Weighting factors for tool life and tool life distance ((V.TLM)

The NC program can change the weighting of tool life values. The changeable factors are used to adapt tool life data recording to tool use.

If every tool change is initiated by the T or D command (see P-CHAN-00482), the complete tool ID, the service life and the service distance are sent to the tool management automatically. All parameters are then zeroed and tool life data recording is enabled for the new tool substituted.

The following two decoder variables are used to program the weighting factors of service life and service distance (access is not synchronous with real time):

The variables can be read and written. Both factors are 100% at program start. Both variables may be written in an NC block.

Example

A tool that is always in contact should be weighted with a factor of 100%. However, if material is only removed along half the motion path, a weighting factor of 0.5 can be included in the calculation. The default value of the weighting factors of service time and service distance is 1.0.

Acquisition conditions:

• Rapid traverse blocks are not included in tool life acquisition.
• Tool life acquisition is stopped at a feedrate of zero.
• With the exception of rapid traverse interpolation, all motion types are included in tool life acquisition. For example, G01, G02, G03, spline interpolation and G63 are included.
• The weighting factors are included in the calculation.
• A distinction is not made between main and tracking axes for axes participating in the motion. The path feedrate is always used to add up the distance. In the case of tracking axes programmed on their own in the block, the path covered by the tracking axis is added to the service distance. If this is not desired, the programmer can correct it by specifying the weighting factors V.TLM.TIME_FACT/DIST_FACT = 0.
• Active master/slave arrangements are not taken into account.
• In the case of a reset or program abort, the last current values are also saved to the database of the tool management function.
• If only substitution occurs, i.e. no tool was previously in the work spindle and the current T number is zero, no data is sent.
• Tool data is only sent if a tool management system is actually present (P-CHAN-00016).