Need Help!- VM 1

[Le Hua]

Just got a vm 1 good machine but I'm having troubles with the atc when the arm changes tools and returns. It somehow moves the spindle out of orientation. And a "spindle not orient" alarm comes up followed by a "atc" alarm. the tool pot also stays down in the vertical position. all the clearences have been checked and the arm doesn't rub on the tool. Any ideas????

[MaxxLagg]

The most obvious thing that I can think of is do you have the tool loaded correctly? There are two drive tangs on the spindle. One is basically square shaped and the other is somewhat tapered. You MUST have the tool orientated correctly with these tangs or it will tend to hang on you when doing tool changes. On your tool holder, notice that on one side there is a spotfaced circle in the drive tang slot one one side and not on the other? This must be orientated with the "Square" drive tang on the spindle not the "tapered" drive tang. This "square" drive tang is orientated towards the operator during Automatic tool changes. During manual tool changes it may be located anywhere and you must use care making sure that you are manually loading the tool correctly. One way to insure that the correct tang is facing you is to use the "orientate spindle" key. You don't really have to do that but you DO need to make sure that you load it correctly as noted above. The spindle will then orientate itself correctly when it changes the tool.

[Steve@Reliance]

We have had the spindle drive belt slip and screw up the spindle orient. Easy fix.

[frenchy313]

Check all the pots for chips. Very common problem. If there are chips in the pots the tool will not sit correctly as well as chips in the spindle taper. So when the arm comes over to change the tool the tool isn't exactly where it's supposed to be and the arm gets hung up. Go into ATC and machine diagnostics to check spindle orientation if the orient is fine I would guess more than likely chips in pots.

[MaxxLagg]

Also an interesting problem:
We've got a VM1 and the other day, when the ATC was changing tools the dog that is in the arm that retains the CAT40 tool holder in the arm stuck in the back position and when it indexed around to the spindle position man! can that thing throw tool holders! It was like a catapult! If there wasn't an enclosure on the machine it would have thrown it 30-40 feet!

[jetski]

In the 70's I had seeds in my pots? Just having fun. You are all on the right track.

[nightraven]

Reply to post#5:

I've only worked on Hurcos a short while, but have seen the ATC spring-loaded tool catch jam open on BMCs, VMs and VMXs. The tool-catch lock/release rod/spring/washer assembly inside the ATC tends to bind up if it's not greased occasionally, so in a tool-change when the ATC moves from 0 to tool-change position, the tool pushes the clip open then the guide-rod binds up on the spring/washer and doesnt close. If you can push the clip in and it gets stuck in, or is gunky coming out -- that's yr problem.

Just take the plate off that holds it in the ATC, (little 4X2" plate), pull out the clip-guiderod/spring/washer assy, clean out any gunk, deburr sharp edges off the washer (or better yet, make a taper on the front of the washer to self-center the spring so you don't have to keep babying the ATC)

If the clip isn't jammed but the ATC is throwing tools, the next culprit is the ATC locking pin sticking , but to grease it you need to take the ATC arm off. An easy way to do it without going through the ENTER-100-ENTER routine is to go to TOOL IN SPINDLE->ATC DIAGNOSTICS and manually load a tool in the spindle, go to tool-change height, drop a tool pocket, actuate the ATC arm from 0 to 60 deg.
Now you can take the ATC arm off the shaft and have a nice reference location to put the ATC arm back on where it's fully engaging both tools in the spindle and tool-pocket, after you've cleaned and greased the moving parts.
Take the ATC arm off by loosening the 6 compression bolts holding the arm on, but I guess that's kind of obvious.

You will likely need to adjust the the tool-change height and/or the spindle orient if you crashed the ATC into a tool, the first is done in the AUX-ENTER-100-ENTER screen, spindle orient is done on the drive touchpad itself, it should be in your YASKAWA drive documentation, or can be found at the YASKAWA website. This is my 1st post so if you need more info, please email me and I'll try to find the relevant sections from the Field Service Manual DVD (oops, I meant the Hurco-released official documentation ).

Le Hua, are there a lot of Hurcos in Australia? How's the tech support out there? Wow, beaches and CNCs -- didn't know U could have both.

[MaxxLagg]

Yeah, It was just jammed by a little chip and a little sticky from coolant. I make a point to check them everyday and give it a little drop of Starrett Oil once in a while.

[jetski]

I took my tool change arm covers off and fabed up some new ones that havent stuck in 1.5 years. I now make them with my changes. I sell a set of them for the tool change arm on a VM1 for $50.00 per set. I can make them for other Hurco's also.