Air Blast on Tool Change

[deanr181]

Hi Guys,

I have read a couple of posts on activating an air blast on tool change but cant really find out if it has been implemented into Masso or how it is done by modifying the PP.

My ATC Router has a Dust Removal function where when the tool has been released (back in the rack), the spindle travels over to the next selected tool, and then just as it starts to lower, the solenoid turns on to blow away any rubbish etc. as the spindle lowers and then shuts off just before it is fully down on the tool.

I find that the Air Blast in Masso only activates after the tool has already been picked up and only to clean off the tool sensor.

This is the sequence I need:

• Tool is replaced back in rack.
  
• Spindle raises and traverses to top of next selected tool.
  
• Solenoid activates blowing air from the spindle to dust remove dust from the tool holder shaft)
  
• Same time, with same solenoid, dust is being blown off the top of the tool sensor.
  
• As spindle lowers, just as it is about to bottom out on the tool holder, Dust Removal solenoid tuns off.
  

If this is not something that is built into Masso, could someone suggest how i can add a code to the PP.

Thanks

Dean

 

[breezy]

@deanr181

Dean,

Don't think it would be possible to get PP to operate air blast in the middle of a tool change cycle, because once MASSO reads a tool change command it doesn't read the next line until it completes the cycle.

About the only thing that you can do in PP is start air just before TC and turn off after TC.

To achieve what you want you will need to get MASSO Support to add air blast into the TC cycle. And then question is, how will MASSO know the spindle is about to bottom out?

Sorry, can't come up with anything constructive.

Regards,

Arie.

 

[masso-support]

@deanr181

Air Blast was added to the G3 in a recent update. It is automatic during a tool change and to use it all you have to do is assign an output as "Tool Air Blast Cleaning" and set the time you want to turn the air on for.

See the attached screen prints.

Cheers Peter

 

[deanr181]

Hi Arie, thanks for your suggestions. I guess we could start it on the lowering of the spindle and just use a time setting for it to turn off. I ll have a look at that.



Hi Peter, thanks also for your reply. I am using the tool air blasting option, but as mentioned, this only activates once the tool has already been picked up and only considered for blowing dust off the tool height sensor and not off the tool holder shaft for ATC spindles. This is no good for me as I need to blow the dust off the tool holder tapered shaft as the spindle is lowering onto it. It s too late once the tool has already been picked up. Hope that makes sense. Thanks, Dean

 

[breezy]

Dean,

I guess we could start it on the lowering of the spindle and just use a time setting for it to turn off. I ll have a look at that.

When I was writing my reply, I did think of using some external trigger / control to operate the air blast, but you were asking could it be done via PP, so I answered on that basis.

Thinking about it now, if you set up an external control to trigger the blast at the correct point in the vertical travel and control when that external control can operate by M62/63 commands just before and after a TC request. This external control could work in parallel with MASSO's air blast control for the tool height sensor.

Hope that helps.

Regards,

Arie.

 

[deanr181]

Thanks Arie, I will need to think how to do that as I don t know how to write or modify gcode yet. Will give me something to do while work is very quiet. If I work it out, I ll post it for others in the same situation.

thanks

Dean

 

[breezy]

Quote from DeanR181 on March 24, 2020, 7:54 am

I will need to think how to do that as I don t know how to write or modify gcode yet. Will give me something to do while work is very quiet. If I work it out, I ll post it for others in the same situation.

Dean,

What CAM software are you using? If it is Fusion I can help there, if is anything else I can bumble my way through it. Any changes I make, I will explain what I have done and why.

In regards to how to control the air blast, two relays should do the job. One relay is controlled by MASSO TC and the other by the M62/63 output. The NO contact of the TC output sits around the NO M62/63 and ext control switch which are in series, so you have two parallel circuits to control the air blast solenoid. The ext switch would be NO and operated by a "vertical" cam attached to the spindle. So when the code wants a TC, the M62 command operates it's relay and as the spindle approaches the tool, the cam operates the air blast. When MASSO's TC cycle approaches the tool height sensor it will operate it's relay as required. Now because M62 is on, the air blast may start earlier or stay on longer than required for the TC cycle but that is the situation. when the TC is completed M63 will turn it's relay off, preventing the air blast being operated during normal machining.

Regards,

Arie.

 

[deanr181]

Hi Arie,

Thanks for the suggestion.

All my files are created in Vectric Aspire.

Having an external switch to trigger the solenoid is a good idea as i can also still use the one solenoid to for both functions.

I can have a timer relay that fires when the switch is first activated and wont fire again for a set amount of time, even when the switch is activated on the spindle return stroke.

Much easier for me than trying to do it in software.

Thanks again for the suggestion.

Kind Regard

Dean

 

[breezy]

Dean,

I can have a timer relay that fires when the switch is first activated and wont fire again for a set amount of time, even when the switch is activated on the spindle return stroke.

There is one problem with that idea in that the relay will operate every time the spindle travels up & down, unless the switch is located on the ATC, then how that will work depends on the type of ATC you have, Umbrella or Linear. By having a M62/63 before and after a TC command in the Gcode, will make sure that it can only operate when a TC is occuring, "belt & braces" situation.

All my files are created in Vectric Aspire.

I had a look at Vectric PP and found it to be very basic, no provision for user adjustable properties like Fusion has, but that aside it looks like it would be easy to add M62/63 commands the tool change section of Vectric PP. The only thing is that the output switched will be fixed.

If you decide to modify your PP here what you need to change

+---------------------------------------------------
+ Commands output at toolchange
+---------------------------------------------------

begin TOOLCHANGE

"[N] M05"
"[N] M62 P1"
"[N] ([TOOLNAME])"
"[N] T[T] M06"
"[N] M63 P1"

Just add the two red lines to the tool change section. If you wish to use a different output to P1 just change the number behind the "P".

Regards,

Arie.

 

[hamish]

For us cave men using manual tool changing can we have an auto blow while the tool is doing a tool height touch off after tool change.



eg manual tool change is compleated.

tool returns to tool setter and commences touch of routine

short blast of air to clear touch off plate.



In the picture I have used a jet drill to drill some very small holes in the white tube to allow for a flat air stream to clear the block

 

[masso-support]

You sure can Dean,

Just configure an output as "Tool Air Blast Cleaning"
Under Tool Changer set a time for the air blast duration.

After you change tool and hit Start the air blast will occur followed by the probing cycle.
Just be aware that the time is in milliseconds.

Cheers
Peter

 

[hamish]

Oh there it is right next to the ANY key



oh no now I feel stupid

????

works awesome well done guys