Tool Fork Is Empty

[RickCNC]

Hi all,
I started to run a new program and the spindle wouldn't pick the tool up, saying Tool Fork Is Empty,
so I shut it down and fired it back up and told it to grab tool 2 and it wouldn't pick it up, same error code, shut it down
again, fired back up and then it grabbed tool 2 so I measured it and then ran the program. I stopped the program after
a minute to make sure it was cutting all the through (laminate stencil), manually brought the Z up about half way and
then WINCNC says at the bottom right No Tool. It had lost memory of having tool 2 in there. It had also lost it's correct
Z height number in the 'home' position which normally reads something like Z 8.945 depending which tool is in there but read
Z 0.005. I manually put a tool in and brought it to the spoilboard and zeroed the Z but it won't pick up any tool.
I've shut the machine down and rebooted the computer with the same result, nothing.
Suggestions and help would be greatly appreciated. The machine is a 2013 CR-510 ATC.

[Ken Rychlik]

There could be a sensor in the spindle that tells the controller the toolholder is released. I don't think a tool fork has a sensor but if there is wiring to each tool fork, maybe it does. If the sensor (spindle tool released, or tool fork empty) is bad or the wiring from the sensor to the controller is bad, that could be your issue. Where are you located?

[RickCNC]

Hi Ken,
I'm in Atlanta. The tool forks do not have sensors.

[james mcgrew]

He means iSensor in Spindle

[RickCNC]

Right, I understood that part.

[Ken Rychlik]

You can always lie to the controller as a last resort. Look up the manual for the spindle and you can find the pin out's for testing the source. If you look at the ini file under the C/wincnc directory, you can see what bit and port it is watching on the inputs. Then in the drop down menu, you can watch the inputs while cycling that circuit. It could be the voltage fed to the sensors as well.