Introduction to Tool Management (0:00-0:30)
0:00-0:31: “Hey, hey, welcome to another training video. Today we’re gonna talk about tool management and specifically how to do a manual tool change. Regardless if you have an auto tool change or manual tool change spindle, after your machine has been turned on and the start routine has been complete, we can now proceed with a manual tool change sequence. Now, traditionally you would move the machine manually towards the operator until the spindle is is close to yourself and then you would just simply change the tool manually. However, we have a quick go-to button”
Startup and Navigation (0:30-1:20)
0:29-1:12: “However, we have a quick go-to button that moves the machine directly to us, um, with a single touch. So lemme show you where that’s located. So here in the controller, after we’ve done a startup routine, we can go to any of the three workstations, uh, depending on the part that we’re trying to set up. Uh, for this demonstration, I’m just gonna go to the horizontal table. And then down here we have the four display screens and we’re gonna go and manage all the cutter controls under tool. Now here under the tool display screen, in the bottom right corner we have this button called M-T-C-X-Y zero. That stands for manual tool change XY zero. And if we click that, the machine will come directly to us”
1:19-1:22: “And we can see the machine moves the spindle right”
Manual Tool Change Sequence (1:20-2:50)
1:19-2:41: “And we can see the machine moves the spindle right to the operator very quickly. Um, and it’s easy reach, ready to perform a manual tool change sequence. Now if you have a manual tool change spindle, you’re gonna have two wrenches, a call, a call it nut, and the cutter that you need to put into the machine first we’ll need to install and connect the call it and call it nut together. And then that assembly will then be threaded directly onto the spindle shaft. And then last the cutter is inserted and tightened with the call it and call it nut. With an auto tool change spindle, we’re gonna have a clamp and release tool commands in the controller in order to get tool holders in and out of the spindle manually. Let me show you where that’s done right here in the controller. Now here in the same tool display screen, right next to the manual tool change button, we have a release tool and clamp tool buttons and we’ll be using those to finish the sequence. However, I wanna point out one thing up here in the top right corner, we have a number value and this represents the tool number that’s actually in the spindle. We can actually see here in the spindle there’s, there’s nothing there, which is why this is tool zero for an auto tool change system. So if we press release, That’s gonna open up the spindle so it’s ready to accept the tool holder.”
2:46-2:52: “So we can now insert a tool holder and simply press up, um, until the airflow cuts off.”
Auto Tool Change Sequence (2:50-4:20)
2:47-4:21: “and simply press up, um, until the airflow cuts off. And then we can press clamp tool. Now once a tool is secured in the spindle, it’s gonna ask us which tool number we want to assign this to. And for audit tool change we have uh, tool positions that can be for audit tool change situations. For example, here on the four by eight we have seven tool positions. So if I click on the number, I can change the number to be anything from one through seven if I want it to be in an audit tool change sequence. And technically if I went higher than that, let’s say eight through 12, that will be in a manual tool change sequence. We’ll discuss that in a later video. Now for this demonstration, I’m just gonna put it in tool number one and push enter. And now we’re gonna push play. And you can see it has assigned tool number one to the tool that’s in the spindle. Now this is very important for auto tool change systems because we tie the tool number to physical positions along the tool clips. For example, this is tool 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and seven. Now because we placed tool number one in the spindle, that means that if that cutter were to be put away automatically, it would drop it off in this tool position, this tool clip, because there’s already a tool in here, there will be a crash. So I need to make sure that the tool number that I assign in the spindle has an empty tool clip.”
Tool Assignment and Management (4:20-5:50)
4:17-5:52: “that I assign in the spindle has an empty tool clip. In order to put the tool away, I can either remove the tool manually, so now I have an empty position for the tool number one cutter that’s in the spindle. Or when I’m inputting the tool number. When I’m doing a manual tool change, I could have inputted an empty tool clip number in this case 1, 2, 3, tool number four I could have used and this would already be empty for that tool number. Now for manual tool change spindles, you won’t need to press the clamp and release buttons that are in the controller in order to get your tools in and out. That’s because we don’t have tool holders In a manual tool change system, uh, you’re simply gonna use the dual wrenches to loosen up and tighten uh, tools in and out of the spindle. This means that whatever tool number is actually in the controller, that tool number is gonna be passed to whatever tool that you are physically putting into the spindle. For example, if we look in the controller under our tool display screen, um, the tool number that’s assigned for this cutter is tool number one. So if we perform a manual tool change here with the manual tool change spindle and switch it, let’s say from a V cutter to a surfacing cutter, this tool number won’t change in the controller. It’ll still be assigned to tool number one. So let’s try this manual tool change one more time for this auto tool change spindle. Except this time there’s already a cutter in the spindle. So if we go to our controller, we can already see here in the tool display screen.”
Final Remarks and Support (5:50-7:00)
5:49-7:01: “we can already see here in the tool display screen. If we did press manual tool change XY zero, it would if it wasn’t any other position moved to where we need to be. But we are now ready to release the tool. Now again, if I press this, it’s going to drop that cutter. So I need to grasp the tool and then press tool release, insert the tool till the air cuts off and then clamp tool. And again, I can sign this to any tool number. If I change the tool number, let’s say I have an empty slot on my tool rack of tool one or four, I’m gonna put this in tool number four and enter push play to finish the sequence. And now the tool that’s in the spindle is assigned to tool number four. I hope this clarified any confusion when it comes to changing out your tool manually for either an auto tool change or a manual tool change spindle. If you do have any questions, you can always bring them to the Tuesday night workshop classes”
