
i will use triacchanger as an base but this carousel is moving up / down
in the bridgeport the Z axis has to move
in my other changer config i have some code similar like
g53 G0 Z#2070 (Z safe height)
g53 g0 z#[[#1-1]*3+2002+10] (10mm Vorher stehenbleiben)
m101
g53 g0 z#[[#1-1]*3+2002+2] (Z Aufnahmepunkt 2mm ueber null )
g4p1
g53 g0 z[##1-1]*3+2002 (Aufnehmen )
g4p1
m102
g53 G0 Z#2070 (Z safe height)

which i would like to avoid -
so if there is an easy chance to call M19
drive the Z axis up & down to given positions
call M101
and others i would be more than happy
The M101 i can call direct by triggering the pins but the main question is how to drive the Z Axis

i would like to avoid the hacking of the Axis 3 and sending down the steps
so if anyone has an good input i would be verry verry happy
thomas

heres a link to the video showing the triac toolchanger , sorry about the shake ! , this is in slow motion not full speed ,

on the triac the carousel moves both up/down and in/out

so if there is an easy chance to call M19
drive the Z axis up & down to given positions

You might need to explain the M19 (orient spindle) use to move the the spindle up and down.
I know you were playing with orient a while back, but having problems with it.
I have never used it and can't quite see how it applies to a Z up / down move?

If you search ' jog while paused' you will find Michael H's work building that in to Linuxcnc.
Essentialy you would need to do the same, taking Lcnc out of auto, storing the current line etc and doing moves all as part of the toolchange

I went part way along that route a while ago, executing a MDI command whilst a program was paused, so as to change the path
www.linuxcnc.org/index.php/english/forum...set-a-variable#28755

I hit quite a few problems trying to do something similar during a tool change, to move to a tool setter location, and gave up on that.

Although I don't realy like it, if your tool change can be managed in G Code with M1xx to do the pneumatics etc, it might be easiest to use the remap
route for M6 and build it all in.
www.linuxcnc.org/docs/devel/html/remap/structure.html

regards

Hi,
sorry the M19 was just meant as an example of sending down M commands from the component.
And "cncbasher" it is the problem that the triad is moving the carousel that is easy
because of the already existing structure of the bridgeport i need to move the z axis (even if it has 350kg!!)
i did get the spindle orientation to work using "normal" ( ) geode and i have a config which should work with the M19 command.

i know if i rewrite i do have to program all the stuff i did that for the router tool changer ( ) it works but it is also quite dangerous because if someone (like the Eagle autolevveler script) overwrites the #2001- x it gets expensive,..

So it may be the case that i can simply do a component which at the prepare stage drives the arm in the right position when the z position is high enough
but then i would need to drive the z axis closer
open the collet get the z axis high up again and move the arm in save position
and set the ping prepared.
And so on

i do miss the file configs/sim/remap/toolchange/python/toolchange.py

i do now have to make the decision if
A) Do it using ngc files ad calls like in the router
do it using a python rewrite of tool changer
C) or find an way to only write a small component which can safely move the arm around as well as the Z Axis

but it seems there is no easy way
,..
thomas

The first video comes up as "This video is private"

The second one is nice, toolchange / tool length setting on your router.

regards

arh all understood Thomas ,

auto tool probing is next on my list also with the triac , when possible
along with should a tool break , I can change the tool and it will auto probe and carry on , ( not so easy I think )

Dave

Sorry
i am very busy now developing an carousel component for the BP412 interact
so i just changed now the orient video thx for the hint
thomas