Need Help!- long cycle restarts/tool changes???

[jay_dizzle]

i am currently running a program that envolves long cycle times and is rather rough on insert life. my question is: what would you guys suggest as the best way to modify my program so that i can reduce air cuts after tool breakage/restarts. my controller will not just let me start at any point in my program, it needs to pick up the work co-ordinates tool length, speeds, feeds ect ect. should i just place random tool changes with block skips? how do i get around this??? any help is good help!

[dcoupar]

What controller do you have?

[sinha_nsit]

If nothing works, copy your program to a new one. Leaving the initial few blocks, delete the already executed blocks, manually place the tool at the appropriate place, and run the program from beginning.

[John_B]

What machine controller are you working with? There may be a way one of the many people on this forum know of that will allow you to restart it mid-paragraph...

Rgds,
John

[angelw]

Originally Posted by jay_dizzle i am currently running a program that envolves long cycle times and is rather rough on insert life. my question is: what would you guys suggest as the best way to modify my program so that i can reduce air cuts after tool breakage/restarts. my controller will not just let me start at any point in my program, it needs to pick up the work co-ordinates tool length, speeds, feeds ect ect. should i just place random tool changes with block skips? how do i get around this??? any help is good help!

Some controller have the ability to recommence machining right at the point the program was interrupted, even if this point was not at the end of the movement commanded by a block. Okuma had that feature back in at least the late eighties.

Almost all controls can do a restart at the start of a block; I can’t think of any at the moment that can’t. I have a client that has a similar issue as you and the solution works quiet safely and economically time wise. Following is an explanation for Fanuc controls:

1. Because move modes such as G00 and G01 are model, the program is generated with these codes included in all lines as required. This is to ensure that the control is in the correct mode when the program restarts. Memory space is generally not an issue as only the current program is loaded; all other programs are saved on a PC and loaded as required. No big time penalty there.

2. Normally I only sequence number the first line of code for each tool. However, if the program is longish and its probable that a restart will be required I sequence number all blocks.

3. When the program is interrupted, note the sequence number of the current block. Let’s say for the purpose of example its N1001.

4. Because it’s important that offsets are applied before the tools starts cutting, the program is restarted at the point where the tool is called.

5. Find the block where the Tool Length Offset associated with the focus tool is applied and insert the following code immediately after it:

M99 P1001 F??? (the feed being used for the focus tool)

6. Place the cursor at the beginning of the code for the focus tool, and in single block, step the program through to, and including the block before the block containing the M99.

7. Using Rapid, Jog and Hand Wheel mode, position the tool at the coordinate specified by the code in the block immediately preceding the N1001 block.

8. Put the control back in Single Block, just for safety, and press the cycle start so that the M99 P1001 is executed. Having read this block the program control should jump to the N1001 block.

9. Confirm that the control is at N1001, place the mode in Auto and press the cycle start button. The machining will now commence at the beginning of the block where it was interrupted.

10. At the end of the program, initiate the search sequence to find the block containing M99 P1001 and delete this block.

The whole sequence of events takes way less than the time taken to write this reply and it’s a very safe restart method.

Regards,

Bill

[neilw20]

I am not familiar with this controller, but here is a technique I have evolved.

I place liberal M1's (optional stop) in the program.
When a problem occurs I hit the optional stop button for the machine to pause at the next safe place.

Then I can use MDI/jog to fix the tool and hit cycle start from (usually) near the place it stopped.

The previous post details restarting at a line number, and this varies between controllers, as to how to start in the middle of a program.

When using subroutines, I have found the restarts to be problematic, so if I know I will need restarts, I write long stringy code with no subs.

To safely restart, the controller usually must rapid silently from the beginning to the restart address to get all moves, and variables in the correct state, and in Mach3, at least, I don't know how to restart at say, the 10the time in a sub. let alone how to know it was in there the 10th time. With relative moves instead of absolute moves, the only way is to have all the relative moves done in sequence (IMHO), but if you have not lost the machine state, then resuming might be OK.

To overcome this I put the M1's in the main program only, and at least I can dry run from the last subroutine call point where the failure was.

[ProToZyKo]

We have one machine with a "Tool retract & recover" button, just press it, then do rapid or whatever away, change insert, push button and control the speed back with dry run switch.
This should be on all machines, looks like it's an option.

[dcoupar]

jay dizzle:

Why won't you help us help to you by telling us what control you have? Different controls have different program restart options... even similar controls on different machines have different program restart options. I guess we could all just flail around up here all day and maybe after several pages of replies you would have an answer. OR, you could tell us what control YOU have.

[dcoupar]

Originally Posted by ProToZyKo We have one machine with a "Tool retract & recover" button, just press it, then do rapid or whatever away, change insert, push button and control the speed back with dry run switch. This should be on all machines, looks like it's an option.

Maybe jay dizzle has the same machine. We may never know.

[ProToZyKo]

Originally Posted by dcoupar Maybe jay dizzle has the same machine. We may never know.

Haha, maybe, but don't think he has that button, we have to machine exactly the same, one has button other has not
But he hasn't answered since he started this, we may find out what control it is some day.

[stevo1]

Originally Posted by dcoupar Maybe jay dizzle has the same machine. We may never know.

LMAO.

I have one of these machines with a retract button thingy. I also have one with a big red button that says Estop, not sure what it does but it looks important.

Sorry guys could not resist.

Stevo

[dcoupar]

Originally Posted by stevo1 LMAO. I have one of these machines with a retract button thingy. I also have one with a big red button that says Estop, not sure what it does but it looks important. Sorry guys could not resist. Stevo

Steve,

If your machine is making a noise like "eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee", push that red button, it'll stop. However, if it's making a noise like "rrrrrrrrrr", pushing the E stop button does nothing. Still looking for the Rstop button. Perhaps jay dizzle's machine has one of those?

Get some sleep. We're all tired from racking our brains trying to figure out jay dizzle's problem, and I'm thinking he's moved on to bigger and better things.

Dave