Torchmate Limit Switch or Motor Issue

[ETCWeld]

Hey everyone, sorry if this isn't where I should be posting this, but I need some help to find someone that is willing to trouble shoot, quote and repair our CNC Torchmate X (5'x10') machine. There's never enough hours in the day and the last time I thought I knew what it was, I bought a motor we apparently didn't need.

As long as you have a way to accept payment, we should be able to figure out a way to pay you for your time for a service call, and hopefully a repair bill. I'm told I would need a quote for an initial service call + an hourly rate, and the ability to accept a credit card to start the process.

As for a back story, 4 years ago right before I left this school, our Torchmate X had developed a travel issue. We tried to replace a motor after i left and no one made any progress with it. Now that I'm back, i see that it didn't fix itself yet. lol
The school wants it fixed or gone and I would love to have it running again.

We are in Tampa, Florida and if anyone here knows who I could contact or know of any techs that might be interested, please let me know. I really appreciate any assistance. Lincoln wants $7,900 just to show up because of travel and hotel expenses. (I also partly feel like they would be just as much trying to get me into a new machine as they would be here to fix it.)

Thanks in advance,
Ray

[acourtjester]

I may help if you give a description of the problems you are having with the unit. What software is it using for the controller? Does is do anything, moves axis, problem with torch firing.

[SegoMan DeSigns]

Ray,

Like Tom says a better description and or video of the problem. Have you checked all connections between the controller an motors? My T M had a poorly crimped pin in one of the Molex connections at the motor end. I do a yearly maintenance on them now consisting of a slight tug to ensure crimp. cleaning with contact cleaner / enhancer then a dab of die electric silicone to seal it

[ETCWeld]

Thank you both. I managed a big long reply with pictures and everything, but I got logged out and none of it was saved. I will try again when the students leave tonight (or need me less)

[ETCWeld]

The teachers here aren’t familiar with the CNC and since they never got it running, they couldn’t really articulate what was happening. I had the chance to mess around with it last night and since I have the memory of a 92 year old (with a bad memory), I needed the refresher. As I remember the Y motor stopped while cutting. The plasma stayed on and the x axis kept going. I thought I just needed to change the motor, but they said it still didn’t work after they did.
Last night it moved on the x and y axis all the way until I sent it home. As soon as it hit, the Y axis motor started making a bunch of noise like it was still trying to move. When I told them they said that’s exactly what it did to them (the noise). I unplugged the motor and it stopped even after I plugged it back in.

Great news, this happened tonight. When I went to move it I got limit switch prompts, but I couldn’t get it to move back. I shut it down, physically pushed the carriage, reset the zero and it seemed to be acting right. I told it to go back home and it did it again. I think they did fix it, but some how changed the limited range and it just sits there and grinds. I am way less fearful that this is going to cost a fortune to get back in the game. It started doing its dry run and the students were happier than I was lol

I know they broke one of the limit switches on the x side, so they might have with this one too.

[weldguy]

All signs point to a bad limit switch from what I see so could be an easy fix. Locate the limit switch and test it to see if it functions correctly, switch should be able to open and close the circuit, sounds like yours may be stuck closed. Simple continuity check with a multimeter if you have one around there.

[acourtjester]

I agree with Weldguy on the limit switch, but it also sounds like there may be a broken or intermittent wiring problem with the Y motor. A bad connection in the Dir wires of a motor will cause it to not work or make a grunting noise as it does not know which direction to drive. You can try moving the wiring around while someone moves the Y axis to see if it will fail. Look for any area that may be frayed or kinked as a problem location. If there are connectors in the wiring move them around to check for bad connections. Now do not disconnect any connectors while power is on, you may kill a driver if you do.

[ETCWeld]

thanks for the advice, I really don't feel like killing myself. lol
Somehow the y axis has been reversed in relation to the x axis and I know for sure there are two limit switches that are broken. I am going to try to cut with it today. just a small item to see what else I am dealing with.
Wish me luck.

[acourtjester]

with this statement do you mean the Y axis has reversed direction?? "Somehow the y axis has been reversed in relation to the x axis."
That can be fixed in the software configuration easy, generally by changing a check in a box.

[ETCWeld]

That's what I thought, but they swore up and down they didn't do anything with the computer. But I will look for that in the configuration section. thank you.

[ETCWeld]

I got it to move around and cut, but it randomly stops moving on the y axis. this was supposed to be a rectangle. on the second y axis move, it labored for I guess as long as it should have taken to make the return and just stopped. https://youtube.com/shorts/ZPJGvV0frVU? ... WvsM0bPwHh

[ETCWeld]

SO at this point, I don't want to keep asking for free advice. If anyone is in the Tampa area and want to make some $$ we can make that happen. It's not the doom and gloom I thought I'd be dealing with, but this random slipping will cost us more metal than a work order

The district a few recent purchases and this wont be the only time we need help.

this was supposed to be a circle and pentagon but a minor slip made it less than round.

[acourtjester]

I still think you have a wiring problem in the Y motor circuit. Are there any plugs in the motor cables the you could switch the X and Y to see if the problem changes. Maybe on the output of the drivers you could switch the connecters, but it you have 2 motors on the Y and one for the X that would not be posable. You could do it in the software by switching the G-code ( making the rectangle 90 degrees rotated in the plan).

[acourtjester]

I'm not close.

drive.JPG

[ETCWeld]

acourtjester, I did change the y positive and negative axis in the config section. That got the x and y at least working together.
I will look again but I think everything is the way it was, which honestly doesn't mean too much. Torchmate tech support has had me change things, re-rout, and bypass so much in the past. I've joked with them a few times that they were going to have everything so skewed that I'd have to buy a new control module.
But yes, that a bit too far for a quick buck or three lol

[PlasmaDon]

I fixed the same model machine.
I found one motor had the pinion gear setscrew was loose, there was no woodruff key, they just jammed the setscrew
into the shaft's keyway.
I retightened and the problem went away.

[weldguy]

Checked out your video. I see at the start of the vid the Y axis is able to move both directions so it could just be that the Y axis motor is stalling due to some resistance. Stepper motors are know for that. If you were to power down so the motors are relaxed and glide your Y axis from one side to the other by hand and slowly se if you can feel any tight spots that may cause the motor to stall. If this was the case it would be a free and easy fix I am sure.

[ETCWeld]

I will follow both of these suggestions. I really appreciate all of your experience and willingness to help!!!

[PlasmaDon]

Checked out your video. I see at the start of the vid the Y axis is able to move both directions so it could just be that the Y axis motor is stalling due to some resistance. Stepper motors are know for that. If you were to power down so the motors are relaxed and glide your Y axis from one side to the other by hand and slowly se if you can feel any tight spots that may cause the motor to stall. If this was the case it would be a free and easy fix I am sure.

I thought that too, a circle would really make it show up.
finally, with power off, I pushed the bridge back & forth, and the slack showed up.
the pinion being loose on the keyway.

[SegoMan DeSigns]

Have you gave your machine a complete once over, checking all connections electrical and mechanical ? How old is it what do the bearings & guides look like?

[ETCWeld]

If you were to power down so the motors are relaxed and glide your Y axis from one side to the other by hand and slowly se if you can feel any tight spots that may cause the motor to stall.

I tried this and it moved back and forth and felt fine, but when ever it slips it's random. I did two dry runs and it seemed fine after, but when I went to cut it didn't even start to go in the correct spot. I also tried several spots to see if it was just a certain section and it was random there too.

The only wires not connected were these, and honestly, I cant even figure out where they go to. They both come out of the 2nd from the bottom connector from the end and the third one was plugged into the back of this relay box.

[weldguy]

I tried this and it moved back and forth and felt fine, but when ever it slips it's random. I did two dry runs and it seemed fine after, but when I went to cut it didn't even start to go in the correct spot. I also tried several spots to see if it was just a certain section and it was random there too.

The only wires not connected were these, and honestly, I cant even figure out where they go to. They both come out of the 2nd from the bottom connector from the end and the third one was plugged into the back of this relay box.

Interesting. OK next test I would do is slow the rapid and cut speed down to well under 100ipm, around 50ipm would be good and do some dry runs.

Does it still stall or slip?

The faster you run a stepper motor the less torque it has. If this moving slowly test works either your motors are undersized for the weight it has to move, the resistance it has to overcome, or an acceleration setting in the software could be incorrect so it is not ramping up to speed gradually enough, it may be trying to go from zero to full speed from a dead stop.

Curious how some dry runs at 50ipm work out.

[ETCWeld]

slow the rapid and cut speed down to well under 100ipm, around 50ipm would be good and do some dry runs.

I like the way you put that. I had the same thought, so I did slow it to 90 and it did still slip, but I didn't think through what it meant or think to slow it down even more to see if it still did it. Thank you!

The motors were factory, and replaced with the same so I hope they aren't underpowered, but with everything sitting for a year, in a very dirty environment... Not to mention one of the teachers reminded me that the shop was actually shut down for a few months for renovations while I was gone, and apparently the machine had been moved around during that time. I guess that's when the limit switches were ripped off. The contractors even broke our beast of a milling machine which is hard to believe so they weren't being careful moving things around. They didn't even drain the water, they just moved it to suit them, and when construction was done the teachers turned it 90° (still full of water), but they were "careful."

I found one motor had the pinion gear setscrew was loose, there was no woodruff key, they just jammed the setscrew
into the shaft's keyway.

I still haven't been able to take it apart yet, hopefully that can happen today.

I am honestly way more optimistic now than when I started, and I really appreciate all of everyone's help!