tool eye broken--help!

[shepherd]

we have a mazak qt 250 and an older mazak qt. both machines' tool eyes are broken. i takes a good amount of time to teach the tool manually, because we dont really konw what to touch the tool off of. and once we get close we have to tweak it in little by little.

we have to touch the cast part , a known dimension, to teach x and y, and most of the time we are inches off.

if anyone know a quicker way to teach a tool please let me konw thanks

[Mikiemo]

To teach X you must turn a diameter and without moving the turret in the x-axis check the diameter and then go to the tool data and teach x that diameter. to teach z axis you have to go to the z zero face and teach the tool whatever is in the z-offset for that part program. on a new program to set z-offset in setup page: bring facing tool to desired spot, move/select z-offset field, teach -> input. Now go to the tool set page and bring down each tool tip used in program to the same spot and teach the z-offset value. boring bars will have to be set for diameter the same as od turn, ie; bore a hole and teach the diameter. tool eye is nothing more than a reference point. You could re-define the parameters for the tooleye position, and set them to any fixed point in the machine. Such as the face of the chuck jaws, and use that for the length setting point.

[Rich S]

That was perfect advice. The only thing I would add is if you are not able to turn the casting to get a measurement in order to teach "X", you can use any known diameter. For instance, if the chuck is 8.000, take the tip of the tool up to the chuck and teach it 8" on the tool data page. You can use any known surface for the "Z" as well.

[little bubba]

Had a tooleye go out on a '98 qt 20, from mazak it was $380 dollars, from anywhere else it was $1100+.

How about just fixing it.

Its a simple device, there are some places on e-bay that sell generic tool eyes, and they are honestly so damn simple, they would work.


It really is simply to set without a tooleye. I now am the proud owner of a '84 QT20, with no tooleye. Pick a random place, I've been using a 1" gage block off of the chuck face for the TOOL Z zero. Before I do anything, get the tools in and teach them in the tool offsets Z-zero at 1" off the chuck face. So my base for the Z zero is one inch off of the chuck face(make sure its clean). Then you can teach your Z-offset, and every thing shoud be good.

For the X. you either have to touch or make a cut.

I still suggest fixing the tool eyes.