TC-22 DRAWBAR

[tpmx57]

I was setting up my TorgueCut 22 today and started having a problem with changing tools.
I was getting a "invalid switch state" after the machine unclamped the tool in the spindle while at the carousel but when in retracted enough for the carousel to index it would fault out and give the error.
I figured it had to be a limit switch on the air drawbar cylinder so I looked up on top of the z axis and while actuating the drawbar I seen the entire cylinder was moving up and down with the movement of the cylinder.
Its hard to see what holds the assembly down but it appears the bolts holding it down must be loose.
It looks like if you take off the cover on the ram you could get into the bolts.
My question is what do I have to watch out for or is this a straight forward
fix.

[tpmx57]

I just came in from looking further into this and found that the drawbar cylinder is not mounted solid.
It apears that there is not enough movement to trip the upper switch completely.
If it errors out in a tool change I can home the carousel but the machine doesn,t know what tool is in it and says to reload the carousel.
If I go to reload and press 1 it moves to position and says put tool 1 in the spindle,If I do this it just sets there,I tryed pressing run and I am not sure what to do from there.
If I press escape then 2 the magazine moves away and it shows tool 1 on the display.
Try to change to another tool it will move in to remove tool 1 but errors out once it retracts from the tool 1.
It come up invalid switch state and then shows tool 0 and reload magazine.
Not sure where to go from here,

[machintek]

An invalid switch state occurs when the machine sees 2 switches in a situation where it should see one. The drawbar has 2 switches of which it should see one at a time. The same for the tool arm forward and back.
Remember that you have a maintenance page in which you can watch a number of switches or commands. Just go to more commands and then select IOs. You highlight a watching slot, press enter, and select from the list on the right what you want to put in there (pages of selection).
Probably one of the switches on the drawbar is loose or out of adjustment (or broken).
Once corrected, you go through the tool set up. This will prevent a study in the laws of physics about 2 items occupying the same space at the same time.

George

[tpmx57]

George,
I did some further checking tonight and find that one of the tool clamped ,unclamped switches is causing the problem.
I studied the manual last night untill I understod what had to happen and in what order the steps take place.
I checked the in/out page and this is what it showed:
Tool Unclamp switch ...off
Drawbar...off
Tool Arm Back...on
Tool Count Switch...on
Tool #1...on
If I push the tool eject button the draw bar switch goes...on and the tool unclamp switch lags but goes...on.
I found that I could start the tool change and watch the draw bar and when it would release the tool I could push the unclamp switch and hold it in until the next tool was being picked up then release it and the tool change went fine.
After looking at the manual for an adjustment proceedure for the trip dog and switches I found that the trip dog was slid up the shaft and wouldn,t trip the tool unclamp switch ,
I slid it down just enough so that the clamped switch was still tripped but would still trip the unclamp switch
I still can,t get it adjusted right.
It seems that the upper switch isn,t functioning correctly,it seems that the switch doesn,t move in in out like it should and maybe someone slid the trip dog up to push it in further to trip.
Not sure and I don,t see an adjustment procedure in the manual.
I have 20 parts to do and it will be a pain without the tool changer.
Are these switches available or is there a replacemnet for them?
I may just start with 2 new switches and go from there.
Thanks for the help George.

[tpmx57]

I finally got my tool changer working again.
The problem was the tool unclamp switch was not being tripped.
I had to adjust the trip dog down until it tripped the switch.
Then had to adjust the tool clamped switch with the two nuts on the switch to get it set just right.
There seems to be a fine line getting these switches set right.
It seems there is just enough travel to trip each switch at each end of the drawbars travel.
I believe the manual shows 20mm of travel.
The manual shows to adjust the tool unclamp switch first the the clamp switch.
Took a couple trys but it is working fine now.
This problem seemed to start when I went to change a tool that sat in the machine a couple days then snapped out on an unclamp call.
This snap may of moved the trip dog on the shaft.
Thanks for the help!
I have 20 parts to finish that I really needed the tool changer to do.
This will make the job easier.

[mactec54]

Hi tpmx57

Never leave a tool in the spindle as you can reck you tool changer as the tools will get stuck in the spindle always take it out before you shut it down as a hot/warm spindle when it cools down will lock the tool in the spindle & make it hard for the machine to eject it & sometimes it will crash the tool changer when this happens

[tpmx57]

I was running the TC-22 today and thought I had my tool changer problems solved but after about 3 tool changes it started acting up.
This time it will drop off the first tool but when trying to clamp on the next it knocks it out of the fingers.
With no tools in the spindle or tool magazine the cycle will run complete.
If I watch the drawbar from on top while running the change I notice all is fine through the first tool being unclamped but when it goes to the next tool the draw bar travels down alittle more.
If I read the manual right the drawbar actually travels a small amount past unclamped to push the tool out of the spindle.
It apprears mine is giving the extra travel inbetween the tools being dropped and picked up.
I am not sure if its because I have the clamped and unclamped limit switches adjusted wrong or what.
The changer was working ok for a few tool changes after I had the switch problems earlier.
Maybe the problem wasn,t the switches but actually a problem in the drawbar.
Anyone had any problems similiar to this?
I will have to run the machine without the tool changer untill I get it figured out.
The drawbar works fine just using the pushbutton.
Just seems something in the cycle is off.
I don,t know if the way I have the switches set is confusing the controls logic or not.
THANKS

[tpmx57]

I don,t know if this is the problem or not yet,I found I only had 75lbs of air pressure at the machine today.
I had an air line freeze up last week and had backed the regulator at the compressor down and drained the water filter thinking my water filter was plugged up.
My aircompressor is in my garage where its not heated and the line between the compressor and steel piping had frooze.
I fixed the problem but never turned the regulators back to where they were setup.
I don,t know where the torg-cut shuts down from low air versus where the tool changer works properly.
I wasn,t getting a low air message so the pressure was above the low limit.
My tool changer problem started about the same time my airline had frooze but I never put 2 and 2 together until now.
I just hope resetting the limit switches will still be ok now.
The machine has been running real well for me up until this tool change (or air problem)

[machintek]

Watch your air pressure as it changes tools. That may be a issue.

George

[tpmx57]

The air pressure was the problem George.
I finally got over the flew bug and ran the mill tonight.
It went through all tool changes without an issue.
Another lesson learned.
Also learned not to leave a tool in the machine at the end of the night.
Thanks!

[machintek]

Glad that the issue is solved.
Also thanks for the kind words.

George