losing steps between layers on 1 axis


Results 1 to 16 of 16

Thread: losing steps between layers on 1 axis

  1. #1
    Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2017
    Location
    United States
    Posts
    9
    Downloads
    0
    Uploads
    0

    Default losing steps between layers on 1 axis

    Wondering if anyone else has experienced this issue, this just started over the weekend?

    Running a China Zone 60x90

    All 3 axis are calibrated and move accurately when doing the calibration distances

    Everything on the first pass is correct to scale

    When going for second pass Y axis is always less than where it is supposed to be. It not a constant number off, just always less.

    That pass is then done perfectly other than it keeps shifting on the Y axis.

    I was thinking maybe my G code got messed up somehow, but I hit stop after it began the 3rd pass and then jogged back to my Y limit and found the CNC thought it was 15mm away from the y axis being at 0, so I think I am at a hardware issue.

    Not sure if something in the motor is not counting the steps correctly in rapid movement, or if something else.

    I am going to make a simple 3/4" box tonight and see what happens

    I think I am going to try and swap X and Y stepper motors see if it follows the motors.

    After that I guess I would be at swapping out X and Y controllers to see it if follows them

    Thanks in advance, any ideas are welcome...I like to have some type of game plan ready when I get home to figure this out

    Similar Threads:


  2. #2
    Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Location
    Canada
    Posts
    475
    Downloads
    0
    Uploads
    0

    Default Re: losing steps between layers on 1 axis

    15mm is a lot of steps out.

    Yes, swapping components is easiest to test.

    Swap wires first, drivers second, motors themselves last and test (when the motors are off) for how much force is needed on the coupling to see if one axis is binding somewhere.

    Actually, check for loose wires first.

    But, if the size of layer 2 and 3 are ok, then it might be interference from the z that is causing the issue.....that's less likely than just loosing or gaining steps along the cut line though.

    Good luck

    Sent from my Nokia 3.4 using Tapatalk



  3. #3
    Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2017
    Location
    United States
    Posts
    9
    Downloads
    0
    Uploads
    0

    Default Re: losing steps between layers on 1 axis

    So I made a 10x10 box 3/4" deep and it cut out as expected

    I took my previous file which was 6 different cuts and ran each portion separately and it cut perfectly

    Since I ran each separately, I am thinking more of the steps being lost in the rapid movement between the cuts when they are in one file



  4. #4
    Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2017
    Location
    United States
    Posts
    9
    Downloads
    0
    Uploads
    0

    Default Re: losing steps between layers on 1 axis

    Update as I am still having issues...

    I had been told to check the coupling tightness on the screws and all that was fine, that maybe it was just slipping occasionally, since it was so random. Well I was going to run a simple spoil board flattening when the bug hit the machine and I caught it. In the middle of everything the stepper motor just shutters for a few seconds but Mach 3 still thinks it is moving then it just starts going again but it is now about 20mm off course. By shuttering I mean the knob of the motor was just going back and forth about a millimeter. The g-code for the spoil board is simply going down, then going back and forth so there was no intricate movement when this happened, just going from x25 to x575. But when it came back on the next pass it hit the limit switch because it never got to x575 but thought it had. This has happened in both the X and Y axis. I am not driving the unit very fast so I don't think that it is an issue of skipping steps, and I can easily manually turn the screws so it's not in a bind. I think either the motors are bad or the controllers are not providing enough voltage sometimes just for a brief moment. What do you think? I have seen so many different manufacturers and do not want to buy more junk if I have to upgrade controllers or motors, or both. Thanks for your input.



  5. #5
    Member mactec54's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    USA
    Posts
    15362
    Downloads
    0
    Uploads
    0

    Default Re: losing steps between layers on 1 axis

    Quote Originally Posted by tjcham01 View Post
    Update as I am still having issues...

    I had been told to check the coupling tightness on the screws and all that was fine, that maybe it was just slipping occasionally, since it was so random. Well I was going to run a simple spoil board flattening when the bug hit the machine and I caught it. In the middle of everything the stepper motor just shutters for a few seconds but Mach 3 still thinks it is moving then it just starts going again but it is now about 20mm off course. By shuttering I mean the knob of the motor was just going back and forth about a millimeter. The g-code for the spoil board is simply going down, then going back and forth so there was no intricate movement when this happened, just going from x25 to x575. But when it came back on the next pass it hit the limit switch because it never got to x575 but thought it had. This has happened in both the X and Y axis. I am not driving the unit very fast so I don't think that it is an issue of skipping steps, and I can easily manually turn the screws so it's not in a bind. I think either the motors are bad or the controllers are not providing enough voltage sometimes just for a brief moment. What do you think? I have seen so many different manufacturers and do not want to buy more junk if I have to upgrade controllers or motors, or both. Thanks for your input.

    Have you done any wiring improvements Ground wiring is normally quite poor on these machines?

    What does the spindle to VFD Drive wiring look like, have the used a 4-wire shielded cable?

    Is there an EMI Power Filter?

    Could also have the Velocity / Acceleration set to high also.

    Post some photos of the cabinet wiring

    Mactec54


  6. #6
    Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2017
    Location
    United States
    Posts
    9
    Downloads
    0
    Uploads
    0

    Default Re: losing steps between layers on 1 axis

    I have not done any wiring improvements. It appears the ground goes to the power supply, the EMI filter and the VFD, I don't think it is bonded to the enclosure


    The VFD spindle has a 4 wire conductor, but if it does not appear to be a shielded wire.

    Yes there is an EMI filter under the motion card

    It is not going very fast so I do not believe this is the issue.

    Thanks for looking and helping.

    losing steps between layers on 1 axis-cnc6-jpglosing steps between layers on 1 axis-cnc7-jpglosing steps between layers on 1 axis-cnc5-jpglosing steps between layers on 1 axis-cnc4-jpglosing steps between layers on 1 axis-cnc3-jpglosing steps between layers on 1 axis-cnc2-jpglosing steps between layers on 1 axis-cnc-jpg

    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails losing steps between layers on 1 axis-cnc6-jpg   losing steps between layers on 1 axis-cnc7-jpg   losing steps between layers on 1 axis-cnc5-jpg   losing steps between layers on 1 axis-cnc4-jpg  

    losing steps between layers on 1 axis-cnc3-jpg   losing steps between layers on 1 axis-cnc2-jpg   losing steps between layers on 1 axis-cnc-jpg  


  7. #7
    Member mactec54's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    USA
    Posts
    15362
    Downloads
    0
    Uploads
    0

    Default Re: losing steps between layers on 1 axis

    Quote Originally Posted by tjcham01 View Post
    I have not done any wiring improvements. It appears the ground goes to the power supply, the EMI filter and the VFD, I don't think it is bonded to the enclosure


    The VFD spindle has a 4 wire conductor, but if it does not appear to be a shielded wire.

    Yes there is an EMI filter under the motion card

    It is not going very fast so I do not believe this is the issue.

    Thanks for looking and helping.

    losing steps between layers on 1 axis-cnc6-jpglosing steps between layers on 1 axis-cnc7-jpglosing steps between layers on 1 axis-cnc5-jpglosing steps between layers on 1 axis-cnc4-jpglosing steps between layers on 1 axis-cnc3-jpglosing steps between layers on 1 axis-cnc2-jpglosing steps between layers on 1 axis-cnc-jpg
    Yes, this is a crowded mess, the filter is most likely only suitable for the Power supply, the output of the VFD U V W is where most of the problem is coming from, the input is not that great as well, do the drives have a Ground wire.

    When the main Power enters the cabinet what does the Ground wire do, is it connected to a Grounding Stud or Bus.

    Mactec54


  8. #8
    Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2017
    Location
    United States
    Posts
    9
    Downloads
    0
    Uploads
    0

    Default Re: losing steps between layers on 1 axis

    Using the pictures and my memory on this...the ground at the source plug has 2 wires on it. 1 wire goes to the power supply the other to the EMI filter where it has another wiring wire leave and go to the VFD. It did not appear to be bonded to the enclosure or go anywhere but to those 3 devices.

    The only wires on the drives seem to be 2 wires from the 24volt source, the 4 wires for the motors, the 3 wires from the controller and a jumper from the PLS+ to the DIR+ on the drive which comes from the 5V on the controller



  9. #9
    Member mactec54's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    USA
    Posts
    15362
    Downloads
    0
    Uploads
    0

    Default Re: losing steps between layers on 1 axis

    Quote Originally Posted by tjcham01 View Post
    Using the pictures and my memory on this...the ground at the source plug has 2 wires on it. 1 wire goes to the power supply the other to the EMI filter where it has another wiring wire leave and go to the VFD. It did not appear to be bonded to the enclosure or go anywhere but to those 3 devices.

    The only wires on the drives seem to be 2 wires from the 24volt source, the 4 wires for the motors, the 3 wires from the controller and a jumper from the PLS+ to the DIR+ on the drive which comes from the 5V on the controller
    Thats not ideal but should work for those Items, so is there a Spindle Ground where does that go.

    Is this a water-cooled spindle?

    Check the 4th Pin at the spindle to see that it has continuity to the spindle body, and the Plug has a Ground Back to the Box

    Mactec54


  10. #10
    Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2017
    Location
    United States
    Posts
    9
    Downloads
    0
    Uploads
    0

    Default Re: losing steps between layers on 1 axis

    yes it is a water cooled spindle

    the 4th pin at the spindle has continuity to the spindle body and the box, I missed that wire before, it is connected directly to the power supply ground

    Think I am going to get some shielded wire and replace the wiring



  11. #11
    Member mactec54's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    USA
    Posts
    15362
    Downloads
    0
    Uploads
    0

    Default Re: losing steps between layers on 1 axis

    Quote Originally Posted by tjcham01 View Post
    yes it is a water cooled spindle

    the 4th pin at the spindle has continuity to the spindle body and the box, I missed that wire before, it is connected directly to the power supply ground

    Think I am going to get some shielded wire and replace the wiring
    You have to add a Ground Bus or a Single point Grounding Stud in the cabinet, this would be attached to the cabinet, (Remove the Paint wherever you mount anything) all Grounds need to be connected at this one point. (Star Point)

    IGUS has the best shielded cable, what is the spindle size, and I will give you a Cable part number, when you replace this cable, you need it as one piece from the spindle to the VFD Drive
    so just a Gland or gromet where it enters the case, the shield also needs to be correctly terminated so when you get to that part, I will give you some guiding snips

    Spindle Kw=

    Mactec54


  12. #12
    Member vkonradi2's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2019
    Posts
    11
    Downloads
    0
    Uploads
    0

    Default Re: losing steps between layers on 1 axis

    I had a steps-skipping problem once, turned out to be a failed fan in the control box, and simple overheating. Something in the silicon wasn't making timing when too hot. Mercifully it was not a hard failure, and cleared up after I replaced the fan. Worthwhile checking that your fan is running.

    Yesterday my Z-axis was not functioning. Motor did not even hold tight in a static position when the drive was powered up. I swapped in the spare (rotation) axis driver, and everything is back to normal. Pulled the bad driver and the electrolytics are exploded. Different from your problem.



  13. #13
    Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2017
    Location
    United States
    Posts
    9
    Downloads
    0
    Uploads
    0

    Default Re: losing steps between layers on 1 axis

    2.2kw spindle



  14. #14
    Member mactec54's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    USA
    Posts
    15362
    Downloads
    0
    Uploads
    0

    Default Re: losing steps between layers on 1 axis

    Quote Originally Posted by tjcham01 View Post
    2.2kw spindle
    This cable works well for that 2.2Kw spindle IGUS CF6-15-04

    Mactec54


  15. #15
    Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2017
    Location
    United States
    Posts
    9
    Downloads
    0
    Uploads
    0

    Default Re: losing steps between layers on 1 axis

    ok...I just ordered wire from them to redo the stepper motor wires, that is where I found my problem, I hope. Will order this also. Thanks for your advice



  16. #16
    Member mactec54's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    USA
    Posts
    15362
    Downloads
    0
    Uploads
    0

    Default Re: losing steps between layers on 1 axis

    Quote Originally Posted by tjcham01 View Post
    ok...I just ordered wire from them to redo the stepper motor wires, that is where I found my problem, I hope. Will order this also. Thanks for your advice
    If you Twisted the DC pairs going to the drives this will help a lot also, any shielding has to be terminated correctly or it will cause problems.

    Any wires you can Twist like this, it is easy to do, and is very affective.

    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails losing steps between layers on 1 axis-cable-png  
    Mactec54


Tags for this Thread

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  


About CNCzone.com

    We are the largest and most active discussion forum for manufacturing industry. The site is 100% free to join and use, so join today!

Follow us on


Our Brands

losing steps between layers on 1 axis

losing steps between layers on 1 axis