Frustrated with HAAS control.

[cygnus x-1]

You can do this. When in either MDI mode or JOG mode, just type in T# and press either ATC FWD or ATC REV and it will change to that tool.

My old-ish TM-1 does not allow direct tool selection in jog mode.
When I try it it says "wrong mode". Is there a setting for it maybe? I don't recall seeing one.

I only have 10 tools so it's not a big deal, just kind of annoying.


C|

[leeroy]

leeroy,
Please provide the process that you are used to and which machine you find allows that process. I am always interested in people's experiences switching to Haas. At 1200 machines per month, we are going to be seeing this more and more. Maybe some documents specific to manufacturer for re-training would be helpful.

G'day Ken

The machine that i have spent the last 5 years running was an Extron 4 axis machining center. I can't remember the model, infact i don't think we ever knew what model it was. But it was a relativly new machine, made in 2002. It was fitted with a Itri Mirl M2000 fanuc based Control.. I have tried googleing this control for any information but i couldn't find anything. Perhaps you may have access to better information.
At any rate i will try and explain how work offsets were handled in this control. It had a similar page to the HAAS Offsets page with all the offsets listed ie G54-G59. It also had another data entry page which had a drop down box to select which work offset to use (ie G54 etc) once you selected the work offset you wanted it updated the current readout position for that offset in the readout window within this page. It also showed the machine coordinates as well.
This page also contained 4 feilds X,Y,Z,A, in which you could load a preset value. If you loaded say -5.(mm) in the X field, when you pushed "Set X" button the current work offset (in this case G54) X position would be set to -5. This was ideal for use with the edge finder as it ment you didn't have to lift and move over 1/2 the dia. This was also usefull for setting any geometry of the part to any co-ordinate position you liked without phisicly haveing to jog there..
If you wanted to find the X center of the part, you set the X preset field to zero, touched one edge, pressed "SET X", move to the other edge, touch off and press the "1/2 X" button, the X axis offset value would then be halved, effectivly putting you zero in the center of the part.

It was so simple and required no hand calculation or joging back to the center.

Cheers
Leeroy

[haastec]

leeroy,

Did any of the suggestions offered help any or make sense?

[KenFoulks]

)This page also contained 4 feilds X,Y,Z,A, in which you could load a preset value. If you loaded say -5.(mm) in the X field, when you pushed "Set X" button the current work offset (in this case G54) X position would be set to -5. This was ideal for use with the edge finder as it ment you didn't have to lift and move over 1/2 the dia. This was also usefull for setting any geometry of the part to any co-ordinate position you liked without phisicly haveing to jog there..
If you wanted to find the X center of the part, you set the X preset field to zero, touched one edge, pressed "SET X", move to the other edge, touch off and press the "1/2 X" button, the X axis offset value would then be halved, effectively putting you zero in the center of the part.

The Haas can do both of these fairly similarly. For the first one, use F1 to set any value to a coordinate system. For the second, use origin on the operator's coordinate system as a zero point for the first side. Jog over to the second point and just cut the value in half and use the F1 key.

[leeroy]

Thank you to everyone who has replied..

Today i had some time to have a play with the machine and run through some of the sudgestions made here.

The tool setup issue has mostly been sorted out with the exception that for some reason the tool change won't work in jog mode. Is there a setting that allows this? If i could get the machine to change tools (by a T#, ATC FWD) in Jog mode that would solve it completly. :-)

As for the work offsets, i did try some of the sudgested methods but it seams that i am back where i started. I managed to get it to set a value other than zero on the operator jog to try and negate lifting and moving when using an edg finder. It does work but then you need to lift and jog back to zero anyway in order to set the G54 work offset, which kinda defeats the purpose.. In fact any time when using the operator jog you must jog back to X0,Y0 to then set the work offsets.
I also played arround with setting the work offsets directly in the offsets page. Again it does work, but you are effectivly working in machine coordinates, not work coordinates. The readout down the right hand side of the screen does show the current work offset position but it does not update when you make a change to the offset it's self (Ie add or subtract from it), you must press reset to update the readout. This of course stops the spindle and it must then be restarted. It does update if you just press "part zero set".

I guess at the end of the day i'm just going to have to suck it up, stick with what i know will work, and get on with it..

Thanks again

Cheers
Leeroy

[txcncman]

How hard is it to press "MDI" then "ATC FWD"? I mean really? Really?

[leeroy]

How hard is it to press "MDI" then "ATC FWD"? I mean really? Really?

You forgot to add "handle jog" and then "Offsets" again to get back to where you started..
But i guess thats a fair comment.. Mabe "Issue" is too strong a word. Perhaps "niggle" is better suited.
Still, it's the little things that make the difference between a good control and a great one.

Cheers
Leeroy

[haastec]

Thank you to everyone who has replied..

Today i had some time to have a play with the machine and run through some of the sudgestions made here.

The tool setup issue has mostly been sorted out with the exception that for some reason the tool change won't work in jog mode. Is there a setting that allows this? If i could get the machine to change tools (by a T#, ATC FWD) in Jog mode that would solve it completly. :-)

As for the work offsets, i did try some of the sudgested methods but it seams that i am back where i started. I managed to get it to set a value other than zero on the operator jog to try and negate lifting and moving when using an edg finder. It does work but then you need to lift and jog back to zero anyway in order to set the G54 work offset, which kinda defeats the purpose.. In fact any time when using the operator jog you must jog back to X0,Y0 to then set the work offsets.
I also played arround with setting the work offsets directly in the offsets page. Again it does work, but you are effectivly working in machine coordinates, not work coordinates. The readout down the right hand side of the screen does show the current work offset position but it does not update when you make a change to the offset it's self (Ie add or subtract from it), you must press reset to update the readout. This of course stops the spindle and it must then be restarted. It does update if you just press "part zero set".

I guess at the end of the day i'm just going to have to suck it up, stick with what i know will work, and get on with it..

Thanks again

Cheers
Leeroy

Give it some time as I am sure you will figure more things out and it will become easier.

[Machineit]

In fact any time when using the operator jog you must jog back to X0,Y0 to then set the work offsets.

I don't understand this statement at all. What exactly are you talking about?

[leeroy]

I don't understand this statement at all. What exactly are you talking about?

Most folks use the operator jog to edge find the part right? So once you have set the operator jog coordinates, you have to jog them back to X0,Y0 then go into offsets and press "part zero set" for X and Y to set the work coordinate..

Mabe you guys should post, in exact detail, the steps you use to set a work offset on the edg of a part, and also on the center of a part.

Cheers
leeroy

[Machineit]

Most folks use the operator jog to edge find the part right? So once you have set the operator jog coordinates, you have to jog them back to X0,Y0 then go into offsets and press "part zero set" for X and Y to set the work coordinate..

Mabe you guys should post, in exact detail, the steps you use to set a work offset on the edg of a part, and also on the center of a part.

Cheers
leeroy

First, there is no Operator Jog, it is just Jog. Operator is one of 5 possible position display screens. You have Operator, Work, Distance To Go, Machine and all four of them at once.

If I am going to touch off the edge of a part, I simply hit jog and go the the edge of the part. I touch off my .200 diameter probe on the edge of the part and then just jog up above the part and over another .100 for half of the diameter of the probe, then go to the work offset page and hit the button for either the Y or X zero. If you like, you can touch the edge of the part and hit part offset right then and then just add or subtract the .100. I choose to go up and over to eliminate human error, beside I can do it in less than 10 seconds. When I move the probe up for clearance, I stop on "0" (easy to do as the handle is straight down then) and just make one revolution as I am already in .001 jog mode. Nothing simpler.

Never in the above process do I go into the OPERATOR screen. The machine does not care what screen you are in at anytime, it just knows where the probe is in relation to the machines home.

If you are going to touch off of the edge of a part that you know the width or diameter of you can use the same procedure as above and then just move over the half distance. 1.5 inches in the case of a 3 inch part, or you can add or subtract that amount also..

If it is an unknown width or length then you want to touch off of one side and zero the co-ordinate using the Operator screen and Origin and then touch off of the other and split the difference. What is unusual about that? Is there a machine out there that guesses what the distance might be?

Without electronic probing, it can't be much simpler. And, even with probing, you have to get the tool close or enter an approximate length/width etc.

I think you are adding steps that are not needed to simple processes.

Good Luck----Mike

[Machineit]

If I am going to touch off the edge of a part, I simply hit jog and go the the edge of the part. I touch off my .200 diameter probe on the edge of the part and then just jog up above the part and over another .100 for half of the diameter of the probe, then go to the work offset page and hit the button for either the Y or X zero. If you like, you can touch the edge of the part and hit part offset right then and then just add or subtract the .100. I choose to go up and over to eliminate human error, beside I can do it in less than 10 seconds. When I move the probe up for clearance, I stop on "0" (easy to do as the handle is straight down then) and just make one revolution as I am already in .001 jog mode. Nothing simpler.


Good Luck----Mike

Now, for all of those who always say "YOU CAN'T DO IT THAT FAST," I tested it. I just touched the edge off on a part I'm working on. From the spindle being at home and turning, I went down and to the edge of the part, up and over and set my X axis home in 18 seconds. Admittedly I was moving fast and normally would take 30 seconds or so. By the way, my original 10 seconds was from the edge of the part to setting. In this test I started from spindle home.

Just don't see this as a difficult process.

Cheers---Mike