Need Help!- Sticky Stepper motors

[brentparker79]

Hey All,

I finally got my CNC built and tested the stepper motors on my kitchen table and everything seams fine with them. I hooked them up to my machine and ran the tests again and the motors are not turning. They lack the torque to turn the lead screw. Im using xylotec 3 axis 269oz motors and im using a 1/4 20 lead screw. Im using UHMW for the backlash nut which I think it my main problem. Im going to order Delrin in the AM. And Im using Mach3 software. Is there a setting im missing to increase the torque? When I run the test they just click but no movement. Any suggestions?

[Broken Balsa]

Do the motors make any kind of sound or are they dead. Also how easy do the lead screws turn. Can you turn them with your fingers with no power to the motors. There is a sequence to go through using Mach 3 to tune the motors. Down load the instructions for Mach 3 and print that section on tuning motors. It will lead you though the steps... Ron BB

[brentparker79]

The motors spin just fine when they are not hooked up. They just make a ticking noise when they are hooked up and never spin. The lead screws are very tight and I cannot spin them with my fingers, I can though with a drill. I am pretty sure its the UHMW that is causing most of the problems.

I will download the guide, I had only watched the video and I doesnt go throught the math to configure the steps

[brentparker79]

I retapped all my backlash nuts and now I am able to move the gantry with my hands. When I hook up the motors they try to spin but no luck again. So I unhooked the motors and ran through the tests again and I held the drive with my fingers and tryed to spin them and they wont move, it just clicks. What am I doing wrong, its like the motor dont have enough power to spin. when I dont run the program the motors are locked tight.

[Broken Balsa]

Originally Posted by brentparker79 I retapped all my backlash nuts and now I am able to move the gantry with my hands. When I hook up the motors they try to spin but no luck again. So I unhooked the motors and ran through the tests again and I held the drive with my fingers and tryed to spin them and they wont move, it just clicks. What am I doing wrong, its like the motor dont have enough power to spin. when I dont run the program the motors are locked tight.

I believe you need to tune your motors. You do this with Mach 3. Set up your system by the instructions you down loaded. When you get them to run then you can go to the page that lets you measure how far they moved in relation to how far you told them to move. When you get to that step your almost home. Don't try and get everything working. I consintrated on just the x axis until I got it to work and then set the others to that speed. I just did what the instructions said to do. I had a problem because I missed a step on another page in Mach 3 where you tell it how far to go and then measure to see how far actually moved. If you installed limit switches disable them an do not activate the panic button until its running the way you want it to. I don't even use limit switches. I have a key pad hooked up and I have a key assigned to the emergency stop mode. What state are you in?...Ron BB

[brentparker79]

I have followed the steps and the motors wont even turn when they are hooked up to the lead screws they spin fine when they are not, are you using xylotex 269 oz motors? I ran the callabration test and set the steps by the amount they turn. Im just having issue when they are hooked up. the lead screws are 1/4 20. I live in Wyoming