[slowtwitch]

Hello Folks, Being that I'm an old man, with piss poor eyesight I have a simple and probably dumb question...how are the tool retention clips on the ATC held in ????

Thanks!!!!!

pete

[arc8d-drmn]

There are 2 spring pins. Use a 1/8 punch and a hammer to tap them through your turret wheel. Do not tap them all the way through, just enough to get the clip out. Use a screwdriver to leverage them out. Sometimes they get stuck in the slot, sometimes they come right out. When you put the new ones in I would tap the clip in and then get one spring pin going. Then pivot the clip for the other spring pin. I would pull the whole turret wheel off. But you may not want to go through the turret wheel alignment... I would not want my hands in between the spindle and wheel... like if you were using TC,1...
if you take the wheel off all you need to do once you are ready to put it back on is get the bolts hand toght so the wheel has no slop in it but you can spin it freely. MANUALLY move the ATC into the spindle (oriented M19). Once the ATC is all the way toward the spindle you tighten the bolt closest to the spindle. Then push the ATC back into its home position. Now rotate turret 10 spots (if 21 tool) and do the same thing again. Manually move ATC to spindle and then tighten the bolt closest. Move ATC back to home. Now tighten the rest of the bolts in a star pattern. It is not that complicated, just time consuming. After you do it 100 times you get pretty fast.. lol

Manually moving the ATC into these positions is easier with the top cover off of the ATC where you have access to the swing arm... Alsoif your clips are worn more on one side than the other your cold start position for Z axis is off. You can either do the dime trick or set the CS with the turret wheel with a tool in the spindle... you basically move the turret in and out by hand right at the tool and the clip looking to see if both sides touch the tool at the same time. If it is a DC motor machine you must move the resolver, if it is AC brushless then you adjust the encoder offset for Z axis... hope this helps.

[slowtwitch]

Thank You !!!! I only have three to replace, right now. But, I think I'll replace all of them next year and I'll use your suggested method of removing the turret wheel. Again, thank you


pete