Measuring Probe Nexus 510C

[Nine Blue]

Running a Mazak Nexus 510C vertical mill with a Renishaw T227R toolsetter and an OMP40 measuring probe with the OMI(optical machine interface).

The toolsetter works fine and the measuring probe works in the automatic mode for setting coordinates or finding the center of a bore etc. so long as you write a Mazatrol program for each measuring function.

There is a menu for Manual Measuring but I cannot get it to work.
The Mazak manual describes how the function is supposed to work but all I get is a 245 alarm " Probe Malfuction" when I follow the book.

I can see the measuring screen with all the menu choices at the bottom of the screen but when the probe makes contact with the side of the part I get the alarm.

Our shop does not have much in the way of measuring equipment so I was hoping that we could us this function to help measure some of out longer parts.

Tried to contact Mazak help. What a joke. When you finally get "Support" on the phone it is someone overseas with an accent so thick that it is impossible to carry on a conversation.

Hope you guys can help me out on this.

Thanks

[psychomill]

245 is a Nexus Matrix alarm so I can't help... but, you should have a Operating Manual with the machine. In the back should be an alarm list (not the same list as the ones in the parameter book... these will be the "missing" numbers) and see what it says about it. Also, what are the steps you're doing for measure?

[lepton]

What type of control?
m640 fusion or matrix

maybe try renshaw for help?1-847-286-9953

[MDLang]

Fusion 640 manuals have no alarms listed between 199 and 400. Need to call Mazak.

Nine Blue, If you figure out how to use the measurement page successfully I'd love to know.

Mike

[psychomill]

Fusion 640 manuals have no alarms listed between 199 and 400. Need to call Mazak.

Yes, they are listed. They're not in the parameter book though. Look towards the back of the Operator Manual. They're listed there... No need to call Mazak.

Another question... is this probe factory? or installed aftermarket?

[MDLang]

Thank for that.

And there are the missing alarms...from 200 to 399.

Funny thing though is the manuals that came with our Nexus with the fusion control don't have these in the operators manual or the alarm list manual but the older fusion machines do.

Thanks again.

Mike

[psychomill]

MD..... The missing alarm list must be a "new option" for Matrix...

[Nine Blue]

Here is some more information.
The control is the 640 Fusion.

Yesterday I tried running the Measure Function again and got a "249" ALARM.
"Probe malfunction". Did not get any "245" Alarm.

Any way it is not in any of the manuals. I have the big Alarm and Parameters manual and a smaller Operating manual with a limited list but the "249" alarm is not in either.

I contacted a shop that has a machine the same as ours and the machinist there said he never has got the Measure function to work either.
Next week I'm going to give Mazak another call and see if I can get some state side support.

The center finding measuring function is really cool and I use it a lot but my part zero is not always in the center.
I really miss the Fanuc controls with the Relative screen that can be zeroed out.

I'll post again next week after I give Mazak another call and let you know what I find out.

Thanks for your interest and help.

[MDLang]

I'm not exactly sure what you mean by the relative screen that can be zeroed out but if you mean moving to a position, zeroing the position screen then moving to a new position to get a coordinate relative to the zeroed one then this can be done on your machine very easily.

Just move to the position you want to reference use the cursor arrows to move the blue highlight around the position screen until it highlights the axis you want to zero, enter 0 on the keypad and hit input.

Unsure what I mean by the blue highlight? Just hit the cursor arrow key and watch the position screen for a, well, blue highlight.

Just can't seem to find the right words at the moment.

Anyhow I've never figured out how to use the manual measure screen either so like I said if you find the voodoo behind it please do inform.

All our machines are OMP-40 equipped.

"The center finding measuring function is really cool and I use it a lot but my part zero is not always in the center."

If your just trying to set your WPC somewhere other than center or the edge there are ways to do that in an mms cycle.

I'm curious what you want to do.

[psychomill]

As MD stated... You can zero out the relative from the position page and yes.... follow the blue highlight........

I use to us manual measure all the time back on M+ boards. I'll try it out on our Fusions on Monday and see what the "problem" is.....

A couple things I'm thinking right now.. Improper sequence of keystrokes (sorry guys..), or maybe the skip distance has something to do with it. Wouldn't think so in manual mode... but you never know. In other words,.. how far from the edge are when you start the manual mode/jog?

The center finding measuring function is really cool and I use it a lot but my part zero is not always in the center.

Neither are mine... But you can shift that (even in a program) by adjusting the workoffsets using variables.

[MDLang]

Psycho,

I was thinking about the skip distance but every time I have a problem with the skip being too short I get an "illegal mms" rather than a probe malfunction.

I wonder about the parameters, there's soooo many freaking parameters it gets aggravating.

I've been trying to learn how to utilize the mms unit more fully lately and once you start to realize the functionality built into it, it's pretty cool some of the stuff you can do without using offsets.

Offsets are still my favorite way of getting my wpc where i want it on 4th axis work though. I pretty much always set my wpc unit to the center of rotation and offset from there.

Mike

[Nine Blue]

First to reply to MDLang.

I got through to Mazak today and got the information that you and I were both looking for.

Thanks for the tip on zeroing out the coordinates on the Position screen. That is exactly what the Relative screen does on a Fanuc control.

To answer your question on what exactly I was trying to do it has to do with our shop having little in the way of measuring equipment for anything longer than 2 feet. I was just looking for a quick way to measure a part without writing a Mazak program and according to the Operation manual the "Manual Measurement Function" was supposed to be able to accomplish that.

As you can probably guess I'm in the On the Job Training Mode with the main problem being that I'm both the instructor and student. Lucky for me the Mazak is pretty user friendly compared to the Fanuc controls and the manuals for the most part are really well written as again compared to the Fanuc manuals. I've only been running the machine about 6 weeks but am happy with the parts it turns out.

Okay, now that that is out of the way let me get on to the "Manual Measurement Function". This example will be for a one point measurement of the location of the "Z" surface.

1. In the Jog Handle Mode hand wheel the probe to about 1/4" above the top of the part.

2. Push the left most menu button until you see the menu choice "Measure"and push "Measure".

3.On the "Manual Measure" screen push the "1 point" measure button.

4.This is the important step. In the Jog Handle Mode make sure you are in the "x100" mode. Once you are sure you are in the "x100" mode push the "Z" minus button and hold it down. Do not repeatdly push the button. Just push it once and hold it down. The probe should feed down at a slow feed rate unitl it makes contact with the part. Once it makes contact with the part it will stop and on the screen you will see the value for the "Z" surface under "Measurement Results".

5. If when you push the "Z" minus button and nothing happens or you get an alarm do a tool change and then call up the probe to the spindle again and repeat steps 1 thru 4.

6. You can then write or copy the results with the "Copy" or "Write" button to a WPC like a G54 or as the Mazak guy did for me to G54.1.

BTW , the secret for getting help from Mazak on control problems is to ask for "Applications Department". Other wise they will think you got something wrong with your hydraulic or electrical systems and direct you to their overseas department. Once I got through to them their support was excellent. The guy named Brian who helped me was professional couretous and knew what he was talking about.

As a discalimer I want to state that I only tried the above procedure for the "1 point " measurement. I did it for Z X and Y surface and it worked just like the book said it should. Be careful if you use the other menu measurement choices.

When I get the time I'm gonna try that thing that Psychomill was referring to about shifting the WPC using varibles. Right now I'm doing it the old school way with my calculator.

Thanks guys.