HAAS mills freeze during DNC

[GibbsMachineCorp]

Hello all. I have an on going issue with our HAAS mills. We DNC feed all our mills, 7 in total. Four are HAAS and 3 are Milltronics. I'm currently using Focal Point, but I have downloaded and trying out DNC-Max. Here's what's happenning, the mill will freeze up if the feed rate exceeds 100ipm for an more then a few minutes, sometimes just 5, sometimes 2 or 3 hours. If I lower the feedrate to under 100ipm the mill will not freeze. When it freezes the only way to un-freeze it is to e-stop and reboot the mill. I do not have this issue on our Milltronics. HAAs says I need handshaking set to XModem to fix this. Neither Focal Point of DNC-Max has this options. For years I've used in Focal Point: Baud 38400 Stop Bits 2, Data Bits 7, Partiy Even, Data Type ISO, Handshaking XON/XOFF, and E.O.B. CR LF. With DNC-Max I tried the same settings and have tried using what HAAS recommended: Baud 38400, Stop Bits 1, Data Bits 8, Parity None, Data Bits ASCII(this one was the only option to get Parity of None),Handshaking XON XOFF. This freezing issue has just started in last year or so. I don't know if the toolpath from mastercam is somehow causing this or not. It seems strange that if you slow the mill down, it will run. I know the baud rate is fast enough because there is code visible on the monitor so the mill is not starved for code. I guess if some of you could tell me the settings that you use and also the HAAS experts, is there a setting I need to check on the mills?

Thanks in advance.

X4 MU3

Multi-Axis

[Robert Ouellette]

if the baud rate was not fast enough you would just get pauses on the machine. as soon as it got code again it would go. then pause. then go. and so on. but you say it freezes the machine. are you getting error message? if not then i would say it was your machine. i have dnc'd lots and if for some reason i lost communication the machine would just sit there waiting for code. i would reset machine. restart dnc. and restart machine. never e-stop and repower up the machine.

[CNC USA]

Hello,

It is a hard problem to diagnose an intermittent DNC problem over a forum or even in person. Here is what I would do in your situation. The first thing I would do if possible is to take one of your current Haas machines that is working correctly and use that connection (port, cable, identification, parameters,ect) This is the best way to narrow down the true cause of the issue. If this fails you know the issue is in the machine tool and can start the process of switching the components internal to the machine to identify the internal issue.

If the first test works you can start switching the external components (port, cable, identification, parameters,ect) one at a time to identify the issue. I hope this helps and understand your frustration an intermittent problem is one of the harder issues to resolve regardless of the issue. The good news is that you the best case solution for the issue a working proven connection on the identical make machine.

 

I’m always amazed when everything dose work when you think of all the things that it takes to make a good machined part.

 

Signed: Two identical machines are better then one

 

PS: I just noticed as I was logging off that you might have a very easy fix for your issue. You mentioned that your mill is freezing up have you tried turning the heat up in your shop?

[luggar]

Did anyone ever find a solution to the problem that Gibbs is having? I just encountered the same thing on our Haas VF0(year 2000). I dropped all my feed rates to 90imp and everything is working fine. When I run at 200 imp the machine freezes and then I have to power off to get out of it. Just looking for some help before I call Haas.

Thanks

[Watcher]

Neither Focal Point of DNC-Max has this options.

 

That's wrong. DNC-Max do offer X-Modem support.

[Machineguy]

Its your cable. That Haas will run all day at 200 ipm.

How long is you run?

Shop Floor Automations has the best cables I've ever seen. 100 ft, full speed on a 1998 Haas mill w High feed option upgraded to the control. That's 300ipm in 3d mold work. All day long.

RS232 can be fussy. The cable is the biggest problem. It needs good connectors and a heavy shielded line.

What you are getting is data starvation to the control. It doesnt know what to do, so it stops.

 

Talk to SFA. They are in the San Diego Area.

 

Machine guy

[luggar]

Machineguy,

We are using dnc max to feed the machine. Also, I don't think the machine is starving for code. When it happen it will actually freeze up the control panel so that we have to shut down the machine to get it working again. We are still looking into what is going on. Haas suggest xmodem but we are not having luck getting that to work either. Thanks for the feed back. I will let you know what we find. Any other suggestions welcome.

[mkd]

i.m running SFA cables/adapters. no problems yet.

programmed feed rates are under 100, but i handle override well over 100.

10MB program.

not sure about the xmodem thing

[Machineguy]

What year is the machine? The high feed option for Haas didnt come out till '99.

If your machine doesnt have the option, it will not handle fies very quickly. This option adds a read ahead.

IT stops the data starvation.

Let us know.

 

Machine guy

[mkd]

Machine guy,

2002 with the high speed option.

 

i just had an issue where if was throwing an error immediately upon sending. Setting changes didn't help.

 

power down/breaker off did the trick.

[Machineguy]

2000-2002 models had issues with the eithernet and comm board. I remember that. A main pgm software update might help your problem. Hass has to install it, if that is an issue.

Call Haas and give them the serial #, model, software #. Have them look up the issue your having with the software #. They can see if that was a problem and what they did to correct it.

Comm board might need to be updated. Just a guess.

We updated a '98 model VF-3 to the HF option. It requied a comm board change, Main pgm change. THe comm board couldn't handle the HF option and the 3 1/2 disk drive.

Everything worked after that.

 

Machine guy

[mkd]

yep, factory guy said there are issues with the Ethernet boards available at this time/ from that vendor which has since gone out of business, IIRC.

 

i think he pointed me in the direction of one of the aftermarket solutions for drip feeding.

 

i would possibly be interested in upgrades to get network/hard drive function working. is that what you were able to achieve with your 1998 model?

 

not to much trouble with my Haas; just ran a 8 hr mold finish pass via DNC lights out while at my full time job. no issues, except for usual "impossible" mid-program restarts.

[Machineguy]

No hard drive option was available till 2006 or so. Our main concern was to have the High feed option so it saw just as fast as the 2002 Haas VM2 we had

You WILL NOT See the data starvation from looking at the screen.

Tell you what to do to fix this. Talk to Shop Floor Automations in the San Diego Area. Tell them whats going on. They can find the solution. There are better ways now to do this.

I run a 2010 VM-3. Sweet machine. Made for doing Mold work, or any tight tolerance work. Great for what it is.

 

 

Machine guy