disabled vet needs help new CW machine Z truck dives down into board

[lishmantr]

I am a brain injured veteran in much need of help before I absolutely lose it!!!
Hello, this is my 2nd carvewright machine but never had these problems. When I initially got this machine I kept having clear board sensor problems, sometimes itd work, most times it wouldn't. Carvewright techs and engineers always said it was sawdust in sensor to blow it out with compressed air. I do have a vacuum system hooked up that does a great job collecting the dust. Blowing the sensors seemed to work about half the time. I finally just broke down and bought a new sensor with about 120 hours on machine. Still same problem and CW techs still insisted it was sawdust in sensor. The new Sensor has sawdust in it? Anyway after challenging them angrily they finally told me to check the harness going to backside of circuit board. Sure enough a wire was loose just barely touching the contact in the white connector. Now with the harness replaced, I start the machine, select the project, say no to stay under rollers, then the truck moves about an inch to the left to home but then takes a dive right into the board. Sometimes it will go through the homing process but never make contact with the flip lever on right side of machine to measure drill bit, instead it will go all the way to it and right before it clicks it, it returns back toward the homing position toward the left of the machine and then the z truck takes a dive ramming the drill bit into the board. Has anyone else had such a problem, theres no motor wires, sawdust or anything obstructing the z truck on the rails on right side of machine, changed out circuit board behind z truck when I changed the clear board sensor harness. Checked all wires to ensure everything is pushed in all the way in circuit board. Don't know why its not making contact to flip out the plate to measure drill bit and don't know why the z truck takes a dive with the drill bit into the board and happens sometimes at start of homing after selecting project and sometimes going toward the plate that flips out and sometimes on the way back. Also, while the one of the wires on the clear board sensor harness was loose going into the circuit board, it messed up 2 of my memory cards to where there is just blocks across the screen nothing else.
Any help is much appreciated.

[Mike1]

I know this is a stretch but any chance the carve board is dark in color?

[lishmantr]

It doesnt even make it that far in the process. As soon as it gegins to home, the ztruck takes a dive into the board

[lishmantr]

Every so often it will measure the board and go to right side of machine but right before it clicks the flip plate to measure the bit, it comes back to the left and then takes a dive into the board. so, for some reason and theres nothing obstructing it no motor wires, no sawdust nothing to keep it from hitting that plate on right side to flip out. as soon as it get right to it and not touching it moves back to left and that's when it takes the dive.
So, im trying to figure out 1) why its not connecting that flip plate on right side of machine and 2) why the ztruck is nose diving the drill bit into the board, sometimes before it even gets in the home position.

[fwharris]

I would inspect the white flat ffc ribbon cable on the back of the Z truck to the black support bracket for any breaks or cracks. All of the Z data and board sensor data passes through the cable. Also maybe reformat the memory card.

[lishmantr]

That had been on my radar cause it seems to be very tight, not near as much slack or play in it as my first machine. Thank you very much, I certainly will inspect the FFC cable!!

[lishmantr]

mississippi Posts 28


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That had been on my radar cause it seems to be very tight, not near as much slack or play in it as my first machine. Thank you very much, I certainly will inspect the FFC cable!!

[Digitalwoodshop]

I am a brain injured veteran in much need of help before I absolutely lose it!!!
Hello, this is my 2nd carvewright machine but never had these problems. When I initially got this machine I kept having clear board sensor problems, sometimes itd work, most times it wouldn't. Carvewright techs and engineers always said it was sawdust in sensor to blow it out with compressed air. I do have a vacuum system hooked up that does a great job collecting the dust. Blowing the sensors seemed to work about half the time. I finally just broke down and bought a new sensor with about 120 hours on machine. Still same problem and CW techs still insisted it was sawdust in sensor. The new Sensor has sawdust in it? To test the board sensor you go to sensor data and board sensor. With a piece of white copy paper on the board and cranked down you should get a 156 as perfect. A 90 with a dirty window. Anyway after challenging them angrily they finally told me to check the harness going to backside of circuit board. Sure enough a wire was loose just barely touching the contact in the white connector. Now with the harness replaced, I start the machine, select the project, say no to stay under rollers, then the truck moves about an inch to the left to home but then takes a dive right into the board. Sometimes it will go through the homing process but never make contact with the flip lever on right side of machine to measure drill bit, instead it will go all the way to it and right before it clicks it, it returns back toward the homing position toward the left of the machine and then the z truck takes a dive ramming the drill bit into the board.So the clicking of the "Y" going to the bit plate has me concerned. This is usually a worn out "Y" Gearbox. If it does 3 clicks it is usually the two 695ZZ Bearings that have gone bad. Plus the shaft can wear on the "Y" Gear. AND if the truck does not reach the Bit Flag then sometimes the wires for the right side clear cover switch have moved out of the back corner and are not tucked into the far corner. The truck hits the wires. You can manually push the "Y" Truck over to the bit plate. IF the wires are in the way then you will not be able to get to the bit flag. Has anyone else had such a problem, theres no motor wires, sawdust or anything obstructing the z truck on the rails on right side of machine, changed out circuit board behind z truck when I changed the clear board sensor harness. Still could be a bad FFC Cable... They are really a Consumable and can only flex so many times before the thin copper between plastic snaps. THEN the ENDS touch then don't touch... SO when the "Y" is moving it is flexing the FFC or the big flat cable that carries the voltage to the "Z" Motor AND the Encoder FEEDBACK to the Computer. IF the wires open for the Encoder then the Computer keeps moving the head until the number of pulses it is looking for is reached. IF the wires are open then the head continues DOWN until it smashes into the board. SO... BAD FFC Cable.... Checked all wires to ensure everything is pushed in all the way in circuit board. Don't know why its not making contact to flip out the plate to measure drill bit and don't know why the z truck takes a dive with the drill bit into the board and happens sometimes SOMETIMES... That is a sign of a bad FFC Cable... Sometimes the wires touch and all works well then the ends don't touch and the machine crashes... at start of homing after selecting project and sometimes going toward the plate that flips out and sometimes on the way back. Also, while the one of the wires on the clear board sensor harness was loose going into the circuit board, it messed up 2 of my memory cards to where there is just blocks across the screen nothing else. Normally when you get black rectangles on the LCD Screen it is telling you that the card is not installed. It can also be a bad card. SO.. A look at the underside of the machine is in order... The CW Computer has MALE Pins that plug into the Memory Card. SAWDUST can get wedged into the MALE pins and prevent the memory card from being inserted all the way leading to black rectangles.
Any help is much appreciated.

You can also test for a bad FFC Cable,,, Move the head all the way up to the pin. Then select "Z" Data in Sensor Data. It will come up with 0000 as the encoder is just a counter. It counts pulses as the encoder moves. You can see in my picture below the little black lines that block a LED Sensor in the black slot. Each line is a pulse. So move the head down and up a few times while gently moving the FFC Cable with your finger OR just move the head manually in "Y". Then return the head back up to the PIN and the counter should be 0000 again. It counts 0000 9999 9998 9997 and 0000 0001 0002 0003....

And back to having board sensor problems... I found I was having measuring problems and it turned out to be my video camera on my machine where I watch the machine from a work shop next door and listen on a wireless intercom. The 6 LED Lights on the CCTV camera flooded the board with light and confused the board sensor. It shines light on the board and looks at the reflection of light. When the head goes off the edge of the board it is like headlights in a field in the dark of night. The return light on the board sensor is reflected light... SO... SHOP LIGHTS... When you have a problem... Try turning DOWN or OFF the overhead lights. Or a rag over the clear cover to darken the board area... And look for a 156... in sensor data...

See the tiny black lines in the Sun Shadow in the picture. A DIRTY DISK can cause this too... as can a loose disk from the shaft... A drop of super glue fixes a loose disk.

Good Luck,

AL

You can always send me a PM for help. Use the contact me on my web pages below. I am a Retired Navy Chief. Sorry to hear about your injury. Thank You for your Service.

[lishmantr]

Thanks so much for the valuable information. As instructed by the previous senior member, I visually checked the ffc cable but didn't see any obvious tears or anything but I had an extra one from a parts machine I bought. took it off, installed it and waalaah, its back carving as it should on the very first try. Thank you so much especially for the senor data checks and about the dirty disc, that's on the back of the y motor right? right behind the ztruck. , I was about to have a dang breakdown ive been fooling with this thing so long.

[lishmantr]

Thank you so much fwharris, that did it. I didnt see anything obvious wrong with it but had a spare, put it on and it started carving the first time. Thanks, i was about to have a freaking breakdown because ive been fooling with this for so long.

[fwharris]

Thank you so much fwharris, that did it. I didnt see anything obvious wrong with it but had a spare, put it on and it started carving the first time. Thanks, i was about to have a freaking breakdown because ive been fooling with this for so long.

Thanks for the feedback and glad I was able to help out. More times than not any bad or unusual Z movement can be traced back to either the FFC cable or the Z motor and or the encoder. Hope to see you back to making some saw dust.

Thanks again!

[Digitalwoodshop]

Glad the FFC Cable fixed it... Very hard to detect when they break as it is intermittent. I should make a tester for the cable with LED's... The hard part is buying the connector...

Yes, both the X, Y, and Z Motors have a Encoder Disk on the back. Here is a Y Encoder with dust in it....

Some pictures of the encoder and the cut motor brushes.

The Cut Motor Brushes and the "Y" Gearbox two 685ZZ Bearings should be replaced at 250 cut hours.

Good Job !!!!!

AL