How long do you leave your machine on?

[CadRhino]

I need to do a long run of pars and would like to keep my machine on over night so everything is referenced when I continue making parts the next day.
Is this bad/hard on the machine? Is it hard on the steppers?
Does anyone else do this?
Thanks
Nathan

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[SCzEngrgGroup]

There is absolutely no harm whatsoever in leaving the machine turned on 24/7 for months.

Regards,
Ray L.

[CadRhino]

Thanks Ray
Wow, I had no idea. I thought it was bad because the steppers were 'clamped' down or something and I should shut things down when not in use.
Best
Nathan

There is absolutely no harm whatsoever in leaving the machine turned on 24/7 for months.

Regards,
Ray L.

[coherent]

Actually when it comes to modern electronics it seems most issues happen when they are shut down and powered up. Just like the light bulb (incandescent anyway) that blows when you turn on the switch. Very few modern electronics last longer if turned off when not in use (like the old tube stuff). If you have a ups that protects the system against surges, spikes etc and even better a ups with a backup battery power that will allow you time to do a proper shut down should you have a power outage, you're golden. The only consideration is if its in a hot shop or garage and kept powered on... heat can be an issue and if that is the case I'd power it down when not in use. I work where there is lots of radio and other electronic equipment that runs 24/7. Never an issue unless the rooms a/c breaks down or we have a power outage. (and we have industrial battery backup and UPS systems in place). If either occurs we still seem to have a about a 1 in 5 rate that something will fail.
With a stepper system, it may also depend on your driver. I don't have a Tormach, but most of the better driver systems go into a current standby mode which avoids any overhead issues while the motors are idle.

[SCzEngrgGroup]

Any stepper driver worth using will reduce current by about 30% when not actually stepping, to reduce heating, but maintaining good holding torque. The Leadshine drives Tormach uses definitely do this. So, motor heating should never be an issue. Ambient temperature also should not be an issue unless you live in a extremely hot climate, where ambient runs well over 100F for long periods. My shop is often well over 100F for days, or weeks, at a time, and I've never had a single heat-related problem.

Bottom line: there is absolutely nothing to worry about. If you DO have a problem, then you have a bad component somewhere that should be replaced.

Regards,
Ray L.

[Jim Dawson]

I leave my machines on 24/7. But pressing the E-stop does power down the drives, except for the spindle VFDs. The computers are on all the time. On my router, which is stepper driven, I do leave it all powered up if there is a job on the table, most times with the vacuum pump left on also. On the mill which is servo driven, I can E-stop and not lose position, so I normally hit the E-stop at the end of the day.

[CadRhino]

Great, thank you everyone
I will start leaving it on more

[Sareks2k]

Being a newish owner I've also wondered this.

I'm not in front of my machine to try but after hitting E-stop, don't you have to reset the (I have the Tormach lathe) limit switches when you turn it back on?


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[SCzEngrgGroup]

Being a newish owner I've also wondered this.

I'm not in front of my machine to try but after hitting E-stop, don't you have to reset the (I have the Tormach lathe) limit switches when you turn it back on?


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On ANY stepper machine, if you power down the drives, you MUST re-home, or your zero point can move as much as +/- two full steps when power is turned back on.

Regards,
Ray L.

[Sareks2k]

Ok thanks!


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[hanermo]

YES !
Technically.

Also ... most wont notice, see, or care, practically, on most stepper driven machines here.

On ANY stepper machine, if you power down the drives, you MUST re-home, or your zero point can move as much as +/- two full steps when power is turned back on.

Regards,
Ray L.

[SCzEngrgGroup]

YES !
Technically.

Also ... most wont notice, see, or care, practically, on most stepper driven machines here.

Not sure what you're basing that on.... A stepper drive will ALWAYS power up with one specific phase active, and you have no way to control or change that. If the drive was powered down in any other phase, then the motor WILL move when the drive is re-powered. With a 5mm lead ballscrew and 200 steps/rev motor, that means the axis position after re-powering can be off as much as two full steps, or >0.05mm/0.00098", compared to where it was when powered down. Perhaps you don't care about a nearly 1 thou error, but for some of us, that would be a very significant error.

Regards,
Ray L.

[popspipes]

I have left my machine on for days at times, I do have problems with power here so lately so I just shut it off when I am done with it.

One other thing is the steppers draw power even when idle, I had a problem with the connector contacts to the driver overheating on my machine, I dont know if this had anything to do with it but I am now shutting it down when I am done with it for the day.

[Steve Seebold]

At night I will hit the E Stop button then the next morning I will release the E stop and home the machine and I'm ready to go. Just make sure you srart each day with a fresh part.

[LeeWay]

You guys have never seen a machine burn up.

[LeeWay]

It's not a pretty sight and will kinda stick in your mind.

Before
Attachment 365956

During

Attachment 365954

After


Attachment 365952

[Steve Seebold]

You guys have never seen a machine burn up.

That's why I keep my extended warranty up and I have replacement cost fire insurance on my on my house.

[LeeWay]

Actually this instance might be a supporting reason for leaving the machine turned on. This occurred just after my Son started up the machine in the morning. He went outside immediately after and less than 5 minutes later, he saw smoke. We stopped the flames within another 5 minutes, but the electrical plastics still had the smoke rolling. FD showed up 12 to 15 minutes after it started, but it was basically over by then.
It all wound up being 90% covered by insurance, but insurance doesn't cover lost down time for production and the grief and aggravation of dealing with cleanup, repair and replacement of everything. It was a freak accident. I still consider that we were fortunate for the outcome. We still run the machines basically unattended, but shut down everything at night.

I do keep my personal desktop computer running all the time, but reboot a few times a week.

So more of a reminder to keep insurance coverage up to date than not leaving the machines turned on.

[wuxibaide]

I experienced it, last year one night, our cnc machine center burned up because of cutting fluid problem.

[C*H*U*D]

I'll leave mine on overnight if I'm in the middle of a job, but I don't leave it on just to "leave it on".