Tool Life Management

[Jake E.]

A brief bit of info about myself first, I am a "Setup Engineer" for a growing machining company (we have gone from 100 people in 2004 to 350+ in Dec. 2006). I have limited experience in programming as most of my work has been creating fixtures, setting up the machines, changing broken/worn tools, making minor adjustments, etc.; the big thing is I can understand, read and alter the .NC code (I understand the M code/G codes used in general machining, i.e G1, G2, M3, M5, M54, M98, M99, etc)(I can also "see" the toolpath as I read the program). In the last year, I have begun doing more Mastercam programming as well, as our programmer was promoted to another position in the company. I am still in the learning phase, but, unfotunately, most colleges in the area (within 50-60 miles) are barely teaching any CNC programming to speak of, most of it is the basics of M-code/G-code.

Now about the problem, we are trying to implement redudnadant tooling and tool life management in our machines. unfortunatly, many of our machines are rather old, and the controls are Yasnac i80M, Fanuc OM, Fanuc 15m, 15ma and 16i. I have read the manuals associated with these controllers and I cannot get a clear understanding of the programming involved.

Our one main job is in a Kitamura H400 with a Fanuc 15m controller, and we are cutting 303 stainless. We want to implement the TLM in this machine first and we would like to be able to either have it change to a different tool that is preset in the tool changer or stop and request a replacement tool, but only at the end or beginning of the program run, not in mid-cycle.

Can someone help me by explaining the TLM programming and possibly an example of the program.

[Jake E.]

No one out there is willing to help?

[stude8]

Jake....I have the exact same machine and run a part in either 1144 or 416 using about 65 tools. Mostly specials. TLM would seem to be a natural and I spent hous/days trying to make sense of the manuals. I finally gave up. Just not worth the trouble. Just my opinion.

[jaredp]

Jake, Im new here and this is my first post. I am a maint manager in a large machining plant. All of a machines are fairly new Fanuc 18i. I dont know older controllers but in the ones I have worked on you have 2 elements, the NC and the Ladder or PMC. The PMC area is used by the machine builder to set up all of the non NC parts of the machine. This is where M codes are defined and where the tool changer sequence happens. It is also where the tool life management is done. The problem with this is you have to have PMc software or a special edit card to modify these programs. Learning the language is not that hard, it's based on PLC ladder programming and there is a PMC manual for fanuc that discribes the instructions.

What you want to do is possible but you need to learn the PMC side of the machine. IF you get into this be careful. You can change safety interlocks and anything else about the machine when you start to tinker in this area.

Hope this helps.

[Jake E.]

Thanks for the replys. I have talked to Fanuc America and they are helping me with the problem. I will post up the final setup for it as well.

[ghyman]

I have always made use of the available variables...
At the end of the program, do:
#501 = [#501 + 1]
#502 = [#502 + 1]
etc. (I use #501 for tool 1, #507 for tool 7, etc.)
Then do a quick check...
N900 (TLM CHECKS)
N901 IF [#501 LT 30] GOTO 902
M00
N902 IF [#502 LT 30] GOTO 903
M00
N903 IF [#503 LT 30] GOTO 904
M00
etc.


Then, instead of just doing M00, throw out a custom error... #3000 = 1 (TOOL 1 CHANGE)

You can go a step further by doing all of your tool changes to variables, then bumping the variable number when a tool is past its life (#501 = 1; T#501 H#510), but that's sort of defeating the purpose of the built-in TLM software.

[saravanank182]

I went Tool Life Management data with fanuc oi-mc
and i need sample program
thank you