Anyone been inside a Heidenhain HR150 handwheel control?

[swarf_rat]

Mine is starting to act up. Works ok if you turn is slowly, starts skipping if you turn it faster. I'm guessing the light bulb inside is getting dim. Wondering if anyone has taken one apart to see what is inside and how easy it might be to bet back together. Heidenhain will repair them, but it might be easy to do myself? New ones can be ordered, have to come from Germany (according to one sales guy) cost a little under $500.

[UKRobotics]

I belive it uses the same (or similar) encoders as used on the SEM servos. Inside the box it's just a rotary encoder on the other side of the handle. There is a copper disc with about 100 perforations and a light which shines through it.

This information could be entirely incorrect if you have a different machine to me, or a newer/older model.

I'm going by what I have seen on a 1985 series II interact.

If you are unable to repair your existing one I might have a spare available for a more reasonable price.

[swarf_rat]

I opened it up and took a look. The largish flywheel handle comes off by removing the 3 cap screws and tapping it in carefully - there is a collet holding it on the shaft. 3 screws and the can covering it comes loose, seemingly stuck on but actually just an O-ring sealing the can to the aluminum body. Inside is, as you say, a simple encoder with an surface mount photo transistor array. The light source is a bit complicated, including some alignment involved with a lens etc. Light bulb had 5V but no light. I could make the axiis jitter by flashing a flashlight at the photo transistors, a cheap test of the rest of the circuit.

I guess I will send it off to Heidenhain, they say they can re-lamp it.

[Dirky]

Hi Rat....me again...wanted to know what became of your handwheel problem ? did you send it away ? get it back ? does it work ? how much ? Thanks

[swarf_rat]

I sent the control to atechauthority in Los Angeles. They are an authorized Heidenhain repair facility and could turn the control around in a couple of days. Heidenhain in Chicago said 10 days. It turned out to be the lamp (as I suspected), I believe the repair was a bit over $200 with an expedite charge. But I had it back in 4 days or so and it works fine. I did take the cover off before I sent it in and decided that it would be a bit fiddly to repair myself. An odd bulb sandwiched in-between some stuff very precisely.

[Dirky]

Thanks for the info.....I would likely repair my own (Electronics service tech 25yr) but...the price they charged seems fair...you are correct, it can be a btch of a job and requires focal alignment to be correct. My biggest problem is time...I am so busy fixing other peoples stuff that I never seem to have enough time to deal with my own....I prefer to have a working theory (at least) before I tear into things and learned years ago that everyone has insight to share. Thank You