Z motor died...I think.

[Lyndell Smith]

I have a 2001 standard with the 4g upgrade running Vexta A6497 9412KTG. My Z stopped working and the motor is cool to the touch. I switched geckos with the Y and the problem did not move. I also switched the wago connection at the motor with the Y and the problem did not move. I pulled the wires from the wago and reattached with no result. My next step will be to eliminate the wago and directly connect the wires. It seems to me the problem is isolated from the motor to the wago. I can't think of anything else to do. Any help would be greatly appreciated. If, in fact the motor is dead, does anyone have one or two for sale? On a side note, this is my first post. I lurked for two years before buying a bot and have had the machine for four years now and find the forum mandatory reading each day. You folks are amazing with your knowledge and willingness to share. No other forum I visit is as upbeat and encouraging as this one. Maybe someday I'll have the experience to pay back.

[dana_swift]

Check the motor coils with an ohm-meter. If the coils are burned out you will have an open circuit. That is unlikely. There should be an X and Y coil which should be isolated. If either coil opens up it will stop working.

Something else is probably wrong, but the ohmmeter will tell for sure.


D

[Lyndell Smith]

Dana,
Thanks so much for your help. As it turned out, the motor was in fact dead. I didn't have time to post looking for a used replacement and that particular model is now obsolete. Here's what happened: ShopBot Tools sent me a replacement motor, but it required a new rack and pinion. The new rack was 1/2" X 1/2" whereas the old one was 3/8" X 3/8". This resulted in the motor not mounting back in the original holes and required me to wallow out the left (or upper) hole to get the teeth to engage properly. She is now up and running and so far no problems. I'm posting this in case someone else has the same problem at some point.

[Brady Watson]

...required me to wallow out the left (or upper) hole to get the teeth to engage properly.

Now THAT'S something you don't often here...Someone 'wallering' out a hole on a CNC machine. :D

Don't worry, some of the older PRTs came factory 'pre-wallered' in order to fit the gearbox motors in there. Glad you got it working.

-B

[tlempicke]

A more technical term, from Kentucky would be to ELONGIGATE that hole.

[phil_o]

I would have to assume that Shopbot has CNC based wallerers in their arsenal. Whereas most of us would have to make do with either our hand held wallerers or our drill press mounted wallerers.

Phil