loading tools using their pocket number in G Code on Haas CNC mill

[mr_lw]

Is it possible to load a specific Tool Pocket using G-Code on a Haas mill?

I can go into MDI and type "P12", then "ATC FWD" or "ATC REV", and it will load whatever tool is in pocket 12, but I am wondering if there is a way to do this using G-Code without knowing what tool is in pocket 12?

Thank you for your time.

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[Machineit]

On a Haas, you use T12 not P12. And, a normal tool change in a program is T12 M06, where T12 is the tool to go to and M06 tells the machine to change tools. M06 is G-code.

Mike

[bthomas7408]

What are trying to accomplish? The pocket #'s are random. T1 could start in P1 but once you start changing tools it will change pocket numbers. I don't believe there is any way to utilize a P# in a program, the only way to use it is in MDI if your trying to load a tool but don't know what T# it is, you can call up that pocket.

[Cshade30]

I am sure you will not want to do this in a program or production run; as mentioned the pocket a tool rests in is not constant. It would seem to me that trying to select a specific pocket rather than tool could be very dangerous. For example; what if you had three tools you call up tool 1 and it pulls from pocket 1; you call up tool 2 and it pulls from pocket 2 and store tool 1 in pocket 2 now; you call up tool 3 and it pulls from pocket 3 and stores tool 2 in pocket 3. This continues in such a way that no tool will ever be in the exact pocket it was first pulled from, or well, you will get lucky now and then but more often unlucky.

[bhurts]

Pretty sure there is a screen that will allow you to always return a certain tool to the same pocket. It requires the changer to make a extra tool change. Whatever tool is in the spindle is switched with that pocket like normal. Then when you call the next tool the tool is switched back into its pocket and it goes on to pick up the next tool. It's in the same place you can view what tools are in what pockets. I can't remember how to get there off the top of my head. I think it may require you to lose the pockets on either side of the permanent pocket. I'm pretty sure that's what happens if you list the tool as oversized.

Ben

Sent from my E6810 using Tapatalk

[bthomas7408]

As bhurts stated, I believe there is a way to do that and it tool changes like an umbrella changer does, you wont be able to pre-load a tool. I believe what it does is it grabs say T1 thats in P1 and puts it in the spindle then when you do a tool change it puts that back in P1 and then finds your next tool and loads that. Like said above though, it does 2 tool changes.

[mr_lw]

What are trying to accomplish? The pocket #'s are random. T1 could start in P1 but once you start changing tools it will change pocket numbers. I don't believe there is any way to utilize a P# in a program, the only way to use it is in MDI if your trying to load a tool but don't know what T# it is, you can call up that pocket.

Thank you everyone for responding and sorry about the vague question.
The purpose of this is to get a series of tools to be located near to each other before I start a job so that the tool changer doesn't have to move as much.
This would only run once before running a job. then again with different tools before running the next job.
This is on a Haas EC-400 with a 70 tool changer, which has about 35 commonly tools we leave in it that are used on a lot of jobs.
The issue is on some very quick operations the tool changer takes longer to rotate to the next tool than the previous tool run time, so if I can start with all the tools located within close proximity, this would minimize how long it takes to stage the next tool.
I do this manually before I start a job now, but I was hoping to make a quick program to do it for me.

For this examples I will be using the following tools on the job: T1, T5, T17

T1 M6 (Load Tool 1)
P1 M6 (G-code doesn't do anything because "P" is pause, but I go into MDI and type in "P1" and hit the "ATC FWD" button to do this, but the objective is to load pocket 1, putting T1 in pocket 1)

T5 M6 (Load Tool 5)
P2 M6 (put T5 in pocket 2)

T17 M6 (Load Tool 17)
P3 M6 (put T17 in pocket 3)

Now is the job only used these 3 tools, it would just use these pockets to move the tools around, which would eliminate waiting on the tool changer for really quick machining operations my making sure the tools aren't separated by 35 pockets. I really don't care is the tools are in pockets 1-3 or 26-28, or whatever, just as long as they are close to each other.

[Billetgrip]

Have you watched this yet?

[mr_lw]

I may or may have not seen this video, but I do pre-stage every tool already. For the most part this works great, but in cases where the run time on a specific tool is very short (a spot drill for example, and the run time is like 30 sec), and the tool pockets are far apart. Even though it immediately starts rotating to the next tool, the next tool isn't staged yet if that makes sense.
By starting with all the tools i need near each other, the max distance may only be 5-10 pockets away vs. 20 or 35.
It doesn't save much time, but I was just wondering if there was an easier way of doing it.

[bthomas7408]

I see what your saying, unfortunately I don't think there's much of a work around for this. I've had some very small high quantity jobs that had 3-4 tools, doing something quick, spot drill, drill, counter bore maybe 1 or 2 holes and in my VF2SS, I sometimes think the program takes longer cause the carousel is going around to the next tool cause that tools operation was so quick it doesn't preload the next tool fast enough.

[Jorg_Aussie]

versatility kills production time.
set more parts per cycle is the best solution.
also tool change to the first tool at the end of the program with next tool pre-stage to save time.If you are like most the door locks are not active.and can be changing the part over whilst tool changing.

[machinehop5]

or maybe move T1 T5 T17 T35 or what ever tool to empty Pocket series T61 T62 T63 T64 etc. Of coarse program would have to be modified.