Axis amplifier adjustment

[blob-79]

Hello.

Ive got a Fadal VMC4525. The Z axis buzzes. Im fairly certain it is a axis gain issue. My problem is I cant seem to locate the required potentiometer. I found the balance adjustment. there are two pots for balance it seems.

Quoted below is from the maintenance manual.

"At the amplifier to be adjusted, use a small screwdriver and turn the SIG2
potentiometer until the monitor’s display of the appropriate axis reads the
following error: 595 - inch ballscrew / 302 - metric ballscrew."

any help would be much appreciated

Thanks

[blob-79]

correction- the balance I found was on the actual card, not the amplifier. My Y axis is the only one it seems to have any kind of adjustment. the x and z amplifiers do not have any pots.

[alex gitzel]

the pots are small and located in the middle, right corner of the amp,there is a picture in the manual.you can download it from fadalcnc.com (axis drive system) is the file.the buzz is most likely the motor comp. pot.turn it cw untill the noise stops,then 2 more turns.( i have seen some pots wired backwards so if cw does not help go ccw).the amps are mounted high on this machine so get a step ladder so you can read the top of the amp comp. pot should be the far right one.if it does not work power down and reseat the motor wires at the motor and top of the cabinet(if it is a 2 pc. wire some are solid to the amp).if no help reseat the control cards in the motherboard.if no help swap amps with x axis to see if the amp is bad.you can also swap control cards(be sure to change the axis selector jumper).put them back to original axis when done because the survey is stored on the card. are there any faults?

[blob-79]

hey thanks for the response. I have it all figured out now. For some reason I have 1 amp-0040 and 2 amp-0056. so I have adjustment only on the one axis (Y axis) so just to see I did in fact swap amp, Y with the Z. Low and behold the Y axis started buzzing. pretty sure im in need of a new amp, as the 0056 dont have any sort of adjustment

[scadvice]

hey thanks for the response. I have it all figured out now. For some reason I have 1 amp-0040 and 2 amp-0056. so I have adjustment only on the one axis (Y axis) so just to see I did in fact swap amp, Y with the Z. Low and behold the Y axis started buzzing. pretty sure im in need of a new amp, as the 0056 dont have any sort of adjustment

..."The X axis failed board was easy to diagnose and replace thanks to this web site and the other one we don’t talk about here. By now my new partner is on board and his dad who just happens to be an electronic wizard and completes the installation while we eagerly watch over his shoulder and mostly get in his way.

There is one small problem in the form of a whine that we just can’t seem to tune out of the axis and after a lot of researching into it our ‘electron pusher’ says to “just live with it as it’s not going to go away with this particular axis motor”. During the fooling around and testing though, we did find that the whine is almost inaudible if we switch the Y axis amp with the new amp and put it with y motor.

As I understand it, amps and motors are all slightly electrically different so you need to have the ability to tune them. Unfortunately this motor on the x axis seems to be a little beyond the normal in this respect to the amp even thought it performs perfectly. We’ll most likely switch the amps around and retune when we have the time (or his dad comes visiting again) because the noise is a little irritating. But for now it runs like a dream.

We still have not changed the x with y at 80 plus hrs. running. We will, when we have time. But for now we've decided to not fix what is not broken. So... if your machine is working in the condition it is(you didn't say)... run it... and fix it when it breaks.

Steve

Steve

[blob-79]

lol

Oh believe me, this one machine in particular has been running with the Z buzzing for almost a year now. It does work, somewhat annoying. The issue with leaving it the way it is, Now I actually have time to fix it. With the machine as it is, I cant run certain things in this machine. Majority of our work is 1 off 3d surfacing with fairly high surface finish required. when the Z makes the noise, (pretty consistantly every .500") the Z deviates slightly. Not enouph to really worry about, but enouph that alot of time is being wasted polishing.

[scadvice]

lol

Oh believe me, this one machine in particular has been running with the Z buzzing for almost a year now. It does work, somewhat annoying. The issue with leaving it the way it is, Now I actually have time to fix it. With the machine as it is, I cant run certain things in this machine. Majority of our work is 1 off 3d surfacing with fairly high surface finish required. when the Z makes the noise, (pretty consistantly every .500") the Z deviates slightly. Not enouph to really worry about, but enouph that alot of time is being wasted polishing.

Sounds like its broke!

So... now the question is to know what for sure is broke? Is it the amp, the servo DC/AC mtr, or the encoder/resolver?

Ok alex, neal, and david...??? OK OK I screwed up it's the amp right?

Steve

[alex gitzel]

Those amp-0056 have not been used for some time now,the amp-0040 is what you want to replace it with.I have not encountered any amp-0056's in machines in the field,I think there is something that was wrong with the design and most machines have been retrofitted with the amp-0040's.I think the 56 was a digital amp with the led screen on it where the tuning pots are on the 40.

[lkenney]

We just replaced all three of the 0056 AMPs on our 2216 with Analog AMPs so that we could tune them. The Folks at FadalCNC and the Tech that works here in WA state recommended that we do so, both for the ability to adjust them and longer life on the AMPs.

Lowell

[Neal]

The "56" version amps are digital amp where as the "40" are analog amps. The digital amps must be tune using the WORKBENCH V5 software on you laptop. They did have an issue with drifting signals and would sometimes start buzzing. This buzzing can also be created by the ball screw couplers needed some silicon lube.

Neal

[blob-79]

The "56" version amps are digital amp where as the "40" are analog amps. The digital amps must be tune using the WORKBENCH V5 software on you laptop. They did have an issue with drifting signals and would sometimes start buzzing. This buzzing can also be created by the ball screw couplers needed some silicon lube.

Neal

any ideas where I can get workbench V5?

Is the axis address important? reason I ask is because the 2 amp-0056 in my machine all the toggles for axis address are open (flicked up)

I purchased a used amp off of ebay...installed it, and omg the buzz was louder and constant. im guessing its a dud.

[alex gitzel]

I think is time you just get an amp-0040 analog amp and stop messing with the troublesome digital amps.the are known to have issues and will just be more trouble down the road.I think the amp-0040 is a plug,tune and play repacement so it should be easy to do.