Error: Clean Z rails?

[m4pc]

Has anyone seen this error: "Clean Z rails. Press enter to continue"?

After carving a project for a little over an hour and 85% complete, I received this error. I proceeded to wipe the Y and Z rails with a cloth, then blew off the rails with air. After pressing enter, the z-truck moved a bit and the same error returned. After the third or fourth time, I received a z-axis stall error. I'm running firmware version 1.120. and was carving pine.

Any ideas on the cause or fix?

Thanks, M4pc

[benluz]

I spoke to chris and he said I lot of the time one of the cables in the z-truck might get pinched causing some voltage to leak to the frame could and cause this problem and we have to go through each cable with the ohm meter.My chuck has to be rebuilt ,so I have not done this yet.Has anyone else had this problem and found it was a cable pinched?
Ben

[Jeff_Birt]

Yes, I posted some pics a while back. The cable runiing down to the board edge sensor can work out of the track and get pinched and the condition can be intermittant. I replaced my cable but the short had casued other problems too (in my case). I would suspect that an ohm-meter would not be the correct tool for the job. It would be better to hi-pot the suspect cable (wires), this will test for a break down in the wires insulation not just if a short exists at the time you are testing. But, this is something best left to the CW guys as a hi-pot tester in the wrong hands can really screw thing up.

Does the z-truck move smoothly by hand?

[benluz]

Hi Jeff, I remember your post , In fact I was having trouble with the Cw at that time and after reading that I tore the trucks down for inspection.I put it back together along with a rebuilt z-encoder and all worked goood for 40 hrs , then I got the clean z rails message followed by the z-stall.I checked the entire z-truck for mechanical drag, but I could find nothing.The truck moves smoothly,but it seems to have more resistance than before, this is where Chris had mention that a condition of where the capacitors are staying charged from a leak from one of those cables, causing a stiffness in the z-truck.Is this what you encountered when your wire was pinched ? Oh I did notice an unusually low board sensor reading and I had just cleaned the unit and it was not able to make it past 48.
Ben

[Jeff_Birt]

In my case the particular wire that got pinched killed ALL the machines sensors. I would assume that it was the +Vcc to all the sensors. When I replaced the cable all sensors worked, I had good board sensor readings, both truck smoved smoothly, etc., but the Z-truck would only move about 5mm in a very jerky fasion. This may have been due to a problem with the homing sensor/probe board or something else that got damaged when the cable shorted.

[m4pc]

After searching for broken wires and poor connections on the z-axis motor, I found (I hope) the cause of my error. The motor connection lug / terminal where it attaches to the terminal board (next to encoder disk) is broken. Not sure if there's enough material there to make a good mechanical connection.

I have a call in to CW's tech support, but I'm open ideas and potential fixes in the mean time.

[menewfy]

I too was having clean z rails error

it turns out that my problem was (or we hope it was at his point, will know more when we get a part) the magnet inside the z truck itself. The key to finding this out it would seem is a couple of things.

1. I was haveing alot f trouble with getting the bit out or in like 30 mins of trying.

2. also what really let them know was the dust that was grey, i di not think much of it when i saw it happening, but apparently the magnet melts and the grey dust is the result, it then gets inside the truck and cause more friction.

just thought I would let you all know



and these are the days of our lives, stay tuned for what is going to happen on tomorrows show LOL

[Digitalwoodshop]

I like the bit about the Capacitors being charged due to the pinched wires.... Causing electronic drag through the drive motor. I like it....

AL

[HillBilly]

Ya got`s to love it, We`re all "beta-testers" till the end.

The really great part is, a lot of "Us" don`t give up that easy... <grin>

[benluz]

Thanks,
Ben