Hello I have two 4896 pro machines, last night one of them started making a hi pitch sound during rapids that sounds like a classic squeaking wheel. I stopped the machine and greased all the trucks and continued on. Today the squeak has come back. I grease the machine every 20 days, I have alexa remind me so it does get regular grease. I shook the machine and nothing was loose . could this be a truck going bad? anyone else experience this? machine is right at two years old with moderate use.
How often do you use the consumables package from AvidCNC?
I think they call it their “spare parts bundle” buts it’s a 6 mo to 1 yr replacement parts for the pinion gear, belts and bearings.
I am way over due myself.
I have the kit thats has two linear bearings belts and such. I have not had a need to use it cause everything was tight and running smooth. Since my original post I have found a rough spot on the linear rail on rt side of machine. I suspect this is the problem side. For some reason I found it very heard to locate the side that the squeak was coming from, I know that sounds strange but true. This machine is set to be extended to 10 foot. I received all the parts to do the extension. It looks like I’ll need a new section of rail. I wonder if this is a warranty item… lol
I do not know the definition of “tight and smooth” or what you are gauging that on. What I do is I have a minimum of wear on the pinion gear before I start maintenance. My tolerance for wear in seeing a notable step where the gear engages the rack as compared to where the gear is pristine.
During maintenance I set the gantry in the middle of the machine. I support the gantry with my crane (safety). After replacing the pinion gear I remove one bearing block at a time and I race it back and forth on the rail with my fingers and judge it by that motion. When it feels and sounds crunchy, replace it. If its good, I remount it before taking the other one off and repeating the process.
I am very picky about this. The worn pinion means your accuracy has gone in the toilet. The worn out bearings can damage your rails. If you have a PRO60120 machine like I do, those rails are 11.75 feet of hard to ship and very expensive carbon steel.
Sounds like you need to do your required maintenance routine.
PS. Check for rust too. Unused or lightly used machines will rust pretty darn quick. Everything else is all aluminum so its easy to forget the linear rails are exposed steel. The rust will look like squiggly lines and not the big patches of flaky red that you thing when you here the word.
I missed that last part.
12 month replacement is for moderate use machines. I replace just about every 6 months or less. Heavy usage can see those pinion gears gone in about 3 months depending on how aggressive you make your cuts.
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Thanks for a great reply. I was wondering how I was going determine how much wear the gears have, but you explained it perfectly. Thanks for that. Up date on the rough spot on the rail, it turned out to be epoxy resin. I was able to scrape it off with an exacto knife. The sound is still there on rapid movements so maybe the bearings are contaminated. Thanks again for the help Subnoize!
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