CNC Bender ProControl 10-20070330

REVISION Information

10-20070330, March 30, 2007

REPAIRED: Pressure Die Boost Issue

The Degrees from Goal value was acting as if it were the Degrees from Start value. This has been repaired.

NEW: Servo Module Programmable Switch Logic is now Controllable

CNC Bender now allows users to enter the User Interface tab menu in the Low Level menu.

The I2T servo cards used on CNC Bender systems have a feature called "Programmable Limit Switch". A programmable limit switch is controlled by two positions along or around an axis. The first position is the LOW and the second position is the HIGH. The low and high values are floating point values. There are eight programmable limit switches per servo axis. The first use of this feature is the Tube-Support Up/Down setting. See the Tube-Support Location section for an example and details for how to use the programmable limit switch values.

NEW: Tube Support Location is now Programmable

The tube-support up/down location relative to the Feed axis can now be changed at the CNC Bender operator station. It is changed in the InitAxes processlist in the Low Level menu. Every time the axes are initialized, CNC Bender sets this value. It can be changed by adjusting the COMDEF line: FeedAxisPLS5 = LSL0:0, LSU0:1500

The LSL parameter is reserved for the Limit Switch Lower value. This is where the output for the tube support switches to active. The appropriate value is usually a Feed axis value of 0 units (millimeters). The LSU parameter is reserved for the Limit Switch Upper value. The appropriate value is the position to control at which forward feed position the tube support begins to drop. The value is always indicated in millimeters. Floating point values are allowed. The integer value after the LSL or LSU indicates the index position of the CIO inside the COMDEF. In this case, the index is 0, which is the first position in the list of CIO objects.

The CIO object is a SERVO MODULE COMMAND. The Modbus OpCode for setting programmable limit switches is 2013 for the first axis in a card, and 2014 for the second axis in a card. See the CIO library's "FeedAxisPLS5" CIO object to see how to setup a new CIO that an address any programmable limit switch. The first word value controls which output to address:

Word 1 value...
- is 0 to set output 1
- is 1 to set output 2
- is 2 to set output 3
- is 3 to set output 4
- is 4 to set output 5
- is 5 to set output 6
- is 6 to set output 7
- is 7 to set output 8

Words 2 and 3 are set aside for the low value. The LSL parameter stuffs values into these two words in a process list line. Words 4 and 5 are set aside for the high value The LSU parameter stuffs values into these two words in a process list line.

The programmable limit switch values can be monitored using the I2T Module Interface software. Use the Programmable Limit Switches feature.

NEW: Feed-Bend Motion Adjust Percent For EACH Radius Level

This feature was available as a single value for all bend radius levels. Now a unique Feed-Bend Motion Adjust Percent for each radius level is available. This will allow for different elongation on the different dies on the same job. These new options are in the Overall Bending Options menu of the BENDING tab menu.

Feed-Bend Motion Adjust % Floating Point Value
Using a Value of ZERO	A value of ZERO will cause no adjustment in the Feed motion during Feed Bending.
Using a Value BELOW ZERO	For example, enter -5 (negative 5) to adjust the Feed motion during Feed bending by negative 5 percent. Use this value will accomodate for... Extreme elongation that cause the Feed axis to jump after the motion is complete and the bend dies open. (Larger/stiffer tubes) Bowing of the smaller diameter tubes. Decreasing the value too much will likely cause the tube to pull from the chuck.
Using a Value of ABOVE ZERO	For example, enter 5 (positive 5) to move 5 percent further during Feed Bending.. Increasing the value too much will cause the Feed to attempt to press further for final position, not allowing it to come into position.

NEW: Radius Level Selection Dialog

This feature makes it easier to switch bend radius levels in the MANUAL page.

NEW: SetDefaultJogSpeeds now Receives Velocity Parameters

The SetDefaultJogSpeeds command controls the DIRECT AXIS JOG SPEEDS for the MANUAL page. Before this version the SetDefaultJogSpeeds COMDEF could not take in parameters. All values were only controllable in the CIO Dictionary setup software. Now, the value can be adjusted in the InitAxes Run tab in the Low Level menu. The axis speeds are addressed in order of axis number, Feed, Rotate, Bend, Horizontal Shift:

SetDefaultJogSpeeds = vel0:75, vel1:20, vel2:5, vel3:50

Note: Sending parameters to any jog speed COMDEF BEFORE this version of CNC Bender will cause an error.

ENHANCED: CNC Processor Log Much Faster

The processor log in the Processor menu of CNC Bender was optimized to be several times faster than previous version logs. This removes a potential bottleneck jam for information being passed from CNC Processor to CNC Bender.

NEW: Added the COMDEF/CIO Tab Menu in Low Level

This new menu allows operators to quickly load either the COMDEF or CIO dictionary editors from within CNC Bender.

NEW: Automatic Shutdown for BENDER SYSTEM

A new Automatic Shutdown process is initiated when a loss of TCP/IP connection to any top hat module around the bender is discovered. This allows for a much-improved and smoother bender shutdown process.

OLD SHUTDOWN PROCESS	The older process required that Windows be turned off using the Start menu. Then the operator opened the back of the operator station to switch the station be opened and the MinuteMan MN350 powered down.
NEW SHUTDOWN PROCESS for CNC BENDER	The shutdown new process is much easier... Press the E-stop on the operator station. Power down the bender. CNC Bender will sense a loss of TCP/IP communication and propose a shutdown in 15 seconds. (This shutdown can be overridden by the operator if he decides to stop the shutdown of CNC Bender.) The CNC Bender UPS (inside the operator station) will initiate Windows shutdown after 60 seconds of loss of power. (This has been verified for both Windows 2000 and Windows XP) The CNC Bender UPS will power down 90 seconds after Windows was shutdown. (Total shutdown time: Approximately 3 minutes)
Replacement of "Auto Heal"	The AUTO HEAL process was designed to attempt to re-connect any lost TCP/IP connection between the operator station and the various modules around the bender. This feature had only limited benefit, so it was replaced by the AUTO SHUTDOWN feature that senses if the bender power has been shutdown at the electronics enclosure.
Setup of MinuteMan PowerCenter Software	RECOMMENDED SETTINGS FOR POWERCENTER Software Shutdown Windows in 60 seconds Begin verbal warning in 30 seconds Repeat verbal warning every 10 seconds

NEW: User Interface SKINS

CNC Bender now allows users to enter the User Interface tab menu in the Low Level menu.

1. Enter the Low Level menu
2. Choose the User Interface menu
3. Choose a skin name from the skin list (Click on the image at the right to see the list of skins)

This shows three examples of different skins in CNC Bender ProControl:

REPAIRED: Pressure Die Boost Inhibit Zones Logic for Multi-Bending

The multi-bending feature allows for retracting the pressure die multiple times during one bend. The pressure die inhibit zone logic would not always work correctly when the multi-bending feature was enabled. This a logic issue has been repaired.

NEW: CNC Bender Speed Control Redesigned

The new CNC Bender speed control is designed to be easier to use than the older spin buttons. This fixes the issue of operators having difficulty pressing the up-down arrows to control the speed.

NEW: Dynamic Options Redraw Redesign

The Dynamic Options controls have been redesigned so that they no longer flash on the screen when moving the option selection up or down in the Dynamic Options list.

REPAIR: Axis Monitor Dialog Display

The Axis Monitor dialog no longer displays and freezes on the screen at CNC Bender startup.

NEW: PreCommands for LOAD or START

These new Dynamic Options allow operators to enable a custom COMDEF (Command Definition) before either the Load Position or the Start Position moves in the Process List for bending. Use this feature to enable/disable actuators just before either of these moves occur in the Process List.

User-Definable and therefore Flexible

Because these reference general COMDEF files (PreCommand_LoadPosition and PreCommand_StartPosition) the motion or action that these PreCommands perform can be adjusted to fit the application by anyone familiar with using the COMDEF.exe and CIO.exe programs.

For example, it would take only a few minutes to reconfigure CNC Bender to actuate several new outputs, then watch for any number of inputs in either of these COMDEF commands. No new programming from Advanced Tubular is required to adjust these commands.

PreCommand Load Position Enable / Disable	Enable this option to insert the PreCommand_LoadPosition COMDEF in the process list immediately before the Feed axis move to Load position command is issued in the list. The PreCommand_LoadPosition command can be modified to activate/deactivate custom actuators immediately before the carriage is moved to the Load position.
PreCommand Start Position Enable / Disable	Enable this option to insert the PreCommand_StartPosition COMDEF in the process list immediately before the Feed axis move to Start position command is issued in the list. The PreCommand_StartPosition command can be modified to activate/deactivate custom actuators immediately before the carriage is moved to the Start position.