Bandit level II~help requested

[opua]

My first post to the board so bear with me.
I have an older knee mill with a Bandit level II controller and minimal documentation, I have a basic understanding of G code and a good grounding in manual machining. I understand that the documentation for Bandit controllers improved after Allen-Bradley toook over from Summit in the '80's
Has anyone a copy of this or any other source of documentation that might assist a beginner?
Many thanks.
Paul

[HuFlungDung]

I don't know if Allen Bradley rewrote the book for the Bandit. I used to run them, and might be able to help you out with a couple of pointers.

[fastolds]

I have a manual for a bandit controller but not sure which model. It was from an old machine I learned cnc on many moons ago.

[Karl_T]

These folks would also have what you need
http://www.machinemanuals.net/

I used to program a bandit. Nice simple to use control. You'd best learn about parametric programming. (loops conditional statements etc) as you've got a very small memory space to hold a program.

Karl

[Karl_T]

> Thanks for your response, will try the link you provided. My greatest challenge is severe lack of knowledge and absolutely minimal experience. I have a Shizuoka knee mill with a level II controller and have managed to get it to run thru most [but not all] of the canned cycles These are at least explained with keyboard entry sequences in the small amount of documentation I have.

FIRST, I'M GREEN WITH ENVY OVER YOUR MACHINE!!! I've always wanted one of these. Have you got a tool changer?

>
> I drew a very simple part in Autocad with three holes of differing diameters in a triangular part with radiused corners concentric to the holes and a friend converted this to bandit code thru his mastercam post processer.
>
> Thus armed with correct code [assumed] I figued, OK all I need to do is establish part zero, tool offset and punch in the first group of code in MDI and I'd be rolling, well all that taught me is I still really don't know or even understand diddley squat. If you can take a brief look at this first group of code and point me in the right direction I'd be really grateful.

First, I'd tell to learn to walk before you run. You're trying to learn three packages at once. Just learn Gcode first. Then do the same thing with mastercam, then learn to input cad drawings.


>
> Part zero is top LH corner of a rectangle slightly larger than the part, single tool 3/16" dia center cutting endmill, tool offset 0.5" code for the first hole closest to part zero is below.Text opposite is what I think the code means. [I think this group should drill a 3/16" hole .13" deep then move to the 2nd hole center]
>
> N1G90 absolute
> N2T100 tool 1
> N3/X.6499/Y-.435 move from 0,0 to center of hole

I think this should be: N3 G0 X.6499 Y-.435

> N5/Z.5 quill moves UP 1/2"

I don't think bandit uses / make it N5 Z 0.5

Also, ITS REAL SMART to move up first then over

> N6/Z1. quill moves UP another 1"
> N7F14.4 feed rate 14.4 ins/min
> N8Z-1.13G81 tool moves down 1.13" in drill mode ,doesn't reach the part as it previously moved up 1.5" ?

I'd write this N7 G81 X.6499 Y-.435 Z-1.13 R0 F 14.4
N13 Y -2.935
...
I'd also learn with a slow feed maybe 1.0 Breaks less stuff.

>
> N10/X.6499/Y-.435 center of first hole
> N13/Y-2.935 Y co-ordinate 2nd hole center
> N15/X4.6499 X co-ordinate 2nd hole center
> N16G80 cancels drill mode
> N19/Z1.
> continues
>
>
> You'll probably shake your head over this, as I don't know whether I should hit enter, store, start or step at the end of each line/
>
> Line 8 won't accept the G81 after the Z- entry and if I enter line 10 followed by start the table will contine to move diagonally in XY minus until I hit the e-stop or reset to prevent it hitting the stops.
>
> I haven't a clue how to execute this string even if I could sucessfully enter it.
>
> I'm located in the far west of Washington State and CNC related resources are pretty thin on the ground, especially anyone with Bandit experience. and I've not been able to find a guide to bandit programming as yet.
> I could send you the dxf file of this simple part if that is of use?
> Anyway there it is, I never thought it would be easy but it is just frustrating at the moment. Is there a book for complete CNC dummies?

I remember the banidt manual was a great programming training section. There are TONS of others.

[HuFlungDung]

"/" means "rapid" in Bandit speak.

In Bandit, the Gcode name comes at the end of the line, not at the beginning. I don't believe it uses an R plane either, its got to be newer (like a Shadow) to do that. Feedrate needs to be on a seperate line before the move in question.

Canned cycles are initiated by the first axis move after the G81 command line. An XY move should not be included on the G81 line, only the Z depth (which is reckoned as an incremental distance)

If your tool is already parked where you intend to drill the first hole before calling the canned cycle, then use a dummy move to initiate the cycle motion. For example
/Z0 G91
would be an incremental dummy move that does not cause any motion, yet the control will accept it and execute the canned cycle at the current location.

A multi-word command line such as /Z-.1 G81 is entered as
/Z-.1
[ENTER]
G81
[STORE]

[Karl_T]

You'd best listen to HungFlungDung

I did bandit maybe 20 years ago. Don't remember much anymore. My commands are for fanuc and compatible controls.

Sorry

Karl

[harolda]

bandit does not use g0 use slash instead

[Karl_T]

HEY

Are you the same Harold I sold my Bandit to? (I think so) This guy needs the manual.

Karl

[harolda]

Books went down the road with another machine

[shovelitdeep]

This won't be much help. I learned programming on a Bandit in San Mateo California in the early eighties. The mechanic thet worked on the three in the shop told me that the one was the first Bandit sold in Silicon Valley. For some reason, my foreman programmed only in incremental mode, and almost never used G codes, drill cycles, etc. I think that it was because nearly everything that we made was smaller than a nickel, and used drills and end mills down to .008" dia. I was pretty good at programming and stuffing nested subroutines into 999 lines, when I got a job after the shop closed, but I eventually learned the G codes also. I think that I also have an old Bandit book, but it likely won't help much. shoot an e-mail and I will try to find it. Rich