Machine losing its place in all three axes

[mnjordan]

I am having an issue with my Shark that has me really frustrated and at a loss. I recently had to upgrade to the newer controller box when my original one blew up on me.

I like to use the bottom left corner and top surface of the work for my home position. Last night, it would go like this: I would set the X and Y axes, jog the gantry over to set the Z, set it (I don't have a touch plate yet), and hit "move to 0,0,0" in the Controller software - and the machine would sometimes move back to where it should be, but 90% of the time it would lose the X or the Y axis I had just set, and sometimes it would lose both. I thought I was making boneheaded errors at first, but I realized that the machine really was losing what I had just set. I would have to reset, move it around, hit 0,0,0, see what happens. It's just all over the place.

I actually got it to return to where it should be four to five times in a row, so I foolishly attempted a test cut that had a long estimated time - just over an hour. I began the job, and everything was going really well for about forty minutes, and then the machine definitely lost the Y, and possibly the Z axis. It plunged itself through the middle of the work and into the bed, breaking the endmill and ruining the job. I EStopped, returned to zero, and the Y was off by about 2". Fortunately this was just a test cut into pine, and not a piece of expensive curly maple.

I don't get a lot of time in the shop, so this is extremely, extremely disheartening. The last two times I've tried to use my Shark, I've had the controller blow up, and now the machine won't hold it's place.

Hopefully I've explained what's going on well enough. Any ideas?

[mnjordan]

Could there be an issue with static/grounding with my machine?

[McBuster]

Check to see if the cord for the Router is run alongside those for the Servos. If so, run the cord for the Router on the opposite side, far way, from the servo wires. See if that helps.

[rungemach]

Has the replacement controller worked well before, and this problem is just starting, or has the problem come along with the new controller?

Did NWA give you any indication of what went wrong with your old controller? I am wondering if you may have some of the wiring to the motors shorting out intermittently. it may be good to check them for overheating as there has been problems with some of them melting. If thats what blew up your old controller, it will blow up the new one as well.
Since the motors are cheap, if you suspect them or their wiring, it may be wise to replace them.

If the new controller was working well, did you make any changes to the machine or computer?
If the problem came in with the new controller, it needs to go back to NWA to test as it may be a flakey controller.

[mnjordan]

Has the replacement controller worked well before, and this problem is just starting, or has the problem come along with the new controller?

Did NWA give you any indication of what went wrong with your old controller? I am wondering if you may have some of the wiring to the motors shorting out intermittently. it may be good to check them for overheating as there has been problems with some of them melting. If thats what blew up your old controller, it will blow up the new one as well.
Since the motors are cheap, if you suspect them or their wiring, it may be wise to replace them.

If the new controller was working well, did you make any changes to the machine or computer?
If the problem came in with the new controller, it needs to go back to NWA to test as it may be a flakey controller.

No, I got no reasoning from NWA about my last controller failing - just "it's broken and can't be fixed. You'll have to buy a new one." This was my first attempt with the new controller. After the job failed and I shut everything down, I noticed that the controller box was really quite hot. It had been running for 40 minutes, but it seems like it should have been cooler than it was. I didn't check the wires. When I bought the new controller, the motors went back to NWA so they could be rewired with the new four wired connectors in the new controller.

It has't gone well, obviously. I'm going to isolate the motor wiring as best as possible from the power and USB. I'm also going to SUPER clean the machine, lube all the rails and screws, and check (for what will be the fourth time) the mechanical connections. I already had the router on its own power conditioner and the PC/Controller box on another. I'm considering separating the PC and the controller as well, but honestly, I don't really want yet another expense on this thing.

[rungemach]

since NWA had both the motors and the controller at the same time, they should stand by the product if it failed first time out. Hopefully there is some kind of warranty period on replacement controllers.

The box can get hot as it has no active cooling, (but that's another issue). Personally, I would ask them to take everything back in and test it thoroughly before returning it back to you.

Also, there should be a reason why your old box failed, if you blew the motor drivers, it would indicate a possible bad motor or wiring on the failed axis. There are several distinctly different things that can fail in that unit, and "just buy a new one" to me is not a great explanation. If the driver circuit blows, I would immediately question why, and want to check the wiring to the failed axis motor and the motor itself. Just replacing the box would be an invitation to blow that same axis driver in the new box as well. Then you are back where you started.