Tool Detection
The RapidChange ATC uses an infrared beam to check that each unload and load has worked. The IR sensor must be wired to an input on your Centroid controller and selected here.
The section is shown only for a magazine with IR tool detection. On a profile with more than one magazine, it shows the magazine selected in the Magazines card.
Chips
The chips in the section's header:
| Chip | Description |
|---|---|
| Enabled / Disabled | Turns tool detection on or off. While it is disabled, the section cannot be expanded. |
| Pre-Op Enabled / Pre-Op Disabled | Checks that the beam is clear before a tool change starts. Shown only while detection is enabled, and only on a profile with a single magazine. |
| Signal Normal / Signal Inverted | Signal Normal reads the input as on when the beam is clear. Signal Inverted reads it as on when the beam is blocked. |
Running the RapidChange ATC with tool detection disabled is not recommended in a regular workflow.
Fields
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Input | The controller input the IR sensor is wired to: Input 1 to Input 16. The default is Input 1. Inputs already used by the profile, such as a tool setter's, are disabled in the list. |
| Z Zone 1 Offset | How far below Z Position the zone 1 check is made. Default 3 mm. |
| Z Zone 1 | Read-only: Z Position minus Z Zone 1 Offset. |
| Z Zone 2 Offset | How far above Z Position the zone 2 check is made. Default 3 mm. |
| Z Zone 2 | Read-only: Z Position plus Z Zone 2 Offset. |
Each offset must be between 0 and 4 mm. The zones are measured from the Z Position of the magazine's first pocket in Pocket Positions. When you find a new Z Position, the zones follow it and keep their offsets.
More than one magazine
- The Input and the Signal Normal / Signal Inverted setting are shared: changing them on one magazine changes them on every magazine.
- The zone offsets belong to each magazine. A magazine added to an existing profile starts with tool detection disabled: enable it and set its offsets.
- The Pre-Op chip is not shown, and the beam is not checked before a tool change starts.
The Checks
| When | At | The beam must be | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| After an unload | Z Zone 1 | clear | The nut has come off the spindle. |
| After the first load strike | Z Zone 1 | blocked | A nut is on the spindle. |
| After the first load strike | Z Zone 2 | clear | The nut is fully threaded, not caught on a thread. |
If an unload check fails, the unload is retried once before you are asked to finish it by hand. If a load check fails, the tool change stops with a message such as "Tool 3 failed zone 2. Manually load tool 3 and cycle start to continue."
With Pre-Op Enabled, a tool change that starts with the beam blocked stops with "IR beam is not clear. Clear the obstruction and then cycle start to continue."
With tool detection Disabled, nothing is checked. Instead, the tool change stops after each unload and each load with a message such as "Confirm tool 3 loaded. Cycle Start to continue."
Detection Zones
Zone 1 is the lower detection zone. A properly loaded tool breaks the beam at this height, while an empty spindle does not.
Z Zone 1 has more freedom of position than Z Zone 2.
Zone 2 is the upper detection zone. A properly loaded tool clears the beam at this height, while a tool that failed to thread completely still breaks it.
Z Zone 2 has a small working range (2–3mm). If you see false failures when loading, the Z Zone 2 Offset may need adjustment.