Indexer PP issue

[bobmann]

This is a problem since day 1.
Desktop Max, 6" indexer purchased a couple months ago. Newest version of gearmotor.
FWIW, the instructions to set the step value is wrong in the install instructions. SB calls for 40, which is the old gearbox, but the actual should be 83.3333

When a program is called up, the A & B location changes. The indexer also rotates to match the value.
This pretty much looses the registration, and if makes carving with a rough pass and follow with a finish pass pretty much impossible.
No matter what number is in the Z value, the B will rotate to match.
If the Z is at zero when I start the program, the B rotates to .5 which is the value for Z safe.
Anyone else have this issue?
It is hard to believe that I am the only one.
If you had this issue but fixed it, what was the fix?

Shopbot support has been working on this for 4 weeks now. They think it is in the post processor. Hopefully they will get it sorted out.

[srwtlc]

If the problem happens where your video shows, it's not the post processor, it's their own manual tool change file that is causing it (MTC.spb). Z, A , and B are all being told to go to &safeZ, which is %28, which is the safe Z set in SB3. If they have a machine there that has an indexer on it, it shouldn't take four weeks to figure it out. I don't have an indexer or SB3 anymore so going by your video, that's all I've got. Should be some other indexer users on here to help out.

[coryatjohn]

What do you have as the "home" point for the cut file? If the central axis (the one that doesn't move) home coordinate isn't at zero, then weird stuff happens with the rotational axis.

Why are you using both A and B axis? When I use the indexer, the B axis is always zero. Only the A axis (the indexer) has values that change.

[MogulTx]

I do not know why your PP is "MTC"... is that necessary? I use SB Arc inch PP even when I am using my indexer. And the 5th axis should NOT be getting any move signal (B axis) unless your machine actually has a 5th axis. Potential solution: Check to see if you can resave with a different PP?

[srwtlc]

MTC.sbp is ShopBot's manual toolchange script. It is being called up by the actual part file (schwank.sbp) with C9. You could try commenting out the C9 if you have your tool in and zeroed already. That will skip the MTC.sbp.

I see in a preview mode, that if you have 5 axis enabled in VD (values display) that the red position screen has a choice for "indexer" or "5th axis".

[bobmann]

What do you have as the "home" point for the cut file? If the central axis (the one that doesn't move) home coordinate isn't at zero, then weird stuff happens with the rotational axis.

Why are you using both A and B axis? When I use the indexer, the B axis is always zero. Only the A axis (the indexer) has values that change.

There is no option to select either the A or B.
When I change from 3 to 5 axis as the instructions dictate, both A and B show up.
According to Tech, the A is not used.

Not sure what you are referring to as home for the cut file.
I set all 3 axis to zero before I initiate the program, and as you can see it changes itself.
In this case, I have a point on the machine where I zero the Z, then move it to my Z axis zero point that is a known distance from the fixed point on my machine, then re-zero the Z so that Z Zero is on the center axis.
Reason I used the axis instead of material surface is because my stock varies in diameter.
Note that this happens even when I zero to material surface.
Note that the A and B will set themselves to whatever the Z happens to be. The .5 that it goes to happens to be the safe Z that the software is set to. If the Z happens to be 2 inches, for example, the AB will change to 2 inches.
I installed the PP from a non-tool change machine given to me by the tech and that did not fix the issue.

Another note...when I have the control software set to 3 axis, the Z will still retract random distances when the program is initialized.

[bobmann]

My red window does not have those check boxes, it is just as you see it in the video, even when there is no program called up.
I do have the value set at 5 axis.

The PP has the C9 command at the start of the file and again at the tool change.
I assume I eliminate them both?

Since I do not have a tool changer, at a tool change presently the program asks to change the tool manually and allows me to zero the new tool before proceeding.
Will eliminating C9 mean that I no longer can use multiple tools in a part program?

[bobmann]

Thanks, I am just repeating what the Tech at Shopbot told me.
They sent me a PP that was supposed to be for a machine without a tool changer, but it did not change the problem, the program still did like the video showed.
What this PP did do, however, was to make it impossible to have more than one tool in my program, so I will have to have a separate part program for every tool.

Closer to 6 weeks now.

[coryatjohn]

>> Not sure what you are referring to as home for the cut file.

What do you have set as the start/home position in the material settings? If you're moving off the 0 point for the indexer, then the rotary axis will do bizarre things.

Post your cut file if you still don't know what I'm asking.

[bobmann]

>> Not sure what you are referring to as home for the cut file.

What do you have set as the start/home position in the material settings? If you're moving off the 0 point for the indexer, then the rotary axis will do bizarre things.

Post your cut file if you still don't know what I'm asking.

Thanks for responding.
I set the X,Y at zero (use the "Zero Axis box)
The Z in the cut file is the axis, so the Z has to be up high before I can load a part or initiate the program.
I created a new video, see if this helps.
Note also, even though this program had not been run before, and there is no run log, I was not asked if the proper tool was in place.