[Wayne S]

Hi,

Our small machine shop recently acquired a used SuperMax lathe (Fanuc 18T) and I've been tasked with getting it going. Had little problem overcoming initial alarms and getting it to communicate with our PC via Predator Editor. But when our machine operator with experience on SuperMax lathes went to use it other problems became apparent.

Looking to enter workpiece coordinates and where the work softkey ought to be there is an empty field ( ).
We can get to the separate work shift page (W SHIFT) but no place to enter G54, G56, G57, etc
Went looking through the parameters to see if something had to be enabled and found nothing obvious.

Also, we went to start it in AUTO, run a program, and it seems to automatically run a program that puts it through warm-up steps. Spindle CW, stop, CCW, stop, turret tool change, repeat, repeat.... Can't seem to start or switch to another program. Maybe we should have left the warm up finish all the way through but it was the end of day on Friday.

Any ideas?

Thanks,
Wayne

[Wayne S]

OK, did some poking around here and other places and see that G54-G59 is an option from Fanuc. Just to clarify --- I'm NOT looking for a parameter crack code, just need to make parts with this machine.

Our programming guy is not familiar with working without the G54 coordinate set. I've seen that without it they use G50 or G10. I found more info on the G10 but I'm not quite sure on it. Would also like to know more about using the G50.

Anybody with some tips or can point us to a primer on it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Wayne

[Wayne S]

Thank you to the member who PM'd me.

Think I got it mostly figured out... a case of it being so simple that I was making it hard by over thinking it. - I think...

Make sure to run a G50 X0 Z0 when the machine is in reference return home. Also no work shift values, zero out by menu or G10 X0 Y0. Absolute, reference, and machine values all equal.
Set tools. If tool face is origin, and it usually is, then the Z tool compensation values equal the machine offset when touched at zero. X tool comp = machine offset X value - measured diameter.
Don't worry about coordinate set beyond having ABS, REF, and machine equal (1st step) Use Z shift in menu or G10 to adjust all tools along Z.

Only real concern is a future time when machine is not G50 X0 Z0 at start up (or after a power blip) and false ABS numbers send it to a crash.
Sending it to reference home at the start of every part via the first lines of the program would be a lot of unnecessary machine travel.
So... is there a machine parameter to set that will prevent the absolute and reference values from departing from machine values at machine turn on?

Thanks,
Wayne