side mount tool changer-I take back what I said about

[1ctoolfool]

After living with the side mount tool changer, I take back what I called "luxury" item for the following reasons.

1. More work area on machine table and no sharp tools sticking you in the back of the head during setup.
2. No sticky coolant spraying on all tools as in the Umbrella style tool changer. Tools stay dry and clean stored indefinitely in the side mount changer.
3. No extra long tools crashing into workpiece during tool change.
4. Maximize Z clearance as toolchanger is mounted at maximum machine Z zero, where umbrella style is 4" below max Z clearance.
5. Faster tool changes.

After using the side mount for several weeks, I can say the extra cost may be justified for many more reasons besides faster tool changes.

My 2 cents, thanks,
joe V.

[Geof]

Originally Posted by 1ctoolfool After living with the side mount tool changer, I take back what I called "luxury" item for the following reasons. 1. More work area on machine table and no sharp tools sticking you in the back of the head during setup.....

Yes, definitely and I have the 1-1/2 scar on the top of my skull to attest to the fact that the tools are sharp.

Originally Posted by 1ctoolfool 2. No sticky coolant spraying on all tools as in the Umbrella style tool changer. Tools stay dry and clean stored indefinitely in the side mount changer.....

Yes!!!!!

Originally Posted by 1ctoolfool 3. No extra long tools crashing into workpiece during tool change.,,,.

Or rotary tailstocks.

Originally Posted by 1ctoolfool 4. Maximize Z clearance as toolchanger is mounted at maximum machine Z zero, where umbrella style is 4" below max Z clearance.....

Ah, careful...With the carousel/umbrella style the spindle lifts and the tool once at the tool change level stays at that level.

With the side mount the arm on the changer drops everything about three inches from Z zero then does it rotation. A long tool may hit, or if you are lucky like we were, just miss the tailstock on the rotary.

Originally Posted by 1ctoolfool 5. Faster tool changes.....

Yes especially when you go from tool 1 to tool 10 or a similar move that involves a 180 degree index of the carousel.

And don't you like the way the controller looks ahead and pre-positions the next tool without any extra code.

[fmari]

I have 2 VF-3 machines with the 40 tool side mount. Very reliable and like you said the tools stay clean. I love it.

[bremenrules]

I once had a nightmare where I accidentally left too long a tool with too high a part and did a G28 at full rapid -- ripped the carousal off the machine. So much for counting sheep...

Seriously...I would love to have a side mount changer for all the reasons you describe above. When in doubt about Z clearance, I put the tool in and jog it down to machine Z0. It seems Haas has it at the bottom of the tool change travel.

[pit202]

is it possible to prepare a next tool for the next tool change while the machine is milling ? my question is , what if I put Txx for the next tool after M06 , is the machine go to mill and rotate the changer or rotate the changer and waits then go to milling ? if this is as the second I wrote , then I don`t see any reason this could be faster ?

[Geof]

I have never watched to see exactly when the Side Mount Changer moves the next tool in position but it does it while the machine is running. When the machine goes into a toolchange the next tool is ready.

I think the control must look ahead and see the next Tn M06 command but I have no idea how many blocks ahead it is looking.

[wcbob]

You can stage tools with a side mount tool changer heres a sample
%
O00056 (Stage Tool Sample)

T5 M06
G00 G90 G56 X-1.875 Y0. S2250 M03
G43 H05 Z0.2 M08
T7(Stage Tool 7)
G82 G99 Z-0.2 P0.2 R0.05 F15.
X-1.125 Y0.
X-0.375 Y0
X0.3 Y0.
X1.05 Y0.
X1.8 Y0.
G00 G80 Z0.2 M09
G28 G91 Z0
M01

T7 M06
G00 G90 G56 X-1.875 Y0. S2500 M03
G43 H07 Z0.2 M08
T1(Stage Tool 1)
G81 G99 Z-0.5 R0.05 F20.
X-1.125 Y0.
X-0.375 Y0
X0.3 Y0.
X1.05 Y0.
X1.8 Y0.
G00 G80 Z0.2 M09
G28 G91 Z0
M01

T1 M06
G00 G56 G90 X-1.875 Y0 S5500 M03
G43 H01 Z0.2 M08
T4(Stage Tool 4)
G01 Z-0.25 F25.
X1.875
Z-0.45
X-1.875
Z-0.55 F5.
X1.875 F25.
Y0.005
X-1.875
Y-0.005
X1.875
Y0
G00 Z0.2 M09
G28 G91 Z0
M01

T4 M06
G00 G56 G90 X-1.875 Y0 S2500 M03
G43 H04 Z0.05
T5(Stage Tool 5)
G01 Z-0.125 F25.
X1.875 F25.
G00 Z0.05
G28 G91 Z0
M30
%

[Geof]

Originally Posted by wcbob You can stage tools with a side mount tool changer .......

I believe on older Haas machines it was necessary to stage the next tool but on both our side mount machines we do not stage and they get the next tool ready anyway. Saves a lot of time not having to edit programs transferred from the carousel machines.

I was also scared to put in the staging command; it would be so easy to accidently type in the M06 as well because that is what your fingers remember to do. Alternatively, getting confused and omitting the M06 at a required tool change. Both of these errors could cause mayhem.

[pit202]

yes, you`re right Geof, now I know exaclty how it work, thaks all.

[M_D]

Ours will look ahead and stage the next tool, but when the last tool is in use it will not look "ahead" to the first tool in the program. So, we add a T# right after the last tool is called (no need for the M06), so when the program is restarted the first tool used in the program is right there. Otherwise, depending on the circumstances, there will probably be a longer delay than necessary.

[Ginger_Ninja54]

We have 5 VF8s and a VF6.
3 have 40 position sidemounts - and we all hate them!!!!
there are the plus points as already mentioned, but the way we work it'd be so much easier to retain tool&pocket numbers being the same.

Ours all require a "T" to position the next tool!

Be careful if yours requires this.
We use D#4120 a lot instead of having to remember to alter D when altering T&H.
It will use the D offset for the last tool called, very handy normally, but if your machines require the T to position the tool in the carousel then it will use the D offset for this tool, NOT the one in the spindle!!
Why couldnt there be a setting like the T&H matching one??!!

[Donkey Hotey]

OK, I'm not crazy, I do remember reading this thread...

Brand flippin' new VF-5XT and it doesn't prestage the sidemount changer. Do I really have to go back and edit every tool change to tell it the next tool number or is there a setting that happens to be turned off?

HALP! I have some important people coming in this morning to see the machines and I'm trying to reduce the demo cycle time as much as possible.