Running Hex in a Star?

[SirDenisNayland]

Hello everyone

I run hex material in my Citizens all the time and they have a few different functions that facilitate the use of hex material, such as the keyed collet sleeve (generally unnecessary), as well as g899 main spindle-guide bushing phase setting, and m26 to phase or rather line the two up so that the material can be fed through the guide once it has gone through a barload change cycle.

A few things are different Ive noticed on the star, one being that the main spindle and the guide bushing are mechanically linked together. Whether or not there is some sort of clutch to disengage this I do not know, however I have torn off the guide bushing "wrench" plate (whatever you make call it) before after having forgotten it and turned the main spindle on and it was obvious from that that there was no clutch of sorts.

Secondly I notice no such M or G codes for phasing or synching of any kind.

Now since they are both linked together, you could say there is no phasing or anything necessary then. But this assumes that the hex of the guide bushing would be in perfect alignment with the hex of the collet. Do they make keyed collet sleeves? and if so, would the keyed hex collet line up perfectly with the hex of the guide bushing, or would I simply have to do some sort of mechanical setting to line the two up perfectly? But then that creates another issue, because I would have to do all of this with the main collet open, and we all know that it will twist slightly when closed..

I have not been able to find any information regarding running hex material on Star machines on the net, and I am currently waiting for a call back from Star. I'm beginning to think that due to the machines dynamics it isnt possible.

Perhaps someone here will beat them to the punch.

Thanks!

[cybor32001]

With Star's it has automatic phasing. When running hex stock just indicate to the desired c axis position and rename it. Here's an example :

FULL C-AXIS:

M8(C AXIS ON)
T3200
G0Y OR X Z(POSITION DESIRED) T(OFFSET DESIRED)
M36S3000(POWER TOOL CLOCKWISE)
G0C10.5(IF INDICATED TO POSITION)
G50C0.(RENAME TO C0. THRU OUT REST OF PROGRAM JUST CALL UP G0C0.)
M6(LOCK PIN IN)
CODE HERE

M7(LOCK PIN OUT)
G0C60. (OR H60. FOR INCREMENTAL)
M6
CODE HERE

I hope this helps you out. I have been programming Star's for 10 years. If you need any additional help send me your e-mail and I will contact you back.

[SirDenisNayland]

Hi, thank you for the reply.

I did figure out how to do it, but I was mainly concerned with how you go about aligning the main and the guide bushing, not necessarily setting the c axis index position (the book actually mentions the parameter to set the C axis so you don't have to go about it in the manner you describe). Im not sure what you mean about automatic phasing.. all I know is on this particular machine the guidebush is not electronically linked, rather mechanically, and I had no idea at the time of posting of how I would go about adjusting the two so that they were in phase.

That is good to know, however I do use G120 and G130, so as such I cannot use G50 in my programming for the Star.. (or so the manual says, I have not yet decided to see if it is right at the cost of my machine..)

The only way I know of that I can use G50 is to not use G120/130 and set the sub pickoff as a machine location, something I don't exactly feel comfortable doing. I know there are trade offs, in that the sub will only ever go to that spot and I dont have to worry about an error in Z1 causing my sub to smash the gang (never ever happened on any machine in my presence here but im sure its possible), but I really do like having the sub "know" where the end of the part is.

However, contradictory to that is that I also wish I could use G50 shifts like I do in my citizens, I really don't like having to set large offset values. I am quite careful these days but I have had the dreaded "T0 crunch" before heh..

Thanks

[cybor32001]

You can use the G50 as I stated with the G120 and it will not interfer with the rest of your program. All you are doing is renaming the C-axis.

Regards

[SirDenisNayland]

Originally Posted by cybor32001 You can use the G50 as I stated with the G120 and it will not interfer with the rest of your program. All you are doing is renaming the C-axis. Regards

So am I to understand correctly that it is just using G50Z(W) that will interfere with G120? Or even better, is it just a zero setting that interferes (G50Z) with it, or am I able to freely set the Z0. with G120 and then shift it around as I please with G50W? That would take a load off my shoulders..

[cybor32001]

Here is a section of a proven program I run with both.
You can use the G50 with G120. It will not interfer with your pick up. For use in setting your Geom. you can use the G120 shift . Hope this eases your mind. see below:


G50S3000
M150
IF[#5041LT0]GOTO100
M98P8000
N100
M5
M11
G4U.3
G0Z[8.0-[#5022-#5042]-#526]T0
G120Z0.(FACING ADJUSTMENT-LESS IS MORE)
G0Z.420
/M172
/M171
/M26
M200
M20
M210
M10
G0X.475W-.1
M25
M161
M1
T200(DCMT 32.51 CP500 FT. TURN)
G50S4000
G96S250M3
G0X.35Z-.005T2

G0 X.35

Z-.3
T0
G99G97S500M3
M1
T3100(.25 GANG E-MILL)
S3200 M36
G98 M5
M8
G120W-.4331(LOADOFFSET)
G0C0.0
G0 X-.5051 Y.5 Z.3332 T7
#100=0
WHILE[#100LT3]DO1
#100=#100+1
G0 X-.5051

G0 Y.35
G0H120.
END1
G0Y4.0
G0Z-.55
M9
M38
G120W.4331(CANCELOFFSET)
M161
M172
T0
G99G97
IF[#130EQ1]GOTO10
M1
M162
T3411(THREAD WHIRLER)
M5
M8
G28H0.
G50C0.
G0C0.
G97M36S#111
G0Y.14Z-.5T9
G98G1Z-.25U0.F500.
G1Y.1255F50.
Z0.0
G1Z#121H#122F#120
G1Y.4F150.
Z-.4F250.
G0Y2.3362
M38
M7
M9
T0