Need Help!- Hurco BMC40 z axis reset

[bezelchuck]

Hi
I'm new to this forum and new to owning Hurco's having used Heidenhain and Fanuc equipped machines before. I've just bought a BMC 40 with an Ultimax II control.To get it out of its previous home I had to remove the Z axis motor and encoder ( as well as heaps more besides ) so can anyone please explain the proceedure for resetting the Z axis so it knows where it is or will the start up homing procedure sort it out? The machine is now back together and ready to fire up once I know what to expect. One other question was is the machine phase order specific on its electrical connection? If so whats the test for checking this, carousel rotation in manual mode like my colchester tornado? I have all the manuals but they seem to assume the machine is new and a qualified technician will be doing the installation.
Many thanks for any advice
Phil

[bloke]

First question, does it have an encoder mounted directly above the ballscrew?
If it doesn't, you need to go to manual, calibrate the machine and then check the Z distance when jogged positive to the limit switch. Ideally, this will be around 2.5mm. If it isn't then slacken the motor and move the belt until it calibrates 2.5mm from the limit switch.
When you've done that, go to tool setup page, retract tool and move the magazine right to check it will engage with a tool in the spindle.
If the height is wrong, take the magazine left, select Z jog and move the magazine right. Slowly using the handwheel, jog the head up/dn until a smooth engagement is observed. then press "enter" 4 8 8 "enter" then press the "store Z position" softkey. Exit out, and you should be done.
NOTE: jog the head up and down a few times and re-check the belt (it doesn't need to be mad tight.

If you've got a ballscrew mounted encoder, just slacken the three screws that secure the encoder and rotate it (with the servos on) until the toolchanger height is correct (nip the screws between checks, 1 rev of the encoder will move the head up or down 10mm).

Pop down the offie and get me a nice bottle of Jameson's.
Job done, good luck geezer.

[bezelchuck]

Hi
Thanks for the reply, I shall try it later today. My machine has seperate encoders attached directly to the ends of the ballscrews and yaskawa AC servos and drives.I'll let you know how things go.
Cheers
Phil

[bezelchuck]

Finally got 5 mins to power up the machine this evening. It came up with the general config screen showing travels and positive directions and whatever I try I can't seem to get onto the next screen to calibrate the axis.

What I get is a message saying " Caution. Machine config defaults have been loaded
and must be verified or reset before continuing"
The values all seem to correspond to the travels of my machine in the manual and I can scroll through with the enter or advance keys and back with the back key,I can re-type the values but not get off the screen.

Any suggestions?

[gthlm]

Looks like the batteries are flat on your memory board.

On that screen, type enter 999 enter. That will reboot the control and allow you to exit that screen. Note that on my dad's BMC 25 the defaults for the toolchanger are wrong, so you should check first.

Once you get to manual mode, you'll probably have another problem in that the position readouts in the top left of the screen will all read ******** and the machine won't calibrate. Go to Change Tool and Diagnostics > Machine Diagnostics (I'm going by memory, you'll find it). In diagnostics type enter 102 enter OR enter 103 enter, I can't remember which is the right code, but one of them will take you to the leadscrew mapping screen, where you can load the defaults for each axis. When you go back to manual mode you should be able to calibrate etc. if all is well.

Hopefully bloke will come back and elaborate, but that's the gist of it. And there are lots of other threads on here about the batteries so I won't go on about that...

Hope this helps, Gregor