Okay, ATC and aux box are installed. New profile manager, machine profile, and license updated. Machine set up step by step in the Acorn Wizard. All ready to go!
No air pressure shown on the aux box pressure display and the red light on the AV40S does not illuminate. Checked wires and plugs then DUH! Reset the E-Stop switch. All is well.
Now the problem is that when I try to maneuver the axis’ closer to home to home the machine, x and y move with the pendant as usual. I engaged the home button and while the screen says “finding Z” and the machine coordinates for z is counting up with a 302 code that says “moving”. The problem is that z is not moving at all. When I try to move z down with the pendant, I hear the brake releasing and the machine coordinates shows it moving down, but z is not moving. If I try to move the z up with the pendant it instantly causes a drive fault. The z sensor is clear and I can trip it with a wrench.
I did upgrade the moving plate as part of the mechanical install to accommodate the TBOS sensor and air blast nozzles. The z worked fine prior to that, and I haven’t used the machine since installing that. Is there something in the install of the moving plate that may have caused the z to bind or something? I ask this as someone raised a question about the small horizontal plastic parts on the back of the old moving plate. I didn’t see anything in the instructions about transferring them to the new plate and I didn’t do so. I was just looking for some ideas prior to disassembling the laser and spindle to investigate. This is assuming that it’s somehow mechanically stuck.
Any thoughts or troubleshooting ideas would be greatly appreciated.
That’s the funny thing. When I click the pendant upwards just one click, I get a drive fault and the brake re-engages. When I turn the pendant down everything seems normal but the z axis doesn’t move at all. Even though the machine coordinates on the screen show it lowering.
No worries. Appreciate you jumping in and trying to help. I have no doubt it’s a result of some boneheaded mistake I’ve made somewhere along the way. It’s all part of the fun and troubleshooting is a great learning opportunity. Like resetting the E-Stop when things aren’t working right!
i think I’ll pull the spindle in the morning as well as the moving plate then try it out and see if I can see a problem. Then put it back together while testing along the way.
It’s actually the opposite, if the Z is binding you’d get an immediate drive fault because the machine is trying to go somewhere but it can’t so if faults.
@Pertech sounds like something is stuck in your Z axis, I am not sure what but if it worked before the upgrade and doesn’t now I’d go back through ever step you did to see if anything got missed…
If the two wires that connect to the break at the bottom of the z are loosely connected and not making a solid contact could give you some troubles. You can get to them without taking your spindle off.
I pulled the spindle off of the machine this morning and stripped down the z axis by removing the moving plate and wings. It is a bare z at this point. I started the machine and was hoping to jog all axis and see if the z would move. Now when I just bump the pendant or keyboard in any axis it goes into a drive fault. I can clear the fault and the bottom right button says “ready”, but the “drive/spin fault” button above it is amber.
I propped the spindle on some blocks and reconnected the air, power, and signal cables. I powered down the acorn and restarted CNC12, but no change. I then went back into the acorn wizard and went through the settings again ensuring that everything was correct. I did remove the rotary and laser from the profile and restarted the system again. Same issue.
I couldn’t identify anything that would be locking up the z from moving. I did remove the plastic “wipers” from the inside of the old moving plate and put them on the new moving plate as I noticed that it was milled for them. But currently the moving plate is not mounted to the z.
The machine is sitting in the middle of x and y, and all of the sensors are cleared. I used a screw driver to trigger each of the sensors individually and all are in working order.
Air pressure at the box is 100.3 psi.
I then proceeded to the ATC setup in the wizard and changed it back to the manual setting thinking something there might be causing a conflict. I restarted the acorn and CNC12, but no change. When it starts, the servos lock in per usual, but I still have a “drive/spin fault” button lit up.
I went back through the wiring, the E-Stop works, the tool height setter works, and all sensors are working.
Not sure where to go next so I’m hoping to get some ideas.
Just after sending the above update, I opened the VFD enclosure and it had a E.ohr displayed. I powered it down and back up again and it displays 0.00. Just for giggles I bumped the y axis a little and it worked, same with the x and z. So right now all axis are moving and there are no triggered sensors or faults.
I’ll reassemble the Z axis and ensure it still works after each step. If all is good after I get the spindle remounted, I’ll go back to the wizard and enable the ATC again and report back.
Another update. This is where the bonehead mistake comes in.
I started to re-install the moving plate when I noticed some small circles etched into the red z cover plate behind it. I used the same screws from the old moving plate when I installed the new moving plate. The old countersink screws were too long and dug into the sheet metal essentially locking the z in place. Feeling more confident now and will reassemble completely.
Lesson learned, don’t be a bonehead and follow Avid’s instructions to the letter and everything will be okay.
