2020 Hurco Probe issues

[MeanMachine1980]

Hello All

Im currently in the process of buying my first "real" cnc. Im comming from a cnc bed mill. Although it was a nice 3 axis machine Im moving up to probing, coolant, enclosure, 4 axis. etc...
Im looking at a 2020 Hurco vm20i that is practicly brand new. Only 100 hours!
It has a wireless tool setter and probe set up. When I was looking at the machine run a simple program I noticed there was an error on the controller that said" tool probe fault, unable to receive optical signal"

The probe system is made by Hexagon and its a M&H production series.
Does anyone use this probe brand and set up? I want the machine but am worried that the probing setup wont work..
I was quoted almost 9k from my local Hurco dealer for a renishaw set-up.

Thanks in advance

 

[Donkey Hotey]

That's an awfully long leap from a message on the screen to thinking it needs a whole new probing system. Did you ask them? Are the batteries dead? Is the probe even in the spindle where the optical sensor can see it or is it in a drawer somewhere?

 

[PROBE]

Model of the probe and the receiver ? If you don't know - attach pictures.

Stefan
Cogito Ergo Sum

 

[gregormarwick]

That's an awfully long leap from a message on the screen to thinking it needs a whole new probing system. Did you ask them? Are the batteries dead? Is the probe even in the spindle where the optical sensor can see it or is it in a drawer somewhere?

In Hurco terminology, "Tool Probe" is the tool setter not the spindle probe.

Also a spindle probe has to be defined in the tool list, so you have to explicitly change tools to the spindle probe before it will look for it.

Basically, that error message is almost certainly complaining about the tool setter.

 

[MeanMachine1980]

All I know is the set up is Hexagon brand
Infrared Touch Probe IRP60.00
Infrared Tool Setter IRT65.00
Infrared Receiver IRR61.00

I know the tool changer was empty when the sample program was running.
I didnt see any lights on the tool setter so I think its just a dead battery? The Machinery reseller seems to know about as much as I do which is hardly anything. I called the local hurco rep and they said that hurco usually comes with Renishaw not Hexagon.. I just want to make sure Im not falling into a trap with this set up.

 

[gregormarwick]

All I know is the set up is Hexagon brand
Infrared Touch Probe IRP60.00
Infrared Tool Setter IRT65.00
Infrared Receiver IRR61.00

I know the tool changer was empty when the sample program was running.
I didnt see any lights on the tool setter so I think its just a dead battery? The Machinery reseller seems to know about as much as I do which is hardly anything. I called the local hurco rep and they said that hurco usually comes with Renishaw not Hexagon.. I just want to make sure Im not falling into a trap with this set up.

Yes, this is an unusual setup for Hurco.

That said, it's probably fine.

According to the manual below, the setter needs a 1/2AA battery. Ask the dealer to change it and see what happens, or go there and do it yourself.

Transmission-/Reception Angles - Hexagon IRP60.00 Operating Instructions Manual [Page 64]

Hexagon IRP60.00 Manual Online: Transmission-/Reception Angles. The transmission/reception ranges shown below can be reduced by infrared components of the ambient light. 4.1.3.1 Transmission Angles 30 20 10 0 Transmission angles of IRR61.00 64 INFORMATION 40 50 6 m (19.7ʼ) 60 70 80 5 m...

www.manualslib.com

 

[MeanMachine1980]

I just heard back from the dealer and they did change the battery and cannot get the tool setter to work...Would this be deal breaker? Can one get a reasonably priced renishaw set up that is similar?

Thanks

 

[Donkey Hotey]

All my Renishaw stuff has been good but, there is no reason that system shouldn't be working. It's barely four years old, the presetter is dead and the dealer can't figure out what's wrong? That would be a forest of red flags for me: the dealer, not the machine.

Go buy your own battery(ies) and try it yourself. If they're the same as the Renishaw stuff, there is a plague of those batteries arriving dead in the package. Almost every time someone has a mystery dead Renishaw probe, ordering new batteries (not just another set out of the drawer) is what fixes it. The battery industry needs to get their crap together. Electric cars? Yeah, sure, totally viable, whatever.

 

[Houdini]

If the price is right, don't worry about it.

What's a tool probe and spindle probe, is that one them there new fandangled dohickies fer taking way too long tah set WC's through a gui interface.

Ge them to discount it also.

 

[MeanMachine1980]

Yea Im starting to see some red flags with this dealer. Either the person who sold the machine to them just slapped a non working probe system on the machine or the dealer did. After talking to my local hurco dealer they told me that the new machines come with renishaw and they havent dealt with Hexagon...
I did ask the use dealer what the options are and he told to either move forward or cancel the order....
It sure feels like the deal is starting to go south. I was hoping someone on here had hexagon set up that actually works with Hurco. As far as I know the hexagon system dosent even interface with the hurco controller..

 

[Houdini]

If this is the case, then I wouldn't care what the price was, if the system work's with Hurco or not.
The issue is I no longer trust the seller, and would be out!

 

[Donkey Hotey]

I was hoping someone on here had hexagon set up that actually works with Hurco. As far as I know the hexagon system dosent even interface with the hurco controller..

I don't know Hurco and was under the impression from your post that it came with that system. Yeah, if it's not intended to go with that machine, there's no guarantee you'll get that system working. Now it's down to being a decent deal completely without a working probing system and what would it cost to incorporate what you want. Some on here don't like probing at all, some only like it on certain machines but, not others, some wouldn't be without it. Not sure how important it is to you. I'd personally pass.

 

[PROBE]

All I know is the set up is Hexagon brand
Infrared Touch Probe IRP60.00
Infrared Tool Setter IRT65.00
Infrared Receiver IRR61.00

I know the tool changer was empty when the sample program was running.
I didnt see any lights on the tool setter so I think its just a dead battery? The Machinery reseller seems to know about as much as I do which is hardly anything. I called the local hurco rep and they said that hurco usually comes with Renishaw not Hexagon.. I just want to make sure Im not falling into a trap with this set up.

Attached find the complete Manual. Hope will be helpful to you.
Stefan
Cogito Ergo Sum