I am going to keep researching this but I could use some help figuring this issue out. Thanks ahead of time.
Here we go, today I turned on MASSO, homed the machine, machine jogged to Tool Setter touched and lifted. Normal action. I then installed the first tool for the job, re-homed, and Z touched the tool setter, then using the Touch Probe found X,Y,Z. I loaded my tool path for a lengthy carve. Hit rewind, cycle start and began carve. All is normal. About 1 hour later my Elite Journeyman came to a stop for a tool change. I changed the tool, hit cycle start, the machine lifted Z and jogged to the tool setter, touched it and went back to the carve. About 3 hours later the machine stopped for a tool change, I changed the tool and the machine jogged to the tool setter, Z headed down but stopped about 1/4 inch from the “button” and a motor alarm appeared. I then powered down, restarted, tried homing, the machine went to home and jogged to the tool setter, Z started down but again stopped about 1/4 inch from the “button” and caused a motor alarm. I started over again.
My thoughts were the Tool Setter so I disabled it and tried the failed tool path alone again without the tool setter by just homing and then using the touch probe for X, Y, and Z. I loaded the tool path (a texturing tool path) hit rewind, then cycle start. The machine went to the start point and plunged way to deep, almost through the project, I hit the E-stop.
Thinking now it might be the tool path, so I removed the project and tried a different carve, a simple circle, square, re-using the tool setter and then the touch probe, same results as above, a motor alarm. All motor alarms were on the Z axis.
I tried jogging the machine to all X, Y, and Z limits, all worked fine. I tried cleaning all contacts around the Z axis. After a bunch of tries doing different troubleshooting ideas, I got the machine to act normal at start up. ie: turn on MASSO, home machine, the machine jogs to the tool setter, goes down and touches the “button” and pops up. No problem. But when I load a tool path, I get the z axis motor alarm when the Z drops to the tool setter and stops about 1/4 inch from the “button”.
I know, pretty lengthy explanation, I tried to get as detailed as possible. Any thoughts or comments would be appreciated. Yup, I am pretty new at this but have had pretty good success. This one has me stumped.
Thank you
Good thorough explaination.
Does the machine have sufficient travel to reach the tool setter? If the bit in question is very short, the machine might reach it’s limit of travel before touching the probe.
At all times, are you making sure that the tool loaded in router/spindle matches the tool indicated on the Masso screen? When you remove a bit, and insert another, you need to do so by using the MDI command. T?M06.
When you see the bit plunge way into the material suggests you are just changing the bit willy nilly, without telling Masso with bit is in the collet.
Also worth checking if the Z-axis has an obstruction. Inspect the ball screw and Z-axis rails for a chunk of woods, other obstruction, or some kind of interference with part of the carriage assembly. Maybe a dust collector clamp or zip tie or something is getting pintvhed and stopping the machine from travelling fully. Jog the Zaxis up and all the way down to confirm is can move to it’s limits.
Not quite sure what the MDI command is, but this could lead me somewhere, thank you very much I’ll search it out.
MDI = Manual Data Input
There is a button on the Masso to open the MDI screen.
It’s a place you can manually enter G-Code instructions for the machine to follow one instruction at a time.
It’s very handy for making the machine do simple tasks, like a tool change, or move to a specific location.
researching this and found it on the Masso web site, thank you
Hey MikeXYZ, I just found that settings in Masso may have changed during the original carve, in that the tool placement in the spindle chuck can be to high. This never happened in the past. My tool setter is mounted on the QCW frame. The Z position is not set according to 1F. Any thoughts what could have changed?
I don’t think I understand what your saying.
Just a quick check - your not messing around with G54, G55, G56…etc…?
If your not sure what I’m talking about, then it’s likely your not changing that.
Feel free to send me a pm, and I’ll send my contact info so we can get a facebook chat going.
I’ll try PM you. No I’m not messing with the G54,G56 etc settings. In one of your posts you mentioned perhaps the tool was set to high in the spindle. I checked this and pulled the tool that was chucked down. Things appeared to work. In the past this was never an issue. Check you PM