1060V-8

To eman, you have many E-machines. Please be aware that when you change the M16 parameters you are ajusting home position. That's OK, but this change is also reflected in the pallet change and tool change positions, all those dementions look at the home set position first. I suggest you make the same changes to the home 2 and 3 locations when you change the M16 parameter, in the same direction and same amount. Also, VERY IMPORTANT!!! If you change any Z-Axis parameters, you must also change the z-axis slave parameters. If not, you can do some serious damage! Please contact your regional service dept. for details. Thanks.

Welcome jsnsykes,

I am also an EIA programmer who just started Mazatrol about a year ago. I use Manual Mazatrol alot. This is EIA based. I use mazatrol for drilling bolt hole circles for it figures coordinates easily. We have an e800V2 with 10 station Palletech. No problems with the C-axis or Palletech. I would be glad to help you.

Coolant Slinger

E Man
Very interesting post E Man. We have found the same issue on our machine. We arrived at the same conclusion with ours after scratching our head for a few days. How much variation did you see? Have you found a better workaround?

Would love to discuss.

Thanks.

Toolmaker

We have not found a good workaround yet, We have had machines off up to .004 usually in x axis (maybe thermal).Y axis is usually within .001, I have been trying to figure out if we could use something similar to Renishaw program 9800 which orients the probe,measures the part then it reorients the probe to 180 degrees this tells the true center of the part. I think that the probe calibration must be ignored. With this information you could write back to the parameters for center then you would have to home the machine manually. There is a guy out there, Martin Rodrick that,for a small fee will mount some type of small square cube on the machine near the tool eye, he then has a program that periodically checks with the probe the location of this artifact in X and Y then writes the difference from this measurement to the last one into the shift value on the work offset page. Also if it is a thermal positioning issue, I think you don't need to change home 2 and 3 because you are just putting the machine back where it should be.
Suggestions from anyone on how to fix this would be greatly appreciated.

Martin is a good source of info for e-machines. X Mazak guy.

E Man
E Man,

E Man
E Man

Have you checked positioning repeatability? If so what have your results been? We have experienced large variations in Z-axis particularly.

Thanks,

Z-axis can be tricky to ajust, as it is a master-slave motor configuration. Loads need to be balanced on both motors, but it is NOT a 50/50 percentage you want to acheve, the reason being that Y-axis goes beyond the work envelope when making tool changes. Maintinence manual may have some data, local tech center as well, and it's a free call. Heads up to all, don't hesitate to call your local tech centers with questions, it's a free call like I said, and may save a world of hurt down the road! Good luck, and keep us posted. Thanks.

E Man
Mazak123
Either of you have contact info for Martin Rodrick's company? I could not find him on google.
E Man what software are you using for programming your e-machines?
Would very much like to discuss as we are in the boonies.
Please email me at toolcribtag@yahoo.com

Try http://www.globalindsolutions.com/ We are using Esprit with Solid works. When you say We have experienced large variations in Z-axis particularly, how much is large variations and do you see it in turning and milling?

E Man
Thanks for the link
Variations of +/-.002" in both milling and turning tools. Seems to happen at random.

Do you have the thermal comp running? It's TDC software, should be running in the backround. Also, is the machine close to a thermally unstable area, ie: overhead shipping doors, heating or AC ductwork, etc. These machines should be tighter in repeatability then you guys are indicating.

bobsmith66
Hi Bobsmith.
Did you ever sort out your C-axis problems ?
Our e1850V is still giving us problems. It goes out by 10 degs every now and then.
To fix it we set home psoition parameter to zero , then back to what the numbers was already. Home return C and it comes right. ( even though the parameter number is back to what it was when it went wrong ).

By home position parameter are you referring to M16? If this is the parameter you are changing, then that is the explanation of why C-axis occasionally goes out. M16 is a grid shift parameter, not a home position parameter. NEVER change this parameter on a rotary axis. C-Axis has an absolute encoder so there is no need to change this parameter. You are most likely jumping a grid because your axis has to have 360 degrees and be able to go back to zero when it homes. This is taking into account the pitch error compensations. This is why M16 is set in the factory and should never be changed. If you need to set C-Axis home position, there is a procedure but it involves turning off the absolute encoder with SV parameters, Homing the machine, then turning the absolute encoder back on.