[EricMFG]

Hi All,

I have an old 1986 Hitachi Seiki Hi-TEC TURN HT20 that is great shape runs perfect. I'm amazed with how well the machine was built and holds tenths all day.

Ok so for the problem I'm having,
Currently I’m programming the machine with Mastercam instead of programming at the NC so basically I download a program touch off the tools with the tool probe then set the part zero everything is fine, when I move on to the next job download the new program I have to re-touch off all the common tooling just used for the previous job otherwise all the tools are way off in limbo. Is the machine in incremental if so how do I fix it?

Thanks In Advance,
Eric

[shas595]

Eric,

you shouldn't have to do this, I will try to help you out. What is the control, is it a Seicos LII or a Yasnac LX2 or LX3?

John

[EricMFG]

Hi John,

Thanks for the reply and help. The machine has Yaskawa LX2 Controls.

[Sierra Nevada]

I am in Los Angeles, and I have a HT-20 with a seikos control that I bought as is and have never used. The machine powers up and does all the computer checks, I can even use the gui. I have two alarms 323 and 310. I have done some research and some forum posts say to change a certain parameter from a 0 to a 1. So I understand that bit. The question is how do I change a parameter in this control and how do I find someone to show me the control and how to use the machine?

[EricMFG]

Hi,

The lathe is a great little machine. A contact I have is Jeff he purchased all the service parts and service documentation from Hitachi Seiki when the machines were manufactured here in the USA also, I think he once worked for Hitachi Seiki. The machine I have has a Yaskawa LX2 Control so can't help you much with the control side. It's odd that the machine has been around for 27 years and you need to adjust parameters, one would think all parameters are where they need to be after 27 years.

A couple of tips
If your control is anything like mine (Yaskawa LX2) and you program with cam software there is certain charters the machine will freeze up on. I'm not a 100% sure what charters they are but I delete most of the tool description text and then all is fine. If you have an RS232 set your buad rate to 1200 most are preset to 48000.

Email: [email protected]
Web: CyberCNC - Hitachi Seiki Parts

[shas595]

Eric,

Jeff and Cyber are a great resource, I have known him for a while now. Is your machine still having the issue?
John

[EricMFG]

Hi,

Jeff is a nice guy and has helped me a couple of times and I had some long conversations over the phone with him. Jeff talked me through the procedure on re-aligning the turret over the phone. Other machine tool techs wanted $1000 to fix my machine Jeff saved me $1000 and to re-align the turret took all of 20 minutes. I crashed my machine lightly, all was fine until the a cut ran out of insert and feed the heal of the boring bar into the part. That little Hitachi Seiki bent a 5/8 bar into a S shape without slowing down one bit. The crash was due to fat fingering a tool offset.

I'm still having the problem with tools off in limbo when jumping from program to program. I'm pretty sure the machine doesn't need tools to be touched off when jumping programs so not sure what the problem is unless the machine is in incremental or something?