Tool Setup

[stevieboy]

Hi Guys,

On an Ultimax 3 control. Most of what I've done up to now has been one offs and small batch runs. However, im starting to get some orders repeated, say another 100 off three months down the line. Here's my problem.

Suppose I have to do a job for someone where there are 4 parts to an order with 2 ops for each part. That's 8 different programs. But all 8 programs use only 10 different tools between them. What I want to do is set all the tools up to one common datum i.e. the bed and then use a Z offset in the part setup of each program. This way I can have all the parts on jigs dowelled to a permanent base plate on the bed so that it's all plug and play, saving a lot of time. Kind of like a pallet system I guess.

I've noticed when I call up a program the tool setup with that program will override the tool setup that's in the memory. So with it like this I would have to reset the tools for each op when I change the program. Very time consuming.

How can I do this.

[bloke]

Keep the tool and part setup in a saved program called "tools" or something and just restore the program to it from disk.

[stevieboy]

Hi Bloke,

Thanks for the reply and appologies for not responding until now, had a very busy couple of weeks, and lost the text screen so had to swap them over and the one screen that's left takes a while to warm up, it's LCD time now. I tried what you said and I think i'm missing something.

Starting from a blank sheet so to speak. I put some tools in the changer and set the heights, then set the part zero. I deliberately set the tools 50mm high and offset the part 50mm in the X just for test. Then I saved this to disc as "tools" with no part program. Next I took the 50mm off the tools and reset the part zero, then wrote the part program and saved this to disc as "job 1".

I reloaded the "tools" program from disc and it overwrote the "job 1" program so I ended up back at the start with the tools 50mm above the job, an offset in X and no part program. What am I missing, any chance you expand a little on things bloke?

Cheers,

Steve.

[bloke]

Hi,
I've just had a look through and noticed your machine is a version 1 Ultimax and therefore won't have the "restore tool and part setup" feature.

[stevieboy]

That's blown it then. Can it be updated and if so what would I be looking at. In NC mode it runs HNC and not ISNC. I take it that's a version 1 thing as well then. I think I'll have to make a note of the tool heights and part setup in the first program and then just change them manually when I call up the second program.

[skullworks]

Yup - it was super handy to have a HP Laserjet IIp that could still receive ASCII text via standard serial port.

I used to "Print Program" and hit the Online/Offline button (on the printer) once the setup pages were finished.