Haas control issues?

[Bob W.]

My new Haas mill (VF2-SS) has a new user interface and it appears that the operating system or control system has been revised. The mill is doing some funny things like strange pauses (~5-10 seconds) during tool changes or retracts, etc... It still makes parts just fine but this is a little unnerving. Is anyone else experiencing these sorts of issues? These issues are intermittent and pretty much occur at random intervals as well.

 

Also, I am aware of the prevailing opinion on Haas machines so there is no need to enlightn me on that. My Mini Mill has been bulletproof, so far :-)

 

Thanks,

Bob

[gcode]

Is you shop air pressure up to the minimum Haas specs?? I've seen Haas VMC's do strange things

when air pressure is too low.

I haven't run one in years so I've no clue what the new control intrface is all about.

[Bob W.]

yeah, the air to the machine is at or above 100psi and there are no alarms, warnings, or anything like that.

[gcode]

Do you have "exact stop" turned on

The Haas I used to run had a setting like that.

You could turn it on from the Parameters page

or off and on with M codes in the program.

It was suppossed to keep the Z axis from rounding corners during drill cycles.

 

another thought

 

if you have a programmable coolant head,

the machine will wait for the nozzle to reached its promgrammed spot before proccessing the next move. It reads the coolant offset at the same time it reads the length offset, so this can cause delays as the machine rapids down after loading a fresh tool.

If there is a problem with the programable nozzle

the machine may sit there while the nozzle wanders around. If that is the case the machine with usually time out and throw an alarm afrter a while

 

[ 11-22-2006, 09:19 PM: Message edited by: gcode ]

[Bob W.]

I'll look into those. I have been running the same parts all day though and sometimes it pauses and sometimes it doesn't. I would guess that it has sat there for up to 10 seconds at times and I just scratch my head...

[Hardmill]

Have you been checking the pressure during tool changes and such ??

Or just as its sitting ?

 

 

PEACE

[Bob W.]

Just as it is sitting. I will have a look at that though.

 

Thanks,

Bob

[Justin Beebe at Folsom Tool]

Bob,

 

Try this www.haascnc.com

Go to "customer service" then "technical forum" then "ask the question man". Someone from Haas will usually reply with an answer to your question in about 24 hours. They also have phone support.

 

Hope this helps.

Have a good one.

[Chris Rizzo]

is it staging tools ok? or is that pause while the carosel is turning it's way around to orient for toolchange, after it's z home'd. that would certainly be random pauses at toolchages. What does your tool change code look like?

[Bob W.]

Yes, it stages tools great. When it pauses it is just sitting there doing nothing.

 

What typically happens is the pivot arm grabs the tool holders, rotates 180 degrees and sits for several seconds before loading it up into the spindle. So it really is right smack in the middle of a tool change it will occasionally have a strange pause.

[peon]

We have a new Haas VM2, VM3, and EC-1600. We are constantly plagued by software problems. It seems the software on the machines have been updated several times, with minor improvements, but we still get odd hiccups. The HAAS MUST have 80 LBS PSI, or it WILL NOT run properly and the toolchanger will error. The programmable coolant nozzle has also been an issue. I had the serviceman look at that yesterday and he mentioned that they had a large batch of defective nozzle units. It will be replaced under warranty next week. These are my first experiences with the Haas machines and I'm happy with the results if you keep the feedrates down. The high-speed machining capabilites are kind of a joke compared to my Fanuc 18i controlled machines. Give me another year of experience with these models and I can get you a true opinion on these machines. I just hope I won't be dissappointed.

[Bob W.]

I just checked the pressure and it has 120psi to the machine with the machine's regulator set at 90psi. There is virtually no pressure drop with a tool change. Looks like I will be calling the service department Monday. I also have an inquiry into the answer man at the Haas web site.

 

Thanks,

Bob

[gcode]

quote:

---

right smack in the middle of a tool change it will occasionally have a strange pause

---

I'll bet you have a sticky limit switch in the tool change mechanism.

[peon]

If that machine is under warranty, be sure to call Haas on EVERY hiccup.