Tool change alignment?

[TMILLS]

Not good when all three top posts are yours I have more questions though.

I notice that a couple of my cat-40 tools will not slide back into the carousel from the spindle .....Or if they do it will only go back into a certain pod location. I think my alignment is slightly off. Is there a parameter to change or fine tune the Z cold start to adjust for that. It can't be that far off. I don't think the carousel is bent or anything like that.

thanks.

TMILLS

[scadvice]

Try this to get a better idea of what is going on, i.e. where it may be hitting ect.
Take the tool out of the suspect position then tool change the machine at that position, now manually replace the tool in the spindle. Shut off the machine. Now push the umbrella from the back toward the spindle (you may want to get someone to do that so you can see better what’s going on).
This way you can evaluate what's going on. Do the same with a good tool position. BTW this is for a sprocketed machine not the servo TC, I don’t know about them.
That's the other thing to check, the sprocket and the "D" cam (Sorry, I do not recall its proper name, look in the manual). Check to see if the "D" cam is in the proper position (alignment) with sprocket, as the manual describes.

Long shots,
Also, on the Practical Machinist site (I think) someone talked about having trouble similar and it turned out to be the tool holders.

Check the stainless clips also to be sure they are not bent... and the slot they retract into to be sure they compress freely and equally on both sides i.e. no chips blocking the movement.

Steve

[denmar]

Put a good holder in the spindle and one at the turret; get a High gauge with an indicator
bring the turret manualy against the spindle indicate thw batton of the holders flanges;
Setto #1, with the indicator set a O, get the holder out of the turret, index it 90 deg
do the same op every 90,
There's a turret factor parameter at SETP

[scadvice]

Originally Posted by denmar Put a good holder in the spindle and one at the turret; get a High gauge with an indicator bring the turret manualy against the spindle indicate thw batton of the holders flanges; Setto #1, with the indicator set a O, get the holder out of the turret, index it 90 deg do the same op every 90,

Also check to see that both tools are the same in the spindle as some vary a little in thickness
Steve

[kholdmann]

There is a tool available for this --

TAC Rockford - Tool Changer Alignment

[alex gitzel]

The manual goes through all the checks,if it is a dc motor on z axis(round) the resolver holddowns must be loosened and turn the resolver with the power on and the z will move slowly,have someone down by the spindle and adjust untill there is a .050-.060(.050 and 1/16 allen wrenches work good for this) gap between the spindle nose and the top of the tool carrier.you should do a m19 to lock the spindle first then bring the atc over by hand.then set the gap.rotate the turret and check several other pockets incase it is bent.the key alighnment is done by locking the spindle and lossening the bolts under the turret and turn it into place by hand,line it up by eye,it works better than using a tool in the spindle.the ac motor machines (square ) are adjusted in the survey table.go to command screen and type sv then select z axis adjust the zero offset number again to .050-.060.you adjust the number +/- and then enter and recold start.the number can go negative if needed( ie -600).adjust it a few hundred and try.it will take a few trys to get it.