Hello,
I'm new to the forum but I have been lurking a bit. We have an Okada bridge machining center with a Fanuc 15im controller. This is a 5-Axis machine (x,y,z,b&c). We have recently acquired it from another department who was primarily using macro programing. We are going to be feeding it with a DNC set-up. I am utilizing WorkNC for my CAM system. Many of our molds are deep cavities with little draft. I would like to tip the head (b-axis) to allow us to use shorter tools and to avoid tool holder interferance. On the CAM end this is easily accomplished and we can output the correct code for tipping the head. The problem lies in handling the tool length when the head gets tipped. I was under the impression that the G43.1 command would handle this but we've been unsuccesful. There are several parameters that apply to this code but we just don't know where to begin. When the head is tipped the tool seems to locate ok in the x and y positions but the z height of the tool is not correct. Any help in how we can handle this situation would be much appreciated. This machine does not have RTCP.

Thanks,
Randy

This may sound dumb, but have to ask. If you do not tip the head, is the tool length correct?

No offense, sometimes the most basic questions need to be answered to get to the bottom of the more complex things. To answer your question, Yes the tool length is correct when the head is vertical.

So you only see this when the head rotates X amount. Hmmmm do you have a know good program? If possible compare know good program to a freshly outputted program. It could be a post problem were for what ever reason it is not properly trigging out the new cutter length once the head rotates.

Check with the maker of you CAM and see if their is a more recent post. Or if their are any reported bugs i the 5th axis. They might have a fix for it.

If that is a dead end. Call the machine manuacture and get a 5th axis demo program and run the machine threw its paces with it. This way you can eliminate the machine.

I don;t have 5th axis but my problem was the post. With luck it will be your problem to.

This is an old issue, but I thought I would comment just in case it was never solved.

Make sure your WorkNC post adds an M128. If you don't use M128, the relationship of the tooltip to the part pick-up and the kinematics of the machine all become a factor. M128 keeps the tip in relation to the pick-up.

(All of this assumes your controller handles M128)

Hope this helps (if it still matters)

Dan

On our 16I Fanuc G43.4 Picks up tool length comp on our 5 axis.
Good Luck

I got a couple of questions also,

I'm running into trouble when canceling tool offset (G49),
tool plunges into the part.
Verifing position is also a strugle, can't stop the spindle (M5) when G43.1 is executed.

What do you guys usually do to get around those problems.

I'm runinig G43.1 on 16i control.

G49 does not like any addresses, so I can't use it with G53,
at leat my machine doesn't.

How does G43.4 handle this?

Dude, your problem might be with your postprocessor, do you have the correct postprocessor with that machine? you said that when the tool is vertical the z position is correct right? that means the gage length that is entered in your postprocessor is incorrect when you generated the toolpath with your cam system. I'm also using fanuc 15i-m and if your using cam to generate program, encoding the correct gage length is a must.

Hi Experts

Could some one pls tell me the difference between M128 & M129 in relation to 5-axes machining

Or some place where i gould get hold of Fanuc manual PDF's which explain these

Thanks

Avalon