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]

mississippi Posts 28

0

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]

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

[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!!