Software travel limits?

[2xEngineer]

Here at work we have a rather large fixture setup on our Haas VF6, so large that if the machine is inadvertently sent home it will crash the fixture through the sheet metal and doors. We knew it was inevitable, and just today someone caught it before it did any severe damage, but there is a nice big bulge on the front of the sheet metal now.

Anyway, I was wondering if there is anyway to impose arbitrary limits on the travel that will prevent this from happening? Any help is appreciated.

[Wizzard of H]

The only way to do this is by changing the travel limit parameter.
It can only be done on the negative side of travel.
The axis must still be able to get to the home switch.

[Matt@RFR]

How about mounting your own micro switches and wiring them in to the Estop circuit?

[Wizzard of H]

That may sound like a simple solution but you have to deal with two problems.
1) the motion may not stop quickly with E-stop; the axis could coasst farther.
and
2) getting out of that situation is hard as E-stop is active.
That is a design like I first saw in a Fanuc control 26 years ago. I think they still haven't quite gotten away from that unfortunate approach to travel limits.

[beege]

Does the control advertise any "interference zones" as some fanucs did or still do?

[2xEngineer]

Well, that is a shame. If we had a problem with it ramming the column that would help. Is there any non hardware wat to reassign home, or lock out the ability to home the machine?