Calling all Haas lathe gurus!!

[Sbarner]

Greetings all,

 

This isn't a Mastercam question per se, but one that's got me stumped. We recently took possession of a Haas SL-20 lathe, and I'm having some difficulty pulling stock out in the middle of a program. Here's the deal:

 

I'm making some parts out of 12L14. I'm starting with 1/2" diameter stock. The parts are about 4.1 inches long and I'm going to utilize the tailstock in the machine to turn the diameters. At this point though, I have a program that faces, center drills and parts off the part. I am putting in a program stop before the part off, using a point toolpath to move the parting tool to 5" away in Z. My plan was to put an M00 there, index the stock out, and cut off the part. Let me say this: the code is good...the machine is not responding how I want. I cannot open the collet during the middle of the program. I can stomp on the foot switch all day and nothing happens. I put the following code in:

code:

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M00 (Stop Program)

M11 (Unclamp chuck)

M00 (Index Out)

M10 (Clamp chuck)

M00 (Ready?)

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and it works well up until the spindle unclamps. It unclamps fine, but when I index the stock out and hit cycle start to clamp the chuck, I get a message on the screen saying "Chuck Unclamped". Sigh...

 

Is there a setting I'm missing? A parameter? This makes no sense to me because how would you pull stock or barfeed if you can't do anything when the chuck is unclamped?

 

Any thoughts?

[specv]

Are you pulling it out manually? we use a bar puller and it works just fine, but there are no M00 commands, that may be the problem.

[CNCGUY]

You should be able to clamp the chuck with the foot switch after M00. We do it every day here.

 

Cycle start to clamp it will not work. Its a safety to keep one from starting the spindle with material in it while un-clamped!!!

 

Automatic bar pulls work great. We do that also. Clamp and un-clamp work fine when programmed. Dont hit feed hold while un-clamped - your program will stop right there.

[specv]

From the manual: A program can be started with the unclamped provided parameter 278 bit 8 CHUCK OPN CS is set to 1. I assume it won't allow you to cycle start unless the chuck is clamped and if it is in a program stop it won't allow you to do anything.

[Sbarner]

The problem was that I was using the option where you depress the cycle start key the whole time and when you release it, it acts as a feed hold. A nice feature for running most programs. Not these kind apparently.

 

We are going to get a bar puller. Do you guys use the stock advance toolpath for that? Do you have to draw your puller, or just fill in the blanks on the parameter page?

 

Pete, I'm interested in your comment:

quote:

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From the manual: A program can be started with the unclamped provided parameter 278 bit 8 CHUCK OPN CS is set to 1.

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What manual are you looking at? I literally read EVERY line in ours, as well as the one on the CD that came with the machine. Perhaps I just overlooked it. Thanks for the help guys.

[Bruce Caulley]

quote:

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We recently took possession of a Haas SL-20 lathe

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My condolences.

 

Bruce

[CNCGUY]

quote:

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Do you guys use the stock advance toolpath for that?

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Its not necessary. It can be as simple or complex.

 

Simple - place a G105 at the end of your program and have accurate numbers in #3100, #3101 and #3102. We have had problems with the acuuracy of the push. It would tend to feed to far.

 

Complex - Call up a sub program with a bump stop with the G105 for the bar to push to. This method requires all variables to be extremely accurate. If something is off, the loader will want to push farther than the bump will allow.

 

FWIW - We use the complex method. We also check when a new bar loads to activate the parts catcher so remnants exit the machine rather than end up in the auger.

 

HTH

 

Edit-I just noticed you said you will be using a bar puller, not a bar loader.

[specv]

96-8700 rev j june 2004 for sl series lathes, page 93 at the bottom of the page.

[MACHINEMASTERG]

we use a coolnt operated bar puller on our sl-10 but we had to get a bigger pump and we just use this subroutine to advance stock

 

g00 x0 z1. (moves close to part)

m8 (grips part)

m11(unclamp chuck)

g98(feed in inch mode)

g01z2. f20.(moves z back amount needed )

m10(clamp chuck)

m9(coolnt off)

g4p2.(dwel to let fingers off part)

g99(back to feed per rev mode)

g28(move to home)

 

 

cannot use this in single block

 

takes a little tweek at the machine but works good for a puller

[Bryan Johnson]

quote:

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cannot use this in single block

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+1000

 

Comes up all the time at my shop.

I assume this is a Haas only issue.