Time Stamping CNC Programs

[kballance]

Machining Time Collection

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I have a new productivity project in one of our machining plants. I need to trap time from a Wassino CNC Chucker equipped with Fanuc Controls (0T to 18T). From reading on the internet this sounds like "Time Stamping".

I don't know much about G-Code controllers ( I have an Allan Bradley PLC background). I have seen a programmer zero system clock and then move system clock to a register to know how long certain lines of code took to run.

I am looking to trap cycle time in total, time in a cut, time in movement, and then be able to deduce robot load and unload time.

I thinking about a macro that I could call. This macro would take system clock write to register, the dprnt out to a computer running hyperterminal.

I can' find any info on GE Fanuc site, and the only book I have is "CNC Custom Macros" by Peter Smid. Any links or books that might help me would be a great recommendation.


Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Kent

[Boots]

I have a genric post that I will let you have that will take your G-Code and run it. It is an estimating post. It doesn't really do anything except calculate the cycle time. It also lets you know the total dwell time, feed time, rapid time, tooling change time, etc. It should work with any software that produces G-Code for CNC operation. Is this what you are looking for?

[kballance]

I'm not looking for something that read the G-Code, but the actual time.

Let's say a CNC Chucker has these steps:

Load Part using machine robot
Use Tool 1 cut groove
Use Tool 2 cut chamfer
Unload Part using machine robot

I want to see how long each step takes so I can come to a data based decision that the machining time is worth going after to improve.

Thanks,
Kent

[psychomill]

If you have a macro programming book, then you're half way there. Look at variables #3001 and #3002 for time clocks. Use one or the other (depending on the time constant or value you want to track). In the program, set it to "0" to start the clock where want (in the program), then at the end of it, write the value of 3001 or 3002 to a common variable (#500 and up). Have each tool or cut write and calculate to a different variable (#500, #501, #502, etc). Now you have the times you want to track.

If you're looking for an actual clock time, I'd have to get back to you, I don't have a FANUC in front of me for the moment and I can't remember the variable number for the actual clock time....