Toolchanger HAL Component project

smc.collins
Interesting work you present here! I might get a chance to start implementing a tool changer over christmas/new year.
Greez
chris

What aspects of Andy's carousel.comp have you identified as needing improvment, and/or what other features/funtions are you adding with this comp?

Do you have a github repository, or just keeping the current version of code uploaded to the initial post in this thread?

My Schaublin tool changer is extremely simple, with just a single input to open the tool change pneumatic valve, for a fixed duration, and then checking the next feedback pin went high. Cycling through until the target position is reached. I don't need much of the code like tool unlock, tool lock as that is all pneumatically sequenced.

I am not sure what to do about motion to a tool change position. Given the excessive size of my carousel, relative to the lathe envelope, and wide variety of tool geometries, tail stock etc I suspect it is safer to not automatically move to a tool change position. Do you have thoughts on that?
Cheers
Mark

RotarySMP wrote:

I am not sure what to do about motion to a tool change position. Given the excessive size of my carousel, relative to the lathe envelope, and wide variety of tool geometries, tail stock etc I suspect it is safer to not automatically move to a tool change position. Do you have thoughts on that?
Cheers
Mark
 

The capstain turret lathes I've seen move to a safe location - generally max X & max Z - before tool changes (Hardinge, Haas CL1) but none of those have tailstocks.

Do you have a tailstock detector in the carriage?  If so, you could make a toolchange macro conditional so you aren't right up against the tailstock, potentially swinging a long drill in to the tailstock snout.

If not, you might think about installing such a detector.

The Schaublin tailstock has no sensor, and a very large and long nose. Everything is so large reletive to travel, that you dont even need the tailstock that close to the saddle for a turret tool crash.  I'll take a look at fitting a switch to detect the tail stock installed. It might be best to inhibit the tool changer as long as the tail stock is mounted. At least initially.

How do those lathes deal with the order of motion? A Z clearance move first followed my X makes sense for boring tools, with the opposite for turning tools.

Wrong thread. Sorry, deleted

RotarySMP wrote:

How do those lathes deal with the order of motion? A Z clearance move first followed my X makes sense for boring tools, with the opposite for turning tools.

Probably time to start your own tool-changer thread rather than blowing up @SMC's project.

Having said that, I'll violate unwritten courtesy and ramble on...

I don't think there's a hard-coded tool change position on those machines... just the expectation that it will be programmed to go to 'home' position.  For Fanuc 21T "C" mode, G28 G0 U0 W0 would move the carriage/slide/turret to the reference position.  If the programmer (or post) calls it on two lines you'd get a sequential X-move then Z-move.  Or W0 then U0 would do Z first, then X.

If you ensure that the tool path before a tool change includes a clearance move of some sort (Z for centerline tools, X for OD and internal boring), then your turret should use a Z-first, X-second sequence.  Your lathe is entirely capable of being used like a gang-tool lathe, with tools on the front and back of the part, turning in both M3 and M4.  You really don't want a boring bar working the rear OD to rapid home in X without a Z-clearance move first.

One reason the tool change position isn't hard-coded (in Fanuc) is that it's much faster to program a specific tool change location than wait for the slide to go all the way back to home.  I've done this on production runs of short parts... back the turret up so the longest tool barely clears the stock/part, and substitute that location for the standard "G28 G0 U0..." move.  Saves a ton of cycle time on long part runs.

So I'd leave out a specific TOOL_CHANGE_POSITION in your INI file and get used to programming a version of G53 G0 Z0 as your 'default' safe position.  You probably aren't going to be using the tailstock and automatic turret commands at the same time.  And you'll get used to drilling with the turret pretty quickly; it's so much nicer than using a tailstock by hand.

Tailstock work:  manual tool indexing
Non-tailstock work: auto tool changes at G53 Z0 X0 (or somewhere)

RotarySMP wrote:

Any suggestions how to easily make the carousel.comp step through till the desired pin goes high also appreciated.
Cheers,
Mark

Yes, but I'll wait until you've started your own thread 

Oops, sorry SMC, deleted.

Hey Mark, i kinda parked this because the problem i ran into, no contributors and i have other project going, that said, you just set g28 for parking during transitions and add it to the postprocessor configuration.

I can attach both or have attached the post processor for fusion360 somewhere in the forums under my username, here is my tool changer program from my lathe.