Schiz Mirac

[welpeur]

Further to previous post, the Mirac has just gone bananas.

It happily did some repeat tasks earlier. Changed jobs, started programming and it started behaving very oddly, including getting stuck in jog mode in feed direction. It started generating errors on simple code and the after giving up, turn off/ on it is now refusing to allow me to set work offsets (and has deleted all existing or default - not sure what they are - offsets). If I try and set an offset, it still displays the program offset same as machine offset.

Any help appreciated...

[Denford Admin]

Is it connected via rs232 or USB ?
Getting stuck in jog mode sounds i bit like an RS232 issue where the command to stop isn't sent properly.Or the software gets stuck because it's waiting for a reply from the machine.
What kind of errors where you getting on simple codes? Were they timeouts ?

Re the offsets, I'd try uninstalling and reinstalling the VR Turning software (make a note of any tool offsets you have set though)

[welpeur]

Thanks for the advice on this and my other post. We have finally managed to install the up to date VR Turning software and have had the machine running.

Most problems seem to have been resolved as a result. However, there are still a couple of issues.

Firstly, the machine really is not comfortable with G96 and G99. It will recognise them the first time around but then refuses to recognise cancellations even when a program is rqound and run again or used in jog mode. I gave up trying to resolve this and decided to just use fixed rpm's and feed rates per minute for now.

Second, and most importantly immediately, I was using it earlier, running a program which I stopped. Jogged away from the job to change tools and the machine decided it was in e-stop. Nothing I have tried
(pushing and releasing e-stop button, manually winding the axes, switching on and off etc) will get the machine to reset and it refuses to do anything and just keeps returning the message machine unsafe - homing aborted - either release e-stop (which is released) or close guard (which is closed). The euro card obviously is perma-stuck on S...

[Denford Admin]

It does sound like a loose wire / or faulty contact in the e.stop to the control.
You need to check that the emergency input to the Baldor control is changing state when you press and release the emergency stop button.
There should be 5V on the input when in estop and 0V when out of estop (the inputs are 'sync'ed to ground to activate it)

G96 and G99 are used quite a lot here without any reported problems.
Post an example program and we can investigate why M30 or going into jog isn't clearing the modes once set...

[welpeur]

Thanks for your reply. I'm not sure what the Baldor control is..the machine is running off a PC and keboard as the desktop tutor panel didnt work. There is a control panel with a feed and spindle override, e-stop, reset button which does nothing and an axis limit over-ride which may or may not do anything.

I'm not sure how to check the e-stop..if i hit the button then it does activate something as the guard lock makes a clunk....

[Denford Admin]

Have you got the original drawings for the machine ?
I'm not sure how this machine is running VR Turning if it's from 1996 - it must have been upgraded at some point.
Can you post a photo of the inside of the cabinet and especially the Baldor which is shown in the top document here:
Machine and control upgrade guide: viewtopic.php?t=116

[welpeur]

The machine we bought was
Serial No: 61011C
Eurocard
WIN98SE
VR Turning 1.2.2.222

Further to a whole host of issues and following the instructions (from Admin on previous post) we installed the latest version of VR Turning by copying over the FLASH and we used a different PC running Windows XP as the hard drive on the existing box corrupted in the process.

The install of the new software was this last weekend and it corrected many of the other problems we had been experiencing until this E-stop issue...

Attached 5 pics of the internals...

[Martin]

Is there a limit switch overide button near the Emergency Stop Push Button?
If there is press & hold it in & then try to home the machine. Keep it pressed until both axis are homed.

If it's still not playing then try removing & shorting out the contact on the back of the Emergency Stop Button.

Does the ESR (emergency stop relay) energize when the button is released?

[welpeur]

Hi..I'm not sure what's going on, I've posted a reply 3 times but it never shows..here goes again...

Thanks very much for your help again. For the record, the axis limit override trick worked.
I am worried it will happen again randomly but at least there is a solution.

So all good. Whirring happily away for a couple of days. Then....

Monday morning, switch on, connect to CNC machine from VR Turning, home machine, reopen spindle warm up program and .... the program runs but the spindle doesn't budge!

I've tried everything, machine on/ off, trying to start spindle in jog but nothing. The machine thinks the spindle is running, Eurocard reads 8 but there is absolutely no movement.

Help!

[Martin]

Check fuse F5 (Top left hand corner) & for 240volts ac on wires N & 4 going in to the spindle drive. I think that you should see a red led on the drive if it is powered up. Compare it with the spindle drive to check.

I have attached the power schematic.

[angel-tech]

give the spindle relay ( SGR ) a good push to make sure it's fully in.

[welpeur]

Thanks guys. I just turned it on to try your advice and amazingly, it's decided to work today!