Need Help!- Bridgeport Interact 4 spindle drive fault!

[foolmaker]

I have a series 2 intract 4 with TNC 2500 control, everythings runs fine untill I call a M25 comand, then spindle drive fault occors which also trips the machine controler (mentor 2). (if stoping the mc using m5 all ok)
When I reset the controler the machine will run ok untill the next m25 is called. Can anyone help!?

[robinhood2b]

Originally Posted by foolmaker I have a series 2 intract 4 with TNC 2500 control, everythings runs fine untill I call a M25 comand, then spindle drive fault occors which also trips the machine controler (mentor 2). (if stoping the mc using m5 all ok) When I reset the controler the machine will run ok untill the next m25 is called. Can anyone help!?

i had same thing a couple of years back and mine turned out to be a faulty mentor drive.
i sent mine away for repair to a company called electro-aid who used to do the repairs for bridgeport in the uk before they changed hands.
i dont have the phone number to hand at home but have it at work and will look it up tomorrow.
from memory i phoned them and told them what lights where lite on the drive and they confirmed it was a drive fault and turned it around for me in 24 hours so the down time was minimal.
regards
mark

ps just found them on the net

ElecroAid Service Engineering Ltd
Unit 15, Horton Court
Hortonwood 50
Telford Shropshire TF1 7GY

Tel: 01952 677555
Fax: 01952 676083
Email: james.gilmour@btconnect.com

[foolmaker]

ok thank-you Mark, I will give them a ring and go from there.....

[gridley51]

Before you send it anywhere,call Control Techniques and speak to a tech on their free help line.UK number is on the net.My feeling is that if it stops ok with an M5 there is nothing wrong with the drive.
I use the Mentor 11 drives quite a bit as retrofits.
Mark.

[foolmaker]

I sent my Mentor 2 drive away before you posted your msg, but they did find a few faults with it which has now been fixed.
So the machine now stops using m25 and m5 and does not trip the drive...
BUT after 5 minutes or so of machining the machine cuts out and a error msg occors saying GROSS POSITIONING ERROR Z C
followed with the rest of the sceen full of letters and number. Are these parmeters?!?
Ive had this machine years and never seen anything like this before, or had so many problems!
Has anyone got any ideas that may help!?

[gridley51]

I still think the drive was ok and you have been done.The reason for this is that to stop the spindle the control turns the analogue 0-10v to 0Volts and removes the enable from the drive when the spindle reaches zero speed as set by a parameter in the drive.It`s a bit more involved than that but that`s the basics.The drive does not know,recognise or care what code you put in to the cnc control.I could run that spindle up and down,forward,reverse,stop.start with a couple of switches,a pot and an AA battery without a cnc control being there.
Gross positioning error is the most common error most Bridgeport owners see and is applicable to Heidenhain.The letter after it determines where it came from and this is explained in the manuals which you can download for free from Heidenhain.com
It basically means that the axis is not in the position the control expects it to be.This can be a lot of things which are well documented on the Bridgeport forum here and a search will get you plenty info.
As a quick get you going,if you know how to change the parameters you can cut down the rapid traverse speed for that axis a bit and it might get rid of that alarm until the fault worsens.But then the fault is easier to find.
Mark.