On Sun, Sep 12, 2010 at 10:44:02PM -0500, Stuart Stevenson wrote: > In fact I would like to see the prep number change when the tool chain > matrix is indexed with the manual button. As soon as the chain has > positioned the tool the prep number should be written. It would take another > input to alert EMC which tool number is now presented.
I'm sure with you here. I'd like to have a button that turns the carousel (on mine, I'd want one button for each direction) and then I'd like to be able to load the selected tool. So often I'm doing something manually and I need a drill chuck or whatever. I look at the carousel and there's a perfect one! So I have to figure out what pocket it's in (the pockets were numbered, but all the tags are broken off except 14 - 15 - 16). So I find 16 and figure out which direction the pocket numbers increase (for the millionth time) and count up to the drill chuck to find it's in pocket 7. Then I switch to touchy's status screen and find where it reports P7: T12 Then I go to MDI and enter M6 T12 and push cycle start. It's pretty tedious. I suppose if I'd fix the tags it would be somewhat better... > Hold the thought - after pondering this I realize the most accurate way to > maintain the tools in the proper pockets is by ONLY loading the tools into a > random machine's tool changer is by calling the desired tool to be loaded > into the spindle and loading the physical tool in the spindle after the tool > change is completed. Yes yes yes. Not only is that the easiest way, it's way too easy to screw up otherwise. If you have the tool in your hand that you want to be T1, do a M6 T1, if there's a tool there pull it out of the spindle - put in the new one, measure it, done. I have NEVER put a tool directly in the carousel on mine. EMC has NEVER gotten confused about where the tools are. The less I mess with the tool table manually, the better. I use G10 in MDI mode to set the diameter if needed. I use the Set Tool function in touchy to set the length. If you would place a tool directly in the carousel, you'd need to manually edit the tool table. Not only is this a good way to screw up, but also you need a keyboard. My mill does not have one. > I think I will remove the button from the side of the > machine. This will make the machine simpler and safer. Not only is it tool > number dangerous to place tools in the pockets of a random tool machine but > the remove/replace operation involves prying the tool out of the pocket with > a special tool and forcing the tool back into the pot by hand (a recipe for > cuts - I can personally vouch for that). Yes BUT it'd be nice to be able to pick a carousel tool by eye and load it without having to determine the tool number. I can't think of a good way to allow that with EMC's architecture. I will think on it some more. Chris ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Start uncovering the many advantages of virtual appliances and start using them to simplify application deployment and accelerate your shift to cloud computing http://p.sf.net/sfu/novell-sfdev2dev _______________________________________________ Emc-users mailing list [email protected] https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users
