New Machine Day! Sharp SV-2412

[Rick Finsta]

Did you mark the position of the motor pulley and the position of the ballscrew pulley when you removed the z motor?

Yes, but it didn't matter - the motor had been removed by the machine dealer for over a week and had forgotten its position, so I had to reset all that manually. It honestly would only have taken a moment to do had it not been for my inability to figure out that the ATC being slightly bumped towards the column was locking Z-axis travel.

I can post the code this afternoon, but it is a simple facing operation output from the Fusion 360 Fanuc post processor. - I messed up G90/G91 on a manual edit and it tried to apply the tool offset while at Absolute (Machine) Z0 and in doing so it tried to move the spindle up and hit the overtravel (indicating to me that it is moving the spindle when it applies G43 - I could be wrong). The thing is I found a bunch of references to the 5006 parameter but the 0i-Mate MB parameter manual I have shows nothing there. I will have to look at the hard copy parameter manual I got with the machine. Basically I want G43 to change the work coordinate system and not physically move the Z-axis. I feel that is a good way to avoid some pretty nasty crash scenarios.

That is just a separate "feel good" thing in addition to my need to develop a tool offset procedure using the Haimer and the touch off gauge.

The tool that I was using is 0.8595" longer than the length of the Haimer at its Z-zero position (probe plunger depressed). I think this means it gets a positive offset, but it it further towards the table, so that may be a negative offset? I'm just trying to figure out the nomenclature.

 

[NAST555]

When invoking G43 you have to make a Z movement because your tool now needs to be in the correct position in relation to your work offset and you tool offset. You will have tools that are longer that would want to move up in Z with the way you are doing it (if I am understanding your procedure correctly) and tools that are shorter that would want to move down.

The safest and easiest way to make sure that your tool is in the correct position would be to move it to a Z safety height when calling G43.
As an example
G00 G54 X0.0 Y0.0 S2000 M3
G43 H1 Z10.0 M8 (So the 10.0 will move your tool 10.0 above the part zero if your offsets for the tool are correct. From there you would be able to see if you have messed up a height offset somewhere, single block it to make sure)
G01 Z0.5 F1000 (Or what ever)

 

[Rick Finsta]

I think I get it - a tool longer than my reference "tool" (the Haimer) is a positive offset because the Z-axis must move in the positive direction to compensate. Longer equals positive, shorter equals negative. That is exactly what I was hoping would be the case.

As to the move, however, the Fanuc seems to have a way that it shifts the coordinate system rather than physically moving Z during the offset call - that way the relative positions will move and the offset will be applied when the new tool gets down to the workpiece, but it won't do things like try to launch the spindle through the ceiling if you call G43 on a tool shorter than your master tool while at Machine Z0.

BTW it turns out I also messed up my setup in the CAM and used the part surface instead of the stock surface for my Z-zero! That accounts for the 0.250" vertical error I just couldn't find (why my end mill skimmed the surface instead of taking a 0.250" DOC). So I actually did have everything working correctly in my tool setting procedure LOL. I think.

Fresh eyes to look at it after I get to the shop after my day job this afternoon!

I appreciate all the time and expertise, I really do.

EDIT - wait F1000!?!? LOL don't think I'm ready for that (plus I think this machine maxes out at 393IPM)

 

[SND]

With mine I have to make sure to set all Z offsets to 0 before doing my tool setting, I use the Ins.C button. Otherwise the offset gets added to it.(I still use a 123 block) Something to really watch out for if I change an endmill after running so many parts and touch off the new one, but for my use I manage so far.

 

[converterking]

You will be very happy if you ever upgrade to a Centroid control.

 

[Rick Finsta]

Alright this is better.

Sharp SV-2412 Facing 118 - YouTube

That is a "standard" facing pass 0.003" per tooth 18IPM 40% radial stepover 0.250" DOC. I'm gonna do it with a HSM path tomorrow - should be half the time if I can get G08 to work!

 

[converterking]

What diameter tool, how many flutes, what rpm? That is a good start.

 

[Rick Finsta]

Oops, yeah! 0.5" HSS 4-flute 2900rpm. It's basically whatever Fusion 360 spat out but reduced stepover and increased DOC. It's a cheap Chicom garbage end mill I wasn't worried about losing if I crashed it LOL.

 

[SRT Mike]

One thing I still find weird is the oil cup on top of the spindle for the draw bar or something doesn't seem to take any of the oil that's in it.

That's just the expansion tank for the air-over-oil cylinder for the drawbar. If you look at it during a tool change, you will see it go down while the cylinder pushes down on the top of the drawbar, then when the cylinder goes up, the oil will be ejected out of the cylinder back into that tank.

Technically the oil in that little tank shouldn't ever really need refilled or rarely... it's sort of like the coolant expansion tank in your car.. it's just a supplemental reservoir, not really a consumable/refillable tank.

 

[Rick Finsta]

Same cut with a 3/8" end mill and high speed tool path! Smaller cutter takes 20% less time. Neato!

Sharp SV-2412 HSM Facing 118 - YouTube

 

[converterking]

That looks better. What program do you use to calculate your cut parameters? Using Gwizard for roughing 6000 rpm, .25 depth of cut, .120 width of cut, 50 inches per minute

 

[Rick Finsta]

I just pulled the ballpark figures from a few different toolmakers and some posts here, along with a few videos by toolmakers on Youtube. This was a carbide end mill I got in a grab bag when I bought my vises, and looks to be TiCN coated by the color. I found references to anywhere from 500-800SFM and 0.002" per tooth, but double that for the small radial engagement (0.020") so I went 0.004" per tooth to account for chip thinning.

So I know that radial refers to a direction as well as being a dimensional reference, but I am now wondering; is radial engagement a diametric figure? That is, when I specify a radial engagement or stepover is it assumed my 0.020" figure above is 10.6% engagement for a 0.375" cutter or is that actually only 5.3%? I just made the assumption that it was a radial measurement (percent of the radius) but looking at some reported speeds/feeds (and looking at the chips) it seems like I could have doubled it and still been in good shape.

The machine did not protest at all! I'm still trying to figure out the work offsets thing, though. I have to manually enter all the information and if I start the program, stop it, and then reset and start it again, it does really oddball stuff with the absolute/relative coordinates.

 

[converterking]

That is only 5.3% stepover. Download a 30 day trial of gwizard or hsmadvisor. For tooling I used to look for deals on ebay or craigslist. The only problem is you never get the same performance out of different cutters. So now I buy low end carbide milling cutters by YG-1 and you get the same results every cutter. Try the parameters I posted and see how that cuts.

 

[Rick Finsta]

I was going to just buy HSMAdvisor - I just haven't gotten to it yet. I have to decide if I want the mobile or static seat. I do my CAD/CAM in my office so I'm thinking of just getting it there so I don't have to worry about internet service outages. But then I remember my CAD/CAM is internet based LOL.

EDIT: So I'm just gonna start calling it diametric radial engagement. Ambiguity can be funny, but not when it crashes a Mars rover or a VMC!

 

[converterking]

Understanding HSMWorks Adaptive Clearing Toolpaths

Here is an explanation of Autodesk's adaptive clearing.

 

[Rick Finsta]

I like this thing! I know it is not a big deal to a lot of guys here, but I'm pretty stoked to have gone from never touching a CNC to this 1" Titanium key fob with my company logo in only a few weeks. Fusion 360 is making this seem easy! The Fanuc is not LOL.





I'm just happy the super glue held and then came off super easy with the heat gun.

 

[2fast2understand]

Rick, I bought a similar machine to yours. It’s a 2004 with low hours. What are some lessons learned that you can share to help me get started?

 

[Rick Finsta]

You'll need to contact Sharp and find out if you've got the G08 or the G05.1 look ahead for starters (at least mine I couldn't figure it out without just asking; nothing in the manuals). I hung a rubber sheet from the tool changer door so I wouldn't get chips hitting the tool pocket sensor and alarming out. If your post processor doesn't already, make sure you call a G90 after your tool change since the macro leaves it in G91 after the change. It's a solid machine, albeit a little slow by today's standards.

I also stuck a PCMCIA to compact flash adapter, and then a compact flash extension cable and chassis mounted to the rear door since on mine you otherwise couldn't access the card without opening the mains cabinet. I detailed that in a thread called "Un-FANUCing my VMC" or something like that but the thread kinda went south since I guess my sense of humor and frame of reference aren't exactly universal.

Let me know if you need anything else. I just finished up a subcontract job for my day job and have another one going on this week.

 

[Metric681]

Ha! It's the wife's car. Mine is the race car hiding in a few of the pictures. I'm officially out of room unless I want to fit a little Tormach turning center LOL.

I had less than a half inch of clearance going into a door that is 79" (the original plan was to move it in the slightly taller door and then move it over on skates, but the riggers didn't have skates for some reason?). A gentleman from the machinery dealer popped over to reinstall the Z-Axis servo and now I just have a single trip to the hardware store for an allen head bolt and an air line fitting and I should be up and running this evening!

The riggers were very accommodating - they don't do a lot of stuff that isn't just driving stuff through doors on forklifts, I guess. I'll post some video of it running when I get there.

Hi There I am wondering if you can help me out! I have the exact same machine and my Machine lost all the NC basic files. (so it is just a giant paper weight) I am hoping you would graciously provide me a copy of yours. It would only take you copying them of the machine for me. If you would be willing please feel free to PM me.

 

[Rick Finsta]

Hi There I am wondering if you can help me out! I have the exact same machine and my Machine lost all the NC basic files. (so it is just a giant paper weight) I am hoping you would graciously provide me a copy of yours. It would only take you copying them of the machine for me. If you would be willing please feel free to PM me.

I sold this machine a few years back. Sharp should still have what you need.