Bridgeport 1000/22 Loading Tools

[BetaBob]

We have a couple BP 1000/22 w/Heid 370 controllers that we have been running the heck out of for a couple of years. The process used for loading the tools into the carousel involves running a program in step mode and stopping and starting it several times. There is a button on the head for rotating the mag, but we can't figure out how it's supposed to work.

I can't believe that BP intended for it to be this hard. What's the secret?

[gus]

I actually have not figured that one out either, but if you just tool call/m6 the tool you want to change[empty or not] and then manually swap the tool with the other button, it is not too time consuming

[kongzai]

To ratate the magazine, press the button on the head and the right arrow key simultaneously, if i remember it correctly. But this might mess up the tool pot number.

usual practice is, press the tool call button, type in the tool pot number you want a tool to slotted into, enter, type in spindle speed, enter, choose the axis, no enter, no enter until you see a M command. type in M=6 , enter and cycle start button. then load the tools manually into the spindle.

[christinandavid]

To ratate the magazine, press the button on the head and the right arrow key simultaneously

Yeah, that rings a bell. The older ones would only rotate in one direction. This procedure allows you to rotate manually in both directions. Don't think it rotates continuously like the older ones though.

DP

[rmarchjr]

I have a VMC 760-20 with a Heidenhain 2500, an old bridgeport guy told me to:

m06 - machine moves and picks that tool out, then green button flashing-
hit the black button on the spindle head AND (+ or -) on the keypad, WITHIN 1 second. more like 1/2 sec.

the carosel should rotate forward or backward and let you fill it with tools.

My friend thought Heidenhain/Bridgeport were discriminating against "one armed machinists" and was hoping someone would sue

[D-Money]

I guess it all depends on what kind of tool-holders you use. Some are keyed, some aren't.

With the keyed CAT30 holders, I would call the pot, load the holder into the spindle, touch-off, and let the machine put it away.

With non-keyed holders, I've seen people load 'em via the spindle, and others load 'em right into the magazine. I just hope they don't forget to touch-off one of them.

Typically, the manual magazine rotation buttons can used to pull chips off of tools (drills especially), as well as checking for broken tools.

Also, the manual rotation buttons are great for unloading an entire magazine in one go. Rotate, pop the tool out, rotate, pop the tool out, rotate, pop the tool out, etc.

Some machines use specific pots for specific tools, i.e. T1 goes in pot 1, T2 goes in pot 2 (Kitamura, for instance). Other machines just stick 'em anywhere and keeps track on it's own (Hurco, for example).

[BetaBob]

Thanks for all of the replies. Problem solved. After doing a tool call, if we press the rotate button on the head and X+, Y+ or Z+ it rotates in one direction. The opposite axis jog buttons rotates it in the other direction.