Hello Guest it is March 29, 2024, 11:17:21 AM

Poll

I am thinking of g-rexing this lathe advice please!

grex
1 (50%)
par port
1 (50%)

Total Members Voted: 2

Voting closed: September 03, 2006, 05:01:25 PM

Author Topic: hardinge hnc to retrofit  (Read 20810 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline fdos

*
  •  326 326
    • View Profile
Re: hardinge hnc to retrofit
« Reply #10 on: February 15, 2007, 07:15:06 PM »
Sorry can't help with the turret as they are quite different to the HXL turret.    Have you had the encoder working?    All I can remember is Brown wire is +5v and Black is 0v.   Maybe BCD output on those.  I lost my service manuals for those machines years ago.

Making chips eh?   Video it we want to see!


Good Luck

Wayne....
Re: hardinge hnc to retrofit
« Reply #11 on: February 16, 2007, 08:59:43 PM »
Hi Wayne,  I would love to see your macro all the same...I know how the turret encoder works and which wires and all that, but I don't know how to write macros
and I was wondering if  saw yours maybe it would be a good starting point...

the hnc encoder has 4 wires...and depending which one are on off tells your what position 

for example 0001 is turret position X....

the turret has a solenoid that lifts, and turns the turret, and another that stops the turn...

so, the macro lifts and starts turning and  looks for the comanded encoder position, 0001 for example,  when it sees that, it fires the stop ratchet thingy...(tech term) and stalls the air motor until you then tell it to drop the turret, and stop spinning....the magnet on the encoder is adjustable on it's shaft for timing adjustments...on the old control, there was a switch that would let you index the turret one position, but not drop the turret (so if your timing was off you would not hurt your turret by lowering in the wrong place)  finally there is a limit switch that tells you that the turret has dropped properly in place.

Sooooooo,  the macro needs to have the definitions for those 8 turret positions and when you command a T(x) it starts the turret index routine...(as far as I know so far)

anyway, would love if you would like to share...no hard feelings if it's private.....thanks, Roo

Hood

*
Re: hardinge hnc to retrofit
« Reply #12 on: February 17, 2007, 05:13:41 AM »
Roo
 I am in the same boat as you, I have a lathe with a rear turret and a front post and am using a PLC to control them. I have the ladder written for the PLC but the VB in the macro I am struggling with. I know exactly what I want to do but how to write that in VB has me puzzled, got myself a book on VB but I am even more puzzled now LOL.
 I have it so that if I type the T* into the MDI it will send the signal to the PLC to start the indexing, just dont know how to write it so that it waits for the correct tool signal, shuts down the PLC then goes on its merry way :D
Hood
« Last Edit: February 17, 2007, 05:17:04 AM by Hood »

Offline fdos

*
  •  326 326
    • View Profile
Re: hardinge hnc to retrofit
« Reply #13 on: February 19, 2007, 02:37:43 PM »
Roo.

Sorry don't have a macro for the HXL yet.   It's been a project stalled for a while!   Must try to make ammends though, as it's killing me seeing it stood idle while I'm working on the manual lathes next to it!

The HXL turret works in a completely different way anyway.   It's stop is fired before it's lifted and idexed.   The HXL turret is single direction and sequential.  Unlike yours which can go to any position in one cycle.   Ever seen a HNC lose an edcoder?  I have!   Helicopter rotor springs to ming LOL...

I do think though, that VB script may not be responsive enough to fire the stop in time.   You may have to spring for a PLC and a little ladder code to do what you require.  A PLC will have no trouble.

Wayne....

Hood

*
Re: hardinge hnc to retrofit
« Reply #14 on: February 19, 2007, 03:47:42 PM »
Well I  had a Eureeka moment whilst turning a few  1.25" Whitworth threads today,  how I never messed up the thread I dont know because all I was thinking about was VB LOL
I  have my Macro doing a bit more now :D
As Wayne says I think PLC will be needed unless the Galil can handle that side of things?
Hood
Re: hardinge hnc to retrofit
« Reply #15 on: February 20, 2007, 08:37:51 AM »
HI, Hood, Wayne...thanks for all the ideas...
I don't know if Mach is fast enough for the vb to do the turret stop...but I think it should be....my galil has 8 outputs and 8 inputs in the normal area, then 64 "extra" I/O that can be configured either as ins or outs...I don't think the the galil is any slower than a plc...I don't know if mach can do a script  that fast, though...?  there may be the poss. to have a "macro" running in the galil itself...?(galil has it's own language)

If I understand how the hnc turret works, it has sort of "ratchet" teeth to the stop mech, and I think that you have a pretty big time window between when you read the encoder position, and when you fire the stop...as I understand, it would keep turning as long as you are past the ratchet "tooth" for the position...before...also, the encoder hall effect magnet is adjustable relative to the encoder, so you can adjust when the encoder sends it's signal...

I understand that it works like this....

fire solenoid that lifts and turns (turret lifts and starts to turn)

look for commanded encoder position (4 wire digital signal...0001 for example)(for turret positions 1-8)

find signal....Fire stop solenoid...(turret keeps turning until ratchet engages at full stop)(stalls index air motor)

release lift and turn solenoid (stops air motor, drops turret) (need pause to make sure the turret has turned all the way to the stop)

find signal for turret in place limit switch

sooooooo, I guess the easy thing to try, is see if the vb script is fast enough..first...I just need to learn how to write one!
next I guess I would figure how to do the macro in the galil...(if need be)

well, thanks again...chime in if you have any thoughts on any of this...Roo
Re: hardinge hnc to retrofit
« Reply #16 on: July 27, 2007, 03:40:24 AM »
just posting to subribe to the thread.  I'm considering purchasing one of these and retrofiting it.  it's a lot more than $500 though.  is that a once in a lifetime find or do these pop up at all regularly at prices like that?
Re: hardinge hnc to retrofit
« Reply #17 on: July 27, 2007, 10:07:41 PM »
I found one for less then $500 locally.  Just keep looking.
Re: hardinge hnc to retrofit
« Reply #18 on: July 27, 2007, 10:23:15 PM »
Thanks, I will.  I want one of these to retrofit now.  If anyone has one they want to unload send me a message.

I found one for less then $500 locally. Just keep looking.

Offline drew

*
  •  79 79
    • View Profile
Re: hardinge hnc to retrofit
« Reply #19 on: October 19, 2007, 09:00:03 PM »
If you still need turret macro let me know. Mine works great!
Drew
If I had something important to say it would be here.