Program Restart in mid program?

[Donkey Hotey]

I have a July 2007, TL-1. I am trying to restart a program at a certain point. I had to adjust a toolpath to cut a larger clearance slot for the subsequent tool. I don't want to sit through the whole cycle over again.

I turned on the setting for program restarts. I cursored down to the M05 line just before the next tool change that I want to restart on. With that line highlighted, I pressed Cycle Start.

The green beacon came on, all the program lines highlighted as if they were being executed but nothing happened. The spindle did not restart, it never asked me to change the tool (tool change on the next line), nothing. I pressed Cycle Start again, tried turning on the spindle, all to no avail.

What am I doing wrong?

[Loose Nut]

You are trying to start on an M05 is my guess. With Program restart turned on, the program will start at the line you have highlighted. So the first block to get run is the M05.

[Loose Nut]

FYI
I just tried it on my TL-1 and get the same results.



Edit to add;
Go to MDI call up the tool (M6 T??). The it should run. What looks to happen on the TL is that it does not have an automatic tool changer so the machine will not know what tool it has.

[Geof]

I suspect you are going to need a software reload or upgrade. I have a few machines that will not Restart correctly and I finally gave up trying to get them sorted out after about three software changes. Some are production machines so not being able to Restart is not a big deal.

It is possible to restart with the Program Restart Setting turned OFF and I do this when needed. You do need to be careful because the machine will fire up immediately and do whatever is on the line you start at.

My procedure is to step up to the first motion command after my start point in graphics and make a note of the machine coordinates. Then jog the machine to that location and start immediately before the tool change as you are doing. Have single block turned on also.

[Donkey Hotey]

What looks to happen on the TL is that it does not have an automatic tool changer so the machine will not know what tool it has.

I did try that...well...actually, it had the correct tool because I just got through checking it for clearance and offsets. It was the current tool loaded in the 'Current Commands' screen. Besides, it should have just asked for the tool (beeping) then resumed if that was the case. That's why I restarted on the M05 just before the tool change (so it could re-establish tool number and position).

The software version seems to make more sense.

Geof: your 'real world' experience with these machines is slowly eroding my confidence in Haas. I was a huge proponent of their stuff (as recently as this typing this). I bought this machine with the assumption that it would one day be my 'tool room' machine (when 'need' would fund a real turning center). That means small runs or onesy-twosy parts. Yeah, restarting is important to me for exactly the reason that happened last night.

Time to call applications and see what they have to say. First the twisted casting, then the bogus inspection sheet and now this. Total part count from this machine: five parts. In making five parts, three gross flaws have been uncovered. What remains to be discovered? I'm not happy but there don't seem to be any alternatives in the market today.

Thanks for your experience though. You might save me a couple of days babysitting the tech while he tries to fix a problem that ain't fixable.

[Geof]

....Geof: your 'real world' experience with these machines is slowly eroding my confidence in Haas....(

I don't mean to do that.

Remember my real world experience also includes running a very profitable company using all Haas machines; you probably saw my 'brag' post in response to a query in another thread about what machines I have. Haas machines have their problems and limitation but based on comments I have seen here on CNCzone over the past few years I think other makes do also. Many times I feel the problem is not so much Haas the factory as the dealer not fulfilling their obligations.

My suggestion is try riding your dealer to get things corrected. I know this sometimes does not work because a small operation does not have much clout. I do think the twist in your machine is not acceptable and if it was me I would consider taking serious steps to have the machine replaced. But it is easy for me to say that because I have the resources to take action.

Another suggestion is to apply a philosophy I have that nothing is perfect; I do not strive for excellence because that is practically impossible...my goal is 'very goodness'. I am not perfect and, realistically, I have to recognize that others are not, so I do my best and work around their deficiencies. I know some people might view this as wimping out and not demanding what I am due but it saves a lot of wear and tear on the old body by keeping blood pressure at a manageable level.

[PBMW]

On both of my Haas machines (A mini and a SL10) I curser to the T number and his cycle start. In your case, I'd make sure it had the correct tool, when it reads the tool, it reads the offset. It ought to run. But I don't have a TL.

[swain]

I have both a vf3 and an sl20 and i have no probs restarting them at all.
I go to the first g00 after tool change and cycle...off it goes. Very handy on the lathe where you bore the first item, mic it...then put different offset in wear page and get perfect bore on the first run. In a case like that, I put the cursor on the g70 line and restart...only other button to push is the coolant if you restart below coolant on line. On the mills...I always prgram in a g40/g41 and use the wear page to fine tune the part.

I don't have any experience with the tm1...I have my bridgeport's on other side of shop....but i use them to make jigs while the cnc is running.

Don't count haas as all bad. I get great service and reliability from my hfo.

<recently had to replace tool changer carosel from cracks in the web. I looked up useage and it was close to 400,000 tool changes in 9 years.>

Dan

[Donkey Hotey]

I called Haas Applications. "Ahhh...you're talking about a lathe! Yeah, that doesn't work."

What they told me is that 'Program Restart' doesn't work on the lathe because you don't need it. I was told to turn off the option, line down to a tool change and restart (exactly as Geof described).

As the Applications guy explained it, the feature is pretty much unnecessary on a lathe (unlike a mill) because everything else is modal (G54, spindle speed, feed, etc).

The Applications guys tell the software guys to remove it and it goes ignored. I just wish somebody would tell the documentation guys so it would get taken out of the manuals.

As for my confidence in Haas: no, I'm far from losing all faith in the products. I think they make good machines. I like the control. Nothing is perfect and never will be. But they are the closest to being a manufacturer of 'consumer goods'. I see most other manufacturers as being custom operations but with the volume Haas produces (and the resulting profits), I'd expect a little better control over this kind of stuff.

[Geof]

..... I just wish somebody would tell the documentation guys so it would get taken out of the manuals....

I think you can put that in UPPER CASE.

I had a similar thing where the software guys changed something and di not adequately explain it in either the manual or service information. My local tech was installing the socket for the use M function and could not get the M21 code to work. He spent five hours talking to different people at Haas and did not get any joy, sent an email just before he had to quit for the day. It wasn't until mid morning the next day an answer came back; "oh we changed it to M121 on the lathes". Sure enough M121 worked fine.

But you do wish all the bean heads at Haas could actuaally communicate with each other.

[SeymourDumore]

Donkey

I was just about to say that you don't need the "Program Restart" parameter turned on.
I never used it on the lathe, but because of the turret, you always want to be in a clear area before hitting the green on a restart.
On the TL, just restart on your TXXX block. It will read that immediately and apply the proper offsets.
Works the same on the Fanuc too.

[Wiseco]

On my TL-2 I use the program restart very often and didn't have any problems. And Donkey, don't be mad or sad about Haas because of bad things that being post here, people will mostly post a topic when they have problems and not when all's running fine.