AutoCut - Autometrix
Contents
1. 1 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 5 5 6 16 6 7 NPN 17 7 8 NPN 18 8 9 E Stop Out 9 10 E Stop Trig 10 Inputs Inputs Outputs Inputs Inputs Outputs 1 xa low 11 1 pen 2 xhi 12 2 dev1 3 y low 13 3 dev2 4 y hi 14 ext pause 4 dev3 5 xb low 15 5 Spare 6 theta 16 6 estop light 7 Spare 17 NPN 1 7 start light 8 start button 18 NPN 2 8 pause light 9 spare 19 estop out 9 blower 1 10 safety pause 20 estop trig 10 blower 2 All of the output lines are on when active otherwise they will be off 65 66 Motor Alarm Lights If the PatternSmith Virtual Keypad reports a Motor Fault you will need to look at the status lights on the motor drives The type of failure will be indicated by the blink code of the Motor Status light Blink codes and their meanings are shown on the next page Any motor fault will trigger a system wide emergency stop Is S E iS Is Is a 5 IS Is 8 z E E 8 E 8 g E 8 5i El 8 Motor Drive Blink Codes Blink Drive Status Possible Causes Code Rapid Enabled Drive is actively servoing Solid Ready not enabled Drive is ready but not On enabled 3 Over current voltage High input voltage or Line voltage high shutdown current sensed Cable failure 4 Thermal shutdown Drive temperature EC temp excessive exceeds safe limit Drive fan blocked 5 Tracking error Tracking error has Mechanical problem shutdown exceeded limit Cable proble2. 1 Low vacuum pressure Possible Causes What to Do Bleed valve setting Close bleed valve then reset to get 95 inches water oo many open holes Cover open surface with plastic and test again in surface Cutting surface not Check gasket condition seated against gasket 2 Not holding material down Possible Causes What to Do Beer ENS with plastic and test Bleed valve setting Close bleed valve then reset to get 95 inches water Clogged holes in Clean or replace cutting surface cutting surface oo many open holes Cover open surface with plastic and test again in surface 89 90 Chapter 9 Calibration Guide Carriage Square Calibration In PatternSmith create a square 51 inches on each side Set the device to Pen for plotting Put wide paper on your cutting table and plot the square you just created Measure each diagonal as accurately as possible Diagonal 1 d1 refers to the upper left to lower right line Diagonal 2 d2 is the lower left to upper right line If everything is in calibration each diagonal will measure 72 125 inches If the carriage is out of square one diagonal will be greater than 72 125 and one less You can compute the amount to correct the Xsquare_ Offset using the following formula For 60 and 63 inch systems delta 0065 d1 d1 d2 d2 For 72 and 73 inch systems delta 0075 d1 d1 d2 d2 Next use any text editor Notepad or Wordpad to open the UserCals file
3. e Keep scrap or waste material from getting caught along the sides of the carriage or in the x axis e chain Anything material plastic coverings tape etc that comes between the extrusions and the moving carriage may cause damage to the system e Keep all heavy equipment and supplies forklifts hoists rolls of material pallets etc away from the table Bumping the table with force can cause it to lose calibration or could cause severe damage e Protect the machine and yourself from static discharge with static mats and straps Always ground yourself before you handle electronic components MAINTENANCE NOTE If the machine starts making an unusual noise try to determine the source of the noise This may be the first warning sign of a worn or damaged part Replacing the part or returning it to Autometrix for repair may save you additional damage Regular maintenance reduces down time and allows you to schedule that down time 51 52 Maintenance Schedule Daily every 8 hours of use e Clean x axis rails Debris will interfere with the system s performance e Clean x axis rack Buildup of debris will cause premature wear on pinions e Clean y axis linear rail Accumulated dust will cause unnecessary wear e Check cutting blade for wear Dull or damaged blades reduce cutting efficiency and may cause unnecessary wear to the cutting surface Check e chain for material or obstructions These can cause severe damage t
4. Bent cylinder shaft Turn off air pressure and move cylinder by hand 7 Wobbly blade Possible Causes What to Do Loose axle bolt Replace axle bolt periodically Replace blade spacers periodically 85 86 8 Unusual blade wear Possible Causes What to Do Theta calibration error Check theta calibration Loose blade Check for correct spacers worn axle correct assembly Abrasive material Replace blade more often being cut Try using different style blade Excessive air Don t use more than required for material check pressure blade sharpness B Losing position 1 Carriage losing perpendicular Possible Causes What to Do Loose pinion collar Tighten collar clamp and test Excess rolling Turn off power and make sure carriage rolls easily resistance causing everyplace on the table motor stall Test all bearings Poemas Plea rack and retest Low AC input voltage Test input voltage 2 Losing position on any axis Possible Causes What to Do Loose pinion collar Tighten collar clamp and test Excess rolling Turn off power and make sure carriage rolls easily resistance causing everyplace on the table motor stall Test all bearings Persio 9 rack and retest Low AC input voltage Test input voltage in brown out condition machine causing motor won t run reliably stalls 3 Losing position on first table OK after warmup Possible Causes What to Do Loose pinion collar Tighten
5. 0 00 y 0 00 Local Mode includes many other comamnds you ll use in the cutting process The Go Home button can be used at any point Pressing Go Home sends the carriage to its previous start point on the first press and to the Global Origin 0 0 the second time it is pressed The Blade Change button can be pressed if you need to change your cutting head tool You can do this at any time either between cutting projects or by pausing your current project This function moves the cutting head to Y 12 inches for your convenience while the X value will remain in its current position When you finish changing your blade press the Blade Change button again and the cutting head will return to its previous position to continue From the Virtual Keypad or the Handheld Keypad you can also use the Device buttons to activate any device There are four Device buttons Pen Dev 1 Dev 2 and Dev 3 Press the appropriate button to activate a device A light will indicate that the device is activated Pressing the button again will deactivate the device Devices 1 and 2 are steered blade holders that can hold a rolling blade tangential blade notch tool or punch Device 3 is usually an Air Drill You can start your vacuum blowers from the Keypad or from the Mag Starter switch at the end of the table Use the Keypad to jog the carriage to any location you wish while you are in Local Mode You can depress the Jog Speeds button to select low medium
6. or high speed for jogging Use the arrows to jog in the desired direction The Jog Fast button combined with a jogging direction will allow you to temporarily jog quickly while the overall jog speed is set to low During jogging the display screen shows the present coordinates of the pen Anytime you want to return to the Global Home position simply press the Go Home button You can use the jogging arrows to select a start location other than the Global Origin to begin a cutting project You can jog the carriage to any location but be careful to ensure that the entire cutting project will still fit on the table Finally the Red Park button is a new feature allowing you to park the carriage in any corner of the cutting table you choose Simply press the Park button followed by the red corner button indicating the corner of the table you d like the carriage to park in 31 Online Mode Virtual Keypad Ready Online Material Requirements Name Default Width 60 000 in Copy 1 of 2 Material Used 14 679 27 558 in Nest Materia None 0 000 0 000 y 32 At Table Completion V Home Cut Off Material ClLet Right C Framing Enabled Frame A of E User Origin Cur 0 00 0 00 in Max 153 32 32 44 in C Start Plotting At x 0 000 in Y 0 000 in i iis Close Once you have homed your system you can switch to Online Mode Online Mode allows you to send comman
7. surface Allowing the Lexan cutting surface to float freely over the vacuum panels eliminates problems that could be caused by thermal expansion It also makes surface replacement quick and simple Attached to the vacuum blower is a vacuum relief valve This provides airflow to cool the vacuum blower The maximum vacuum on the gauge should not exceed 110 inches of water 11 12 Chapter 2 System Requirements It is important to make sure that your building s facilities meet the requirements mentioned in this chapter Power Requirements The AutoCut X5 requires multiple power circuits to power the system components All electrical power sources and connections should be referred to a qualified licensed electrician before connection to the AutoCut There are three separate power requirements that must be met in order for the AutoCut to function Host computer 110 VAC 20 Amp Single 1 Phase Electronics cabinet 208 220 235 240 VAC 20 Amp Single 1 Phase Vacuum blower 220 440 VAC 40 Amp Three 3 Phase Shielding Your Power Circuits Care must be given to proper electrical routing and shielding Shielding of power circuits is required Without the use of separate conduits and the separation of single and 3 phase power sources signal interference may occur To avoid the possibility of signal interference due to stray electromagnetic fields the single phase power to the electronics cabinet and the 3 phase p
8. your existing DHCP Router or you can get a wireless DHCP router with an integrated switch 17 18 You will configure the Control PC s Local Area Network adapter to have an assigned IP address with a subnet that is different from your LAN Configure the PC s wireless adapter to get its IP address automatically from your router If you are using the optional Tablet PC it will have a preset static IP address 192 168 1 59 and the Cutter will have a static IP address 192 168 1 60 If this is the same subnet as your LAN it will need to be changed Wireless PC to Local Network wired from Local Network to Cutter Wireless to Network Co Control PC Obtain IP address automatically Local Network Cutter Assigned IP on same subnet This option also requires a DHCP Router with a wireless access point and allows any computer on your network to see the Cutter The Cutter will need to be assigned a Static IP address that will not conflict with your DHCP router You can configure your router to reserve a range of IP addresses to be used as Static addresses Assign an address to the Cutter that is within that range and on the same subnet Then let PatternSmith find the new connection address for the Cutter Wired PC to Local Network wired from Local Network to Cutter Local Network Control PC Cutter Dynamic IP Assigned IP on same subnet This option doesn t require a wireless access point but stil
9. 0160 23 set float xsquare_offset The third line from the bottom in the example above shows a value of 0 2787 stored in location 15 as t_limit_ offset The value is the fraction of one revolution required from the limit sensor to align the theta axis perfectly You will start with the value shown in your usercals file modify it and then put the new value into the usercals file and the controller With the Cutter turned on start MotionMechanic and make sure you have communication Then type the following commands exactly as shown below batch_off 0 0 T_LIMIT_OFFSET start_plot find_t_home This will home the theta axis with zero offset set_origin This resets the current location to home 0 O t1value ualine ep 95 96 Start with a tivalue equal to the value in your usercals file since that should be close Continue changing the value for tivalue until the beam is reflecting back to within 0 25 inch of the laser on the left side viewed from the keypad tvalue T_LIMIT_OFFSET This will change the homing offset to the value you have just determined reflects the laser beam correctly find_t_home homes theta axis with new offset Continue changing the tvalue in very small increments about 0 0003 and homing until the beam reflects perfectly The final value is your new theta 1 offset Enter the new theta 1 offset value in your UserCals homing offsets section for location 15 Save the UserCals file In MotionMe
10. 9020 MultiCam1 Cancel This box lists all your currently installed machine tools and asks you to pick one to communicate with You may only have one installed machine tool Select your tool and click OK Send File Store File Reboot Now you will see the Motion Mechanic screen There are three primary tools you will use in Motion Mechanic Send File Store File and Reboot The Send File button found on the toolbar allows you to send the information in a file of your choice to the Controller Clicking this button opens a file selector box Use this selector to find and send moparams or usercals The Store file tool reloads your init files into the Controller s memory Use this button to store an init file into a specific location of memory In the file selector box first use the bottom dropdown menu controller location to select one of three options file location O firmware or user init file Choose the location for the file based on the file type keypad files should be stored in file location o init files in user init and firmware in firmware What you select from this dropdown menu will change the extension file type shown The final tool you will use in Motion Mechanic is the Reboot function Reboot from the dropdown menu box in Motion Mechanic KDM Enter This restarts the Controller erasing memory in the process 69 70 The Main Screen The main screen in Motion Mechanic is used to relay message
11. From the Project Window click Plot gt Plotter Setup gt Devices Set the number of plotting or cutting devices in the Total Devices Selector box For each device select the blade type that you are using With the optional air drill an AutoCut can simultaneously carry four devices pen cutting blade notching tool and punch On your pattern set elements to Plot Type Cut1 or Plot Type Cut2 on the Attributes Toolbar in the Editor Window 39 40 Changing Blades Change the rolling blade as shown in the diagram S Note Olfa blades and carbide blades use different spacers Olfa Blades The Olfa blade uses two differently styled spacers One spacer has three raised nibs around the center hole The other has a recessed ring around the center hole First make sure the triangular center hole of the Olfa blade is nestled firmly onto the raised nibs of the nibbed spacer Then center the recessed spacer on the blade Place the blade changing tool on the end of the shoulder bolt While carefully holding the blade spacer unit between the arms of the blade holder insert the narrow end of the blade changing tool through the bearing the blade spacer unit and the second bearing Push the shoulder bolt through until it stops The blade changing tool will drop off Attach the nut to the shoulder bolt Carbide Blades A carbide blade uses two identical spacers Center the blade between the two spacers and then use the blade changing
12. Tool will be updated and it s IP Address will be changed to use the address you have specified above This could mean that other PCs on your network will no longer be able to communicate with this Machine Tool if they are configured to use the old IP address Please consult your Network Administrator if you have any doubt or questions about changing this setting Enter the new IP address you want to use for the Controller and click OK Then you can test the connection from the previous screen by clicking Test IP 21 22 Changing the Computer s IP Address Each network adapter in your computer will have its own IP address To change an IP address first go to Network Connections from your Start button Then right click on the connection you want to change and click Properties 4 Wireless Network Connection Properties PR General Authentication Advanced Connect using E9 Intel R PRO Wireless 2200BG Netw Certus This connection uses the following items I SF AEGIS Protocol IEEE 802 1 v3 0 0 5 WLAN Transport 5 Internet Protocol TCP IP a Description Allows your computer to access resources on a Microsoft network Show icon in notification area when connected Notify me when this connection has limited or no connectivity At the Properties screen select Internet Protocol TCP IP and click Properties You can choose to Obtain an IP address automatically or se
13. an optional air drill The blade holders can accept two types of rolling blades tangential blades a rotary punch or a notch tool The pen and blade holders are actuated by adjustable pneumatic pressure Cutter 2 6 Cutter 1 Air Drill Pen Holder Tangential Blade Holder Control Console The Control Console is located at the origin corner of the table It features a handheld keypad start pause and emergency stop buttons and space for you to insert your personal tablet PC notebook computer or monitor and keyboard The Handheld Keypad one of your primary controls throughout the cutting process is docked at the control console however you can lift it out of its holder for convenient mobility You ll find more information about the Handheld Keypad in Chapter 4 System Operation and more information about the Start Pause and Emergency Stop buttons in Chapter 6 Plotting and Cutting Tablet PC Emergency Stop 10 Electronics Cabinet The electronics cabinet contains the power supply controller interface boards and drive amplifiers for each motor The controller receives instructions from PatternSmith and translates them into the signals that position the carriage and cutting head The electronics cabinet is connected to the Control Console computer using a direct crossover Ethernet cable Alternatively you can connect to your Local Area Network or you can use a serial cable E
14. laser pointer on a block of modelling clay switch side up The laser should be horizontal about 1 inch above the table surface Place the pointer on the far side of the table aligned with the line drawn on the tape Turn on the pointer and direct it toward the tape line on the near side of the table 93 94 4 Use a folded piece of paper with drawn lines as a target for the laser pointer Make sure the laser is directly above the line at both ends use a square to be sure Target 5 Attach the rolling blade holder to device 1 Using a strip of double sided mylar adhesive attach a small mirror to the side of the holder away from the keypad Make sure the mirror is pressed on flat or the calibration will be wrong 6 Jog the carriage until the cutting head is near the keypad side of the table and the mirror on the blade holder is reflecting the laser pointer beam back toward the laser The reflected beam should be within 0 25 inches of the laser If it is not you will need to adjust the calibration Adjusting the Theta Calibration Value In your UserCals file look for the Homing Offsets section Homing Offsets 2 650 105 set float cut_x_offset 0 000 106 set float cut_y_offset 0 200 107 set float cut2_x_offset 1 900 108 set float cut2_x_offset 8 75 13 set float x_limit_offset 205 14 set float y_limit_offset 0 2787 15 set float t_limit_offset 0 0040 16 set float t2 limit_offset 0
15. more e Replace Lexan cutting surface e Replace and adjust x axis and y axis pinion gears using instructions that follow 53 54 Adjustment Instructions Adjusting the Carriage Trucks Tools required 5 32 Allen wrench 3 32 Allen wrench 1 2 Open end wrench Phillips head screw driver Loctite 222MS Preparation To adjust the carriage trucks you need to remove the carriage from the table and the support trucks from the end plates To Remove the Carriage Turn cutting machine off Turn off the air pressure at the control panel Detach the cables and air lines at the XA and XB ends of the carriage 4 Remove the XA and XB end caps at the origin end of the table The origin end is the end where the 0 0 point is and the where the control panel is located Remove the cutting blades punch or notch tool from the devices Using two people roll the carriage off the origin end Y y ove To Remove the Carriage Trucks from the End Plate 1 Remove the end covers on the carriage 2 Remove the support truck from the XA side by unscrewing the 3 16 Allen head truck mounting screws 3 Remove the support truck from the XB side of the carriage by sliding it off of the support pins Adjustment 1 2 Loosen the lock nut on the second and fifth wheels by rotating counter clockwise while holding the center screw stationary Place the truck assembly into its track You may need to r
16. to manually jog the carriage 5 When satisfied press Set New Offsets button form closes 97
17. tool to attach the blade spacer unit as described above Tangential Blade Holder Tangential Blades The tangential blade is mounted inside a shoe that rides on the surface of the material being cut The depth of blade or distance below the shoe should be set to a few thousandths of an inch more than the thickness of your material Replace the tangential blade as shown Loosen the collar clamp bolt with a 3 16 T handled Allen wrench Unscrew the collar clamp Using a 5 64 Allen wrench loosen the set screw that anchors the tangential blade Replace the blade making sure that the flat side of the blade post is facing the center of the blade holder Tighten the set screw Replace the collar clamp screwing it on to the proper blade depth Tighten the collar clamp bolt 41 42 Notch Blade The notch blade is mounted in the same style blade holder as the tangential blade Replace the notch blade in the same way that you replace the tangential blade Rotary Punch The rotary punch is mounted inside a rotating shoe which rides on the surface of the material being punched Set the depth of blade below the shoe to a few thousandths of an inch more than the thickness of material to be cut Replace the rotary punch the same way you replace the tangential blade Cutting Pressure The cutting pressure adjustment is located on the table base near the On Off switch With a sharp blade most materials can be cut with the cu
18. wire to Remove end cover and check wiring joystick fast motion Joystick out of Adjust joystick potentiometers adjustment slow motion Damaged KDM or Call Autometrix joystick 4 Keypad says Homing Y Axis but no motion occurs Possible Causes What to Do Emergency Stop Check EStop switch active Dead IC on interface Return electronics cabinet to Autometrix board C Joystick Problems 1 Works but does not have three speeds Possible Causes What to Do Joystick is out of Remove end cover and adjust joystick potentiome adjustment ters 2 Can t move carriage in one or more directions Possible Causes What to Do Broken wire between Check continuity between KDM and joystick KDM and joystick Failed Joystick or Check output of joystick and replace either joystick KDM or KDM as required D Pause and EStop Problems 1 Pause doesn t work Possible Causes What to Do Pause switch broken Tie pause lines together to see if problem goes away if so replace pause switch ontroller Error or bad Swap chips in sockets U14 and U17 to see if chip problem moves 79 80 2 Pause without touching pause button Possible Causes What to Do Broken wire Check continuity of pause signal in steps all the way back to controller Dirty or damaged Test switch for continuity switch Electronic noise or If you can press Start to get it started again noise interference is the most likely caus
19. 52 54 63 68 74 91 92 95 96 97 Chapter 1 System Summary Your AutoCut X5 system consists of a vacuum table with integrated linear support rails a lightweight carriage and cutting head an electronics cabinet cables and a control station You control the X5 cutting system with a virtual keypad in PatternSmith accessed from the touch screen PC at the system control console Carriage The AutoCut carriage is made of aluminum and carbon fiber for the lightest possible weight The lighter weight reduces forces on the system this means your system will suffer less wear and will have improved reliability Motors The AutoCut carriage has four motors Two drive the X axis the length of the table one drives the Y axis the width of the table and one steers the cutting blade called the Theta axis The X and Y axes are driven by a pinion attached directly to the motor shaft Y Motor Theta Motor st XB Motor XA Motor Rails and Rack Both X and Y axes use a rack and pinion drive The racks themselves are oriented in an inverted position teeth down so that dirt dust and cutting debris cannot collect in them this could cause cutting inaccuracies or create excessive drive resistance Attached to the vacuum panel edges are the X rails structural members that provide linear accuracy along the X axis It is important to avoid subjecting the rails to excessive forc
20. AutoCut Model X5 User s Manual Autometrix Precision Cutting Systems Inc Grass Valley CA 95945 530 477 5065 Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 System Summary Carriage Motors Rails and Rack Limit Sensors Cutting Head Control Console Electronics Cabinet Cables Vacuum Table Cutting Surface System Requirements Power Requirements Shielding Your Power Circuits Grounding Requirements Power Conduit Layout Network Connections Network Connection Options Setting Up Network Connections Changing the Cutter s IP Changing the Computer s IP Finding an Ethernet Connection System Operation System Startup The Handheld Keypad The Virtual Keypad The Control Console ho hp ann barron 11 13 13 14 14 17 21 21 22 25 27 28 28 34 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Plotting Cutting Devices Blades and Blade Holders Changing Blades Pens and Pen Holders Plotting and Cutting The Vacuum Table Local Origin Plot Current Table The Start Button The Pause Button The Emergency Stop Button System Maintenance Maintenance Schedule Adjustment Instructions Troubleshooting Troubleshooting Guidelines Diagnostic Tools Using Motion Mechanic Symptoms Causes amp Remedies Calibration Guide Carriage Square Calibration Theta Axis Calibration Adjusting the Theta Value Adjusting the Theta 2 Value Adjusting the Theta Using Calibrate 39 40 44
21. a filler material to cover the open holes Porous material must be covered with a plastic sheet to hold it firmly in place With your material in place turn on the vacuum blower The vacuum pressure gauge on the end of the manifold should read at least 30 of water When all of the holes in the surface are sealed completely vacuum pressure can rise to over 100 However you can cut successfully with pressure as low as 25 47 48 Local Origin You can choose to start your plot or cut job from the global home position or from the Local Origin Wherever the pen is located at the time that you press Start is considered the Local Origin You can determine where you want the Local Origin to be use the Handheld Keypad or the Virtual Keypad to jog the pen to the position you wish to make the Local Origin Plot Current Table From the Virtual Keypad press Online to change from Local mode to Online mode A Start button is now displayed on the screen For safety reasons PatternSmith requires that you be in Online mode to start the AutoCut Press Start on the Virtual Keypad The green Start button to the right of the screen will light up Confirm that you wish to start the cutting process by pressing this button After a 1 2 second delay the carriage will begin moving PatternSmith will complete all plotting and cutting The carriage will then return to the current Local Origin or the Global Home position if you chose to begin your c
22. chanic send the modified UserCals file to the Controller Reboot the Controller home the carriage and check your Theta offset Adjusting the Theta 2 Calibration Value In MotionMechanic type end_ plot to allow jogging Move the blade holder with mirror to the second device Jog the carriage so the laser beam hits the mirror and reflects back to the laser Then type start_plot batch_off set_origin 0 O t2value ualine ep Continue changing the value in t2value until the laser beam is aligned That is your new theta 2 offset Copy that value to the UserCals file on the line below the theta 1 offset storage location 16 Save the UserCals file and send it to the controller as before Adjusting the Theta Calibration Value Using Calibrate Theta One 1 Start the Calibration program 2 Open Align Theta One form 3 Press Home Theta with o Offset to home with no offset and set origin 4 Press Start Jog to use right left arrows to move theta position 5 Pressing End Jog will allow you to jog using the joystick 6 Press Home Theta with New Offset to check the new offset 7 When satisfied with new offset click Set New Offsets form closes Theta Two Theta 2 is set relative to Theta 1 1 Open Align Theta Two form 2 Press Home with No Offset to home Theta 2 with o offset from Theta 1 3 Press Start Jog and use right left arrows to move Theta2 4 Press End Jog
23. ck of all the messages the controller is sending back to the computer This is often used for diagnostic purposes Plot Current Table Ready Messages Moving Plot initialization finished FAULT 1 Pause Finished processing Cancel Save to File 35 36 Maintenance Pressing the Maintenance button gives you access to a screen where you can upload new firmware as updates become available Here you can also do diagnostic testing Plot Current Table Ready Maintenance Reboot with init file Y find_home x Send Fie 37 38 Chapter 5 Plotting and Cutting Devices The AutoCut features several different blades and blade holders Blades and Blade Holders The AutoCut has two steered blade holders Each holder can accept a rolling circular blade a tangential knife blade a notching blade or a hole punch Select the rolling blade or the tangential blade based on the material and patterns to be cut Most fabrics can be successfully cut with the rolling blade Some high density materials such as clear acrylics or Kevlar reinforced materials require the tangential blade The rolling blade cuts a clean circle or radius down to about one half inch radius Smaller radii can be cut with the tangential blade When cutting a new material test both cutting devices to determine which will provide the best results Tell PatternSmith which blade you have in each device
24. closes all of the pattern perimeter Com port error Replace com port and test sending bad data from computer Wrong setup Check setup parameters parameters in Go to Plot gt Plotter Setup gt Table Size PatternSmith 4 Random Pause Detect Possible Causes What to Do Breaking or broken cable Check for loose screws on pause switches or switch connection Check continuity of pause signal in steps all the way back to controller Test switch External electronic noise If you can press Start to get it started again noise is the most likely cause 5 Random Estop while running Possible Causes What to Do Breaking or broken cable Check continuity of pause signal in steps all the or switch connection way back to controller Test switch External electronic noise Eliminate other possibilities such as broken cable or motor drive 6 Carriage stops and KDM displays Press Home Possible Causes What to Do Breaking cable Test continuity of all signal not motor cables causing a short Failing power supply Monitor power supply voltage while running Mechanical problems A Cutting Head 1 Pen or cutter won t drop or lift from keypad Possible Causes What to Do Blocked air supply Check needle valves pen only With air off check for free motion With air on push red button on solenoids Remove cutting head cover Failed relay Check Opto22 relay on controller Keypad or KDM From Wmx985 test ci
25. collar clamp and test 4 Motor stalls Possible Causes What to Do Excess rolling Turn off power and make sure carriage rolls easily resistance causing everyplace on the table motor stall Test all bearings Cutting very heavy Try slower speeds material Consider high torque motor option call Autometrix Loose pinion collar Tighten collar clamp and test eee ie rack and retest Low AC voltage Test input voltage 87 88 C Motors 1 Motor feels hot Possible Causes What to Do One or more broken Check all motor wires for continuity wires Improper setting on Check motor drive switch settings drive 2 Motor sounds rough Possible Causes What to Do Missing one phase of Test input power 3 phase power Check wiring of motor only for new installation Vacuum problems A Vacuum Blower 1 Blower is slow getting to speed then trips breaker Possible Causes What to Do Missing one phase of Test input power 3 phase power Check wiring of motor Magnetic starter Test mag starter failure Low setting on Check current setting on mag starter call magnetic starter Autometrix first 2 Blower trips breaker after some time Possible Causes What to Do Pinion adjustment or Replace pinion and adjust backlash worn pinion Broken wire in cable Test continuity of motor cables Drive settings Check drive settings Motor bearings Power off remove carriage from table and move motor by hand B Vacuum Table
26. ds to the cutter for the current PatternSmith project Online Mode relinquishes control to the host computer to execute PatternSmith instructions You cannot jog the carriage while in Online Mode however you can still use the Go To function to enter precise coordinates for a starting location Type a 0 000 0 0 v set of coordinates into the dropdown menu above the Go To button If you hit Enter your typed coordinates will be saved in the dropdown menu for future use After entering your coordinates press Go To The carriage will move to the position you specified The coordinates of the carriage will be reflected in the display screen at the top of the Virtual Keypad Note The Go To function is available in both Online Mode and Local Mode In Online Mode Plotting and cutting is done under host computer control The Options button allows you to plot or cut your current table current material or all materials See the PatternSmith User Manual for more details 33 QuickCut QuickCut is a convenient feature that allows you to make quick single line cuts Simply enter the startpoint and endpoint select the device you wish to use and press Go You can also have your material cut off at a specific X coordinate Virtual Keypad Ready QuickCut Cut From 0 000 in Y 0000 Im Cut To X 0 000 jy y ooo in Cut Off Materiala x 0 000 34 Messages This window keeps tra
27. e Loose screws on pause Tighten screws and test button 3 E Stop doesn t work Possible Causes What to Do Short in EStop cable Check continuity of EStop signal in steps all the way back to controller Dirty or damaged Clean and test switch for continuity switch 4 E Stop without pressing E Stop button Possible Causes What to Do Broken EStop cable Check continuity of EStop signal in steps all the way back to controller Motor alarm on Check alarm lights on motor drives drive isconnected at plug Check connection at Electronics Cabinet E Machine Stops while running 1 PatternSmith displays Com or Unknown Error message Possible Causes What to Do Broken or loose host Check connection and continuity serial cable Com port buffers set Set both transmit and receive buffers to lowest too high setting Com port handshake Replace com port in computer failure at computer 2 PatternSmith displays Limit Detect message Possible Causes What to Do Debris or material in a Blow out limit switches and test limit switch Failed limit switch Swap another switch and see if problem moves replace limit switch Failed Opto chip at Swap opto chips in sockets U10 U13 and U17 and controller test Loose connector at Unplug and replug limit switches and test limit switch 81 82 3 PatternSmith displays Out of Bounds Error message Possible Causes What to Do Error in pattern Make sure perimeter en
28. e controller needs low level firmware that can be reloaded Check our website for the current firmware version To rebuild controller memory Start MM and the X5 From the dropdown select Reboot Don t Load Init and press Enter The following steps are in order of severity of the problem Start with number 1 reloading moparams and usercals If that doesn t fix the problem go on to number 2 reloading the init and kdm files Reboot again and if the problem persists continue with 3 and possibly 4 1 Reloading Moparams and Usercals files Press the Send button and navigate to your lamx folder Select the file moparams and click Open Press the Send button again and navigate to the lamx folder Select the file usercals and click Open From the Reboot dropdown select Reboot Load Init File and press Enter 2 Reloading the init and kdm init files Call Autometrix first for the name of the current init files Press the Store File button In the bottom dropdown in the dialog box select File Location 0 Navigate to the file vkdm e ini and press Open Press the Store File button again From the bottom dropdown in the dialog box select User Init Navigate to the file m2521 404 uc and press Open The controller will reboot itself after loading the files 3 Reformatting the controller memory This will only need to be done in extreme circumstances when a power problem has caused extensive loss of memory inte
29. e functions found on the Handheld Keypad The Virtual Keypad also gives you access to four additional operating modes not found on the Handheld Keypad Online QuickCut Messages and Maintenance Like the Handheld Keypad the Virtual Keypad includes a one line information bar displaying current coordinates and other pertinent information Local Mode and Finding Home When you initially power up the cutter will be in Local Mode In this mode the operator is in control of the machine from either the Handheld Keypad or the Virtual Keypad Here you can jog and home the carriage and you can activate the pen and the cutters The host computer cannot send plotting or cutting commands while the system is in this mode Local Mode Virtual Keypad Ready Local I Ei Soc nauna 29 30 When you first power up the cutting system the Handheld Keypad will turn on automatically and will instruct you to Press Find Limits Press the Find Home button The carriage responds by moving slowly in the negative directions along both the X and Y axes When the carriage reaches the limit sensors the carriage automatically squares itself to the table setting the Y axis perpendi cular to the X axis of the table Next it aligns the cutting blade to zero degrees and finally moves to the Global Home 0 0 or Global Origin position at which point it stops and awaits further instruc tions The screen display will read x
30. e that could distort them Limit Sensors The cutting system uses six limit sensors Three of these sensors are located on the table rails and are used to define the X axis limits at the ends of the table These limit sensors are called XA Low XB Low and XA high The remaining three sensors are mounted on the carriage assembly These limit sensors are called Y Low Y High and Theta You can view their locations on the diagram shown All six of the limit switches serve two purposes First they are used in the process of finding the Home position and making the carriage square to the table each time it is powered up Second the positions of the limit switches and triggers define the in bounds rectangle of maximum carriage motion If the carriage exceeds the range limits set by the sensors the limit switches signal the controller to stop the carriage immediately The Theta limit sensor located on the carriage and used only for homing and for aligning the Theta axis operates by emitting a tiny infrared beam which is made or broken by a metal trigger mounted in the top gear of the cutting head The other limits are proximity sensors and are triggered when a steel object comes within 0 15 of them XB Low Theta XA Low Y High Y Low XA High Cutting Head The cutting head includes a pen holder two steered blade holders and
31. es button When you re finished changing your blade if you are controlling your cutter from the Handheld Keypad press the Change Blades button again If you are controlling your cutter from the Virtual Keypad in PatternSmith press Continue The Pause Button is also a valuable means of quickly stopping the AutoCut carriage if a bystander enters its range of motion The Emergency Stop Button The Emergency Stop E stop is the large red button located on the Control Console on the left side of the Control Console This is available for emergencies such as a broken blade or an obstruction on the table When the E stop button is pressed all position information is lost Turn off the power to the cutter and reset the E stop button by turning it clockwise Wait 15 seconds before turning the power on again After you power up the cutter again you will be able to resume cutting as usual 49 50 Chapter 7 System Maintenance The AutoCut carriage x and y rails rack sensors and pinions must be kept clean and free from any debris The maintenance schedule is simple and if followed will ensure that your AutoCut provides you with many years of trouble free operation PRECAUTIONS e Turn off power to the system before doing any maintenance e Never stand on vacuum table top e Keep material rolls off of the cutting table when the carriage is moving If the carriage hits a roll of material or other objects it can cause extensive damage
32. found in the folder called c amx Look for the Homing Offsets section which reads Homing Offsets 2 650 105 set float cut_x_offset 0 000 106 set float cut_y_offset 0 200 107 set float cut2_x_offset 1 900 108 set float cut2_x_offset 8 75 13 set float x_limit_offset 2 05 14 set float y_limit_offset 0 2787 15 set float t_limit_offset 0 0040 16 set float t2 limit_offset 0 0160 23 set float xsquare_offset 91 92 The bottom line in the example on the previous page shows a value of 0 0160 stored in location 23 as xsquare_offset Add the delta value you computed above to the value you find on that line and replace it Save the UserCals file Start the Wmx95 exe program found in the amx folder Press the F1 key to download a file and download the UserCals file you just modified Still in Wmx95 type COLD to restart the controller home the carriage and repeat the process until the diagonals are accurate The error in perpendicular is about half the difference between the diagonals Theta Axis Calibration 1 Put about 8 inches of masking tape on the table at the origin at the near and far sides as shown below 2 Use the pen on the carriage to draw a line all the way across the table so that it crosses both tape strips while it is at a constant value of x It is important to jog only in the y direction so check your x location at the start and end to make sure it didn t move 3 Press your
33. grity in the controller Always call Autometrix before you do this To remove the init files type format_files To remove the data parameters type format_params You will not see any response to these commands After you reformat do steps 1 and 2 above 4 Rebuilding the firmware In extreme cases you may need to rebuild the firmware in the controller Please call Autometrix for the latest file 73 74 Symptoms Causes and Remedies Electrical Electronic Problems A Problems during Power On 1 No response no lights no keypad display Possible Causes What to Do Check the power disconnect near the cutter Check the Facility circuit breaker Check other 220v equipment Blown fuse in EC Check the fuse in the drawer above the power cord 2 No keypad display dark Possible Causes What to Do No power to KDM Check the 15 pin connector on the back of EC Check the 5v and 12v at the keypad Check the 12v at the EC ee add connecting plug to KDM Broken or discon Check continuity on all wires at KDM nected wire to KDM 3 Keypad displays Version but no Press Home message Possible Causes What to Do Loss of part of Start Wmx95 program controller flash Watch for parameter errors or fsp stack errors if so memory reload moparams and usercals Voltage to Controller Measure voltage adjust to 5 00v low Broken or discon Check continuity on all wires at KDM nected wire to KDM Emergency Stop Check EStop bu
34. iage end slightly back and forth You will feel the backlash clicking as the pinion touches the rack at each end of travel 3 Still holding the motor in one hand rotate the motor mount very slowly clockwise until you can feel the backlash just disappear Tighten the motor mount screws A Check one more time and then replace the end covers Si More Backlash e TN Br UJ Less Backlash O 57 58 Replacing the Drive Pinions When your pinions become worn you can easily replace them The x and y axis drive pinions are held on the motor shaft by clamping collars To Replace the Pinions 1 Remove the x motor from the end plate or the y motor from the y cage assembly by removing the four motor adjustment screws 2 Remove the worn pinion by loosening the clamping collar and sliding the pinion off the motor shaft 3 Replace the worn pinion with a new one and assemble in the reverse order Make sure the pinion extends beyond the end of the motor shaft by the same amount as the old pinion 4 Adjust the pinion engagement Removing and Replacing the Cutting Head If any of the device cylinders on your cutting head get bent or damaged you will need to send it back to Autometrix for repair Removal of the cutting head is simple Your cutting head will be returned rebuilt and recalibrated Tools required 5 32 Allen wrench Small slotted screwdriver Preparation Before doing any work on the cu
35. l allows any computer on your network to see the Cutter Assign an address to the Cutter that works for your router Then let PatternSmith find the connection address for the Cutter No connection from PC to Network crossover cable from PC to controller Control PC Assigned IP 192 168 1 59 Cutter Assigned IP 192 168 1 60 Crossover Cable If there is no Local Network available this option lets the Tablet PC see the Controller Files can be moved to the PC using a Flash Drive or any USB mass storage device 19 Setting Up Network Connections To establish your network connections first you need to set the Cutter s IP address Changing the Cutter s IP Address When you install either Motion Mechanic or PatternSmith 2005 you will also be adding the Machine Tools applet to your Control Panel If you need to reset the controller s IP address start the Machine Tools applet from your Control Panel Machine Tool Properties The following Machine Tools are set up on this computer MC 9020 amp Default Machine MultiCam1 lt gt Add Remove Properties Test IP Help Close v3 9 10 2 Select the Cutter s Controller it will probably be the only one shown and click Properties 20 MultiCam1 Properties MultiCaml IP Address 192 168 1 60 Cancel Machine Info Database AAA El NOTE Once you click OK the specified Machine
36. lectronics Cabinet Back Y Theta Xa Xb Encoders Encoders GS000 0 an ea eo Serial Table Carriage E O Port Ethernet Signals Signals 4 4 Y Theta Xa Xb Motors Motors Cables All moving cables for the X and Y axes are enclosed in the Energy Chain E Chain The system is equipped with Continuous Flex cable which will last for many years However in case of a need for maintenance the E Chain snaps open for easy replacement of cables Vacuum Table The vacuum table is constructed from pultruded fiberglass panels making the table design very rigid These fiberglass panels are supported by a steel frame table base The vacuum blower applies suction to the entire table evenly holding your material in place during the plotting and cutting process Additional vacuum blower assemblies may be needed for cutting tables longer than 40 feet Valves can be added to the vacuum piping allowing you to use a reduced portion of the table for smaller cutting jobs The vacuum blower assembly can be positioned either under the cutting table or at a remote location to eliminate noise in your workplace Noise buffers can also be placed around the vacuum blower Cutting Surface The cutting surface is constructed of a continuous flat sheet of polycarbonate plastic Lexan Small diameter holes are evenly spaced over the cutting surface The free floating Lexan cutting surface is placed over the peak and valley vinyl vacuum panel
37. les in the cutting head with the three threaded holes in the rolling cage 2 Start the two 10 32 screws into the top of the cutting head 3 Start the two lower 10 32 screws that attach the base of the cutting head to the rolling cage 4 Tighten all four screws to approx 30 in lbs To Connect Wiring and Air Lines Route the theta motor wire harness around all the moving parts 1 of the cutting head and reconnect 2 Connect the theta limit sensor wire by gently pushing the four pin wire connector onto the sensor Caution this connector will only go on one way so check the direction of the connector and pins to be sure they are aligned Do not force the connection 3 Connect the air lines to the appropriate air tool by pressing the tubes into the quick connect fittings Recalibration The theta offset values stored in the controller and used for homing must be updated for the new cutting head values 1 Note the two numbers on a dot on top of the theta gear The top number is theta1 and the bottom is theta2 In an editor such as Notepad or Wordpad open the usercals file found in your amx folder file c amx usercals Homing Offsets 2 650 0 000 0 200 1 900 8 75 2 05 0 2787 0 0040 0 0160 105 set float 106 set float 107 set float 108 set float 13 set float 14 set float 15 set float 16 set float 23 set float cut_x_offset cut_y_offset cut2_x_offset cut2_x_offset x_limit_off
38. m RMS shutdown Motor torque Mechanical problem requirement too high Cable problem 7 Encoder signal Drive detected illegal Encoder problem problem encoder state Grounding problem N A Communtation signal Drive detected illegal Hall failure problem hall sensor state Cable problem 11 EEPROM needs Needs configuration initializing file reload 12 EEPROM hardware Drive failure failure 13 Vector setup error Error detected at Hall failure startup Drive problem 67 Using Motion Mechanic for Diagnostics Motion Mechanic is a diagnostic tool that lets you communicate directly with the controller of your cutting system You can use Motion Mechanic for intercepting error messages and for downloading init files and calibration files to the Controller Motion Mechanic is most frequently used by tech support members at Autometrix to diagnose a problem Starting Motion Mechanic Motion Mechanic is already installed on your tablet PC at your Control Console You can use the desktop icon to access Motion Mechanic or you can open it from the Start menu Before you open Motion Mechanic make sure that your cutter is turned on When you open Motion Mechanic the first thing you will see is a dialog box Currently Installed Machine Tools Please select the Machine Tool you wish to communicate with from the list below If your Machine Tool is not listed it can be added by selecting the Machine Tools icon from the Windows Control Panel MC
39. o cables and carriage Clean the cutting surface by blowing it off with compressed air This will help maintain vacuum pressure Weekly every 40 hours of use e Check e chain for debris damaged cables or overly twisted wires that can cause system down time e Wipe the x and y axis linear rails down with a drop of 3 in 1 oil on a soft cloth e Replace cutting blade Sharp blades maximize cutting efficiency Monthly every 160 hours of use e Check blade bolt The blade should feel rigid with no blade wobble e Inspect Olfa blade holder if applicable Blade should not move from side to side If it does replace the blade holder e Check x and y axis pinion gears Pinion wear will affect the system s accuracy of movement Adjust pinion engagement if necessary following instructions below Clean system by blowing dust lint and material out of the carriage with compressed air Clean the limit sensors with Q tips so they are free of lint and dust Clear the cutting surface holes by blowing them with compressed air This will ensure good vacuum pressure Annually every 2000 hours of use O Replace the rolling blade holder s bolt Prolonged use may cause the blade to wobble and result in inaccurate cutting O Grease vacuum blowers following the manufacturer s instructions e Rotate or flip the cutting surface as needed e Adjust x axis carriage trucks and pinions following the instructions below Every Two Years or
40. o see the status of limit switches by looking at the controller inside the electronics cabinet at the first six LED s on the Inputs LED bank near the center of the controller labelled on the diagram shown Testing Motors Before testing any motors you will need to bypass the homing process at Startup You can do this by sending the command no_home Next change to motion mode instead of jogging mode by sending the command start_plot Finally you can send motion commands in the form lt x gt lt y gt lt theta gt ualine ep Fill in any values for x y and theta in inches The carriage will move to that location 71 72 Retrieving Calibration Values from the Controller Retrieve all of your calibration values from the controller by pressing F2 creating a file name and sending the command upload_params Rebuilding Flash Memory If you see fsp or stack errors in MM you may need to rebuild part of the controller memory Init files and calibration data are stored in non volatile flash memory on the controller In certain instances of power failure you may lose some of the flash memory and need to reload it from the hard disk The files that make up the controller memory are found in your c amx folder m2521 404 uc Init file with homing and motion routines vkdm65c ini Init file with keypad routines Moparams Motion parameter data Usercals User calibration data In addition to the init and data files th
41. otate the adjusting screw to allow the center wheel to fit into the railway Rotate the adjusting screw to adjust the tightness of the truck in its track The wheel needs to be rotated so it moves up toward the top side of the track When adjusted properly the truck will not rock in the rail but will move easily Tighten the lock nut Push the truck up and down the rail It should move freely If not it is too tight and needs to be readjusted Reinstall each truck on its endplate with the arrows pointing down Leave the Xa side truck loosely attached until you put the carriage back on the table After mounting the carriage tighten the truck screws Lock Nut Adjusting Screw 55 56 Adjusting the Drive Pinions The x and y axis motors are mounted on eccentric motor mounts These enable you to adjust the pinion engagement by simply rotating the motor Rotating the motors clockwise raises the pinion decreasing backlash Rotating them counterclockwise lowers the pinion increasing backlash The goal is to come as close as possible to eliminating backlash without the pinion engagement being too tight Tools Required 5 32 Allen wrench Phillips head screw driver Preparation 1 Turn off the cutter 2 Remove the end covers To Adjust the Backlash 1 Loosen the motor mount screws labeled A and rotate the motor as far as possible counterclockwise to get maximum backlash 2 Holding the motor move the carr
42. ower to the magnetic starters and vacuum blowers should be run in separate conduit and kept at least 12 inches 30 cm from each other Whenever possible avoid running power lines parallel to each other The single phase and 3 phase power sources must always be separate 13 14 circuits 40 amp service for the 3 phase and 20 amp service for the 110 and 220 VAC single phase Power to the electronics cabinet and the host computer should be line conditioned and surge protected to smooth power fluctuations Grounding Requirements The braided grounding straps in each E chain must be grounded to the table base Each X axis rail and the screen between the cutting surface and vacuum panels must also be grounded to the table The table must be grounded to a ground rod or water pipe using minimum 4 gauge wire Power Conduit Layout The host computer requires 110 VAC single phase power on its own 20 amp circuit conduit shielded line conditioned and surge protected The AutoCut carriage and electronics cabinet need 220 VAC single phase power on its own 20 amp circuit conduit shielded line conditioned and surge protected From the main switch panel the 220 single phase power can then be routed via conduit under the table and away from the three phase power line It then routes to the contact box mounted on the table frame at mid table in the immediate proximity of the electronics cabinet The blower assembly uses 220 VAC three pha
43. rcuits by typing failure 2 0 1 pset_bits Communication Test wiring continuity failure between controller and KDM 83 84 2 Pen or cutter won t drop or lift while running Possible Causes What to Do Sticky cylinder or low Check air pressure Use one drop of sewing air pressure machine oil on cylinder shaft Check air regulator Broken wire to Test solenoid valve with red button on top solenoid valve Check light on Opto22 relay Test continuity of wiring Opto relay failure Check light on Opto22 relay for operation Solenoid valve Test solenoid valve with red button on top of valve problem Check for clear air supply 3 Pen Drop Lift Speed Possible Causes What to Do Sticky cylinder Try a very small amount of sewing machine oil on cylinder shaft Needle valve setting Open needle valve all the way then readjust 4 Pen stays down Possible Causes What to Do Sticky cylinder Try a very small amount of sewing machine oil on cylinder shaft Needle valve setting Open needle valve all the way then readjust 5 Pen to Cutter offset Possible Causes What to Do PatternSmith setup parameter Check PatternSmith2000 instructions Are all of the pen cutter offsets consistent If not there could be a motor stalling someplace on table 6 Slow action on cylinders Possible Causes What to Do Sticky cylinder or low air pressure Try a very small amount of sewing machine oil on cylinder shaft
44. ring when the pen is in the down position Tighten the bolts Adjusting the holding bracket up and down allows for the use of pens with tips of varying length Pen Speed Adjustment You can adjust the speed with which the pen moves down to the table surface Insert a small screwdriver in the air valve marked C on the drawing shown Turning the screwdriver counterclockwise will increase the pen down speed and turning the screwdriver clockwise will decrease the speed 46 Chapter 6 Plotting and Cutting Before plotting or cutting you need to start PatternSmith and open the pattern or project you wish to plot or cut Patterns are displayed in the top portion of the screen while nested copies are displayed in the lower portion You can find complete instructions for using PatternSmith in the PatternSmith User Manual PatternSmith Help Files and the PatternSmith tutorial CD The first time you use PatternSmith you need to establish your network connections determine what blades are installed on the cutting devices and determine the length of your table Navigate to Plot gt Plotter Setup to enter this information See the PatternSmith User Manual for details The Vacuum Table Next you are ready to roll your material onto the vacuum table smoothing wrinkles as much as possible Make sure that all the holes on the surface of the vacuum table are covered by the material If your material doesn t cover all of the holes use
45. s from the Controller You can type on the screen you will not see your own typing but after pressing Return you will see the Controller s response Alternatively you can type in the dropdown to the right of the Reboot dropdown When troubleshooting it is often convenient to see your commands echoed in the top portion of the screen You can see an echo by typing batch_off to make the text appear as you type To stop the echo simply type batch To be sure that your computer is communicating you can type junk and press Enter The controller should respond with a message Error 2 Token junk not found Error messages are written in red Ifit doesn t respond your computer is not communicating Check your cables and then go back to Machine Tools to test the IP address MotionMechanic Terminal MC 9020 File Edit View Controller Tools Window Help Ose s EBS Vere TR uCito K520 U2 68d C166 8H RAM installed Chan6 186224 Chant 512 HCIF U4 43y3 FPGA M11U8 GL KN KDH U4 43m c 2884 ETC Loading User INIT file MAX FRAC lowered to match pulse width MFrac 6 663 USY gt Testing Limit Switches To see if any limit switches are triggered type the command Ichk The controller will return a number indicating which limits are triggered none LOWXA HIX LOWY HIY 6 THETA 4 LOWXB D20AN Oo If more than one limit is triggered the number will be a sum of all the limits in the on state You can als
46. s many software problems Electronics or Firmware The first step in solving apparent electrical or firmware problems is running our diagnostic program Motion Mechanic Motion Mechanic usage is explained later in this chapter The most common controller problem is a loss of controller memory due to a power fluctuation or spike If Motion Mechanic reports an fsp or stack error reload moparams and usercals as described 63 64 later in this chapter Mechanical Most mechanical problems are easily avoided by good maintenance and by keeping the system clean Check for e tape in the rails e dust or tape in a limit switch e badly worn or misadjusted pinions e sticky device cylinders Vacuum System The most common vacuum problems are caused by e uncovered holes on the cutting surface e a leak in the vacuum piping Diagnostic Tools There are a number of different tools you can use as you attempt to diagnose a potential problem Controller LED s You may need to check the status of input and output devices on the controller PC board The lights below show the normal startup configuration The first six inputs are used for limit sensors The LED s should be on when not triggered If a limit sensor is not working properly or is just dirty its green LED will be turned off This lets you easily identify which limit sensors are malfunctioning The Pause and E stop lines should also be on when not triggered
47. se power on its own 40 amp circuit This should be run in metal shielded conduit to a power disconnect and then to the main switch panel switching relays The switched 3 phase power output from the power control relays should be routed underneath the table to each vacuum blower using metal shielded conduit This conduit is typically hard plumbed however the last 2 feet need to be flexible conduit to allow for minor adjustments in location of the blower assemblies 15 16 Chapter 3 Network Connections Before operating your system you need to connect the Control PC running PatternSmith to the X5 cutter using a network cable You will probably want PatternSmith to find the files to cut over a local network You will have four options for making the connections depending on the type of network you want to use Note Instructions for setting IP addresses and finding Ethernet connections are included at the end of this chapter Wireless PC to Local Network crossover cable from Control PC to cutter Wireless to Network O Local Network Control PC Cutter Assigned IP Assigned IP 192 168 1 59 192 168 1 60 Crossover Cable This option connects the Control PC directly to the Cutter using a crossover ethernet cable It also connects to your local network through a wireless access point In order to use this option you will need a DHCP Router with a wireless access point The wireless access point can be plugged into
48. set y_limit_offset t limit_offset t2_limit_offset xsquare_offset 61 62 4 5 6 Change the theta offsets in the Homing section of the file as shown below Theta1 is the third from the bottom and Theta2 is second from the bottom in that section Save your changes to the usercals file Start the Motion Mechanic program also found in your amx folder Press the Send key and download the usercals file to the controller Complete instructions for Motion Mechanic and controller files are found in Chapter 8 TroubleShooting Chapter 8 TroubleShooting Any problems you encounter can usually be distilled to one of four distinct areas Software Electrical or Firmware Mechanical and Vacuum If you encounter a problem first write down all of your symptoms and the date when the problem started We will need as many details as possible Even though you may have lots of symptoms that don t seem related the problem usually narrows down to a single component that is not functioning Many common problems are easy to solve or avoid TroubleShooting Guidelines Software The most common software problems involve communication errors First make sure the Ethernet cable is plugged in Then start the Machine Tools applet from the Control Panel menu and test the IP address If you experience a system crash or a General Protection Fault error go the the Control Panel and disable Power Management This resolve
49. t a static address as shown Internet Protocol TCP IP Properties General You can get IP settings assigned automatically if your network supports this capability Otherwise you need to ask your network administrator for the appropriate IP settings Obtain an IP address automatically Use the following IP address IP address 192 168 1 60 Subnet mask L A Default gateway 3 5 E Obtain DNS server address automatically Use the following DNS server addresses Preferred DNS server Alternate DNS server 23 24 Finding an Ethernet connection in PatternSmith From the PatternSmith Plotter Setup screen click the Find Connection button next to the Ethernet radio button You will see all of the available connection IP addresses Select the one for the cutter and click OK Plotter Setup Configuration Options Speeds Table Size Devices Plotter Cutter Type Autometrix lt 5 v Steps per Inch 1697 35 Total Cutters 2 Output O Comm Pott Silent Command Log Output Scale 100 Comm Port 2 Comm Port 3 Comm Port 4 Ethernet Find Connection O Driver LogFile Name O File C Program Files PatternSmith 20054 42 std Coa Hide Plotter Status Dialog Fastest Import Config Export Config 25 26 Chapter 4 System Operation This chapter will guide you through operation of your AutoCut X5 System S
50. tartup Before you power up the AutoCut make sure that Both sets of motor and sensor cables are connected to the electronics cabinet and the carriage The Control computer and the electronics cabinet are connected either to the network or to each other The compressed air pressure is turned on After you ve checked these three things follow this startup procedure Start your computer and open PatternSmith Turn on the power to the cutting system using the On Off switch at the Home end of the table Notice that the Handheld Keypad starts automatically Air Controls Vacuum Starter s 27 28 The Handheld Keypad The Handheld Keypad is the control point for operating your X5 from the Control Console You will use the Handheld Keypad to turn your vacuum blowers on and off select your plotting or cutting device prepare to change a cutting blade and to home the cutting system The Handheld Keypad also includes a screen that will provide you with information throughout the cutting process This screen shows your current coordinates and will sometimes be used to display system messages or instructions The Virtual Keypad You can also control your cutter from the control computer From the Plot menu in PatternSmith you can connect to The Virtual Keypad the control point for operating your X5 from your PC tablet PC or notebook The Virtual Keypad when it is in Local Mode offers you the exact sam
51. to KDM wire at KDM Check ribbon cables from keypad 7 Pen or cutter drops when cutter is turned on Possible Causes What to Do Broken relay on off Open the EC and check the lights on the Opto22 switch on relays Controller Swap two relays to see if the problem shifts to another device Shorted wire Check continuity on wiring to solenoid valves 8 Motor doesn t lock up Possible Causes What to Do Broken cable Check drives in EC for alarm lights Check motor cables Motor Drive Failure Check drives in EC for alarm lights Swap drives call Autometrix first B Problems during Homing 1 Nothing happens Possible Causes What to Do Home button not Start WMX95 and watch boot up process working Try homing from Wmx95 by typing find_limits Replace keypad if necessary E Stop active Check E Stop Check motor drives for alarm lights Motor cables are Unplug and replub motor cables loose Clean motor cable connectors Problem with drive Return electronics cabinet to Autometrix disable circuitry ncompolete startup Strt Wmx95 and watch boot up process of controller oy 78 2 Carriage moves in wrong direction Possible Causes What to Do Corrupted data in Reload moparams and usercals through Wmx95 controller memory Damaged chip on Swap chips in U21 U22 on M40 I O board to test controller replace chips 3 Carriage moves away from home after homing Possible Causes What to Do Broken
52. tting head turn the power off and remove the power cord from the electronics cabinet Disconnect the compressed air lines to the machine and remove all the cutting tools To Remove the Cutting Head 1 Disconnect the theta motor wires from the cutting head PC board Cut any cable ties necessary to remove this wiring harness 2 Disconnect the theta limit sensor wire by gently pulling the four pin wire connector apart This will leave four flat pins sticking out of the top of the limit sensor Be careful to not damage the pins 3 Mark your air lines with tape or a pen to make sure you reconnect the lines in the proper locations Then disconnect the air lines from the cutting head at the quick disconnects on the cylinders Push the outer flange and pull on the tube to remove the line 4 Remove the bottom two 10 32 cap screws labelled A in the diagram shown that attach the cutting head to the rolling cage 5 Remove the top two 10 32 cap screws that are located on the top cutting head plate labelled B in the diagram shown 59 60 aa EN AN L ERA I A Co The cutting head should now be fully separated from the cutting machine It should consist of two air cylinders a limit sensor theta motor with cable a pen holder and the three gears on top To Replace the Cutting Head 1 Place the cutting head in position aligning the top two 10 32 ho
53. tting pressure set between 20 and 35 PSI Tougher materials may require up to 40 PSI As the blade gets dull you will need to increase the pressure When the pressure gets to 50 PSI it is time to replace your blade Dev1 Pressure Dev2 Pressure Dev3 Pressure Pen Pressure Blade Sharpening Carbide blades for both the roller cutter assembly and the tangential blade can be re sharpened several times When you have collected a batch of 50 or more used blades contact Micro 100 Tool Corporation 1 800 635 3080 for sharpening services New blades can be purchased from an in stock supply at Autometrix 43 44 Pens and Pen Holders The AutoCut features a pen holder that can accept most pens up to one half inch 0 5 in diameter Different pens have different flow rates which can vary considerably Plotting speed is limited by the flow rate of the pen being used Typical plotting speed is 15 30 per second Autometrix recommends Fisher Space Pens for reliability and the most consistent flow Pen Replacement Loosen the adjustment bolt marked A on the drawing shown Remove the old pen insert a new pen and tighten the adjustment bolt Height and Pressure Adjustments Loosen the two bolts that allow the holding bracket to slide up or down marked B on the drawing shown Move the bracket up for less spring pressure on the pen or down for more spring pressure Adjust your pen to allow for 1 8 compression on the sp
54. tton should be out active Start Wmx95 and check for Halt function Check motor drives in EC for red lights Com port error at EC Call Autometrix 4 Keypad displays Press Home but no Local LED on keypad Possible Causes What to Do Loss of part of Start Wmx95 program controller flash Watch for parameter errors or fsp stack errors if so memory reload moparams and usercals Voltage to Controller Measure voltage adjust to 5 00v low Local LED is burned Press Find Home to see if it is just the LED out E Stop is active Check E Stop button should be out Check E Stop wiring for continuity Motor drive failure or Check EC for any red lights on Drives broken motor wire 75 76 5 Keypad displays Limit Detect message Possible Causes What to Do Debris in one or more Check all of your limit switches for debris Blow out limit switches with an air nozzleand try turning the cutter on again Broken wire to limit Start Wmx95 program switch or broken Turn the cutter off count to ten then back on switch Watch for error messages in red Type Ichk leaving a space between Ichk and to see which limit is active then check the wire for that switch Carriage may be Turn cutter off move carriage by hand then turn sitting on a limit back on switch 6 All LEDs are lit and KDM display is dark Possible Causes What to Do Broken or shorted Remove end cover and check wires
55. utting process from there and wait for your next command The Start Button When you are ready to begin a cutting job the Start Button provides an added safety feature After you are in Online Mode and have pressed Start on the Virtual Keypad in PatternSmith a green light will light up the Start Button on the top of the Control Console You must confirm that you are ready to begin the cutting process by pressing this Start Button This ensures that only an operator standing right at the Control Console can start the cutting job The Pause Button At any point in the cutting process you can pause the carriage by pressing the Pause Button The Pause Button is a large lighted orange mushroom button located on the right side of the Control Console Two more pause buttons are located on each end of the carriage for added safety When the carriage is in motion and under control of the host computer pressing the Pause button will immediately stop the carriage The system will remember where it stopped in the cutting process retaining the information needed to resume cutting if asked You can choose to resume the cutting process cancel the current cutting job or change blades To resume cutting simply press the Continue button To terminate the cutting job press the Cancel button The Pause Button is a safety feature but it can also be used to allow you to change a pen or blade or to check cut depth To change blades press the Change Blad
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