TROUBLESHOOTING APPROACH

Preparation
Step 1 Observation
Step 2 Define Problem Area
Step 3 Identify Possible Causes
Step 4 Determine Most Probable Cause
Step 5 Test and Repair
Follow-up
Preparation:
Before begin to troubleshooting any piece of equipment, be familiar with
organizations safety rules and procedures for working on electrical equipment.
Gather information regarding the equipment and the problem. By viewing the
operation manuals and drawings.
Observation:
When observing malfunctioning equipment, look for visual signs of mechanical
damage such as indications of impact, chafed wires, loose components or parts
lying in the bottom of the cabinet. Look for signs of overheating, especially on
wiring, relay coils, and printed circuit boards.
The smell of burnt insulation and listening to the sound of the equipment,
checking the temperature of components.
Define Problem Area
Isolate the parts that does not having any problems.
By trial and error method identifies the problem area.
Ask questions based on the observations taken.
Identify Possible Causes
Once the problem area have been define, it is necessary to identify all the possible
causes of the malfunction. This typically involves every component in the
problem area (s).
It is necessary to list every fault which could cause the problem no matter how
remote the possibility of it occurring.
Determine Most Probable Cause
Once the list of possible causes has been made, it is then necessary to prioritize each item
as to the probability of it being the cause of the malfunction. The following are some rules of
thumb when prioritizing possible causes.
Although, it may seem to be possible for two components to fail at the same time, it is not very
likely. Start by looking for one faulty component as the culprit.
The following list shows the order in which you should check components based on the
probability of them being defective:
First, look for components which burn out or have a tendency to wear out, i.e.
mechanical switches, fuses, relay contacts, and light bulbs. (Remember, that in the
case of fuses, they burn out for a reason. You should find out why before
replacing them.)
The next most likely cause of failure are coils, motors, transformers, and other
devices with windings. These usually generate heat and with time, can
malfunction.
Connections should be your third choice, especially screw or bolted type. Over
time these can loosen and cause a high resistance. In some cases this resistance
will cause overheating and eventually will burn open. Connections on equipment
that is subject to vibration are especially prone to coming loose.
Lastly, you should look for defective wiring. Pay particular attention to areas
where the wire insulation could be damaged causing short circuits. Do not rule out
incorrect wiring, especially on a new piece of equipment.
Test and Repair
Testing electrical equipment can be hazardous. The electrical energy contained in many
circuits can be enough to injure or kill. Make sure you follow all of your companies safety
precautions, rules and procedures while troubleshooting.
Once you have determined the most probable cause, you must either prove it to be the problem
or rule it out. This can sometimes be done by careful inspections, however; in many cases the
fault will be such that you cannot identify the problem component by observation and analysis
alone. In these circumstances, test instruments can be used to help narrow the problem area and
identify the problem component.
There are many types of test instruments used for troubleshooting. Some are specialized
instruments designed to measure various behaviors of specific equipment, while others like the
multimeters are more general in nature and can be used on most electrical equipment. A typical
multimeter can measure AC and DC voltages, resistance, and current.
A very important rule when taking meter readings is to predict what the meter will read before
taking the reading. Use the circuit schematic to determine what the meter will read if the circuit
is operating normally. If the reading is anything other than your predicted value, you know that
this part of the circuit is being affected by the fault.
Depending on the circuit and type of fault, the problem area as defined by your observations, can
include a large area of the circuit. It creates a very large list of possible and probable causes.
Under such circumstances, I could use a divide and eliminate testing approach to eliminate
parts of the circuit from the problem area. The results of each test provide information to help
you reduce the size of the problem area, until the defective component is identified.
Once you have determined the cause of the faulty operation of the circuit, you can proceed to
replace the defective component. Be sure the circuit is locked out and you follow all safety
procedures before disconnecting the component or any wires.
After replacing the component, you must test operate all features of the circuit, to be sure you
have replaced the proper component and that there are no other faults in the circuit. It can be
very embarrassing to tell the customer that you have repaired the problem only to have him find
another problem with the equipment just after you leave.
Troubleshooting Of Automatic Tool Changer
Troubleshooting tool change problems are often associated with a generic tool changer alarm.
The process of automatic tool changers needs to be figured out in this case before you can begin
to look for the problems.
Determine the sequence for an automatic tool change:
Example ATC tool changer operation for a CNC
Step 1: Axes moves to tool change position
Step 2: Spindle orients to align for tool change
Step 3: Tool change door opens
Step 4: Magazine pot moves down or into position
Step 5: ATC arm moves 30 degrees to engage onto tool in spindle
Step 6: Spindle unclamps tool
Step 7: ATC arm lowers tool from spindle
Step 8: ATC arm rotates 180 degrees and puts tool into spindle
Step 9: Spindle clamps the tool
Step 10: Arm rotates back 60 degrees
Step 11: Tool change door closes
Troubleshooting or Preventive Maintenance of DC Motor Problems
Remove the springs and brushes by removing the cover typically with a slotted screw
driver
Check the motor brushes are moving freely when disassembling
Check that the spring tension on all the brushes are about equal
Check the face of the brushes- it should be shiny or polished which will indicate good
contact. If not replace
Check the brush length. Typical Fanuc DC motor brushes when new are about .75" long.
The less length the less spring tension on the brush.
Ounce brushes are removed shine a flashlight inside and look to see if there is build up on
the commutator or in the housing. Use an air line/clean air supply to blow this out. Clean
between all the commutator grooves and area for brushes. If the is black residue on the
commutator polish with fine sandpaper.
Check for wear grooves on the commutator from the brushes rubbing. Consider
replacement if extremely worn or pitted.
Chuck / Actuator Troubleshooting procedure
1. Is the hydraulic pump running? Power down and then power on again. Push POWER ON
again and test. See hydraulic troubleshooting and repair for more information.
2. Is there no hydraulic pressure on the adjustment valve? Check the dial again, set the
pressure higher.
3. Is the foot switch working? Check the input signal of the foot switch on the diagnostic
screen (X-input). If the input is not OK, check the footswitch contacts and cable
connections. The wire could be broke, the wire terminal could be corroded. Check the
foot pedal, can you press it all the way down? - or there is a chip under
it?
4. If the input is OK, check the PLC output to the solenoid in the ladder. If the PLC output
is not made after the foot switch operation, follow the ladder to determine what logic is
needed to turn on the output coil.
5. Is the chuck working by the MDI M-code command? If the chuck is working with M-
code, but not with the foot switch, check the foot switch.
6. Is the output of the solenoid OK? If yes, it could be a broken wire at the connector of the
solenoid, the connector could be loose, or the wire of the coil could be broken. Swap the
electrical connector for the coil to the other side or coil to see if coil energizes.
7. Is the draw tube, which connects the hydraulic cylinder and the chuck, not working? The
tube could be unscrewed from the cylinder or the chuck. Also check the chuck body,
especially the internal wedge, which should be greased up on a regular schedule. If the
chuck is dirty or not greased inside, then the draw tube can't operate the chuck in a full
extend.
Noisy Pump
1. Hydraulic pump may be cavitation and getting air into the
system.
2. Low oil
3. To heavy of oil
4. Cold oil
5. Suction filter clogged or Suction line undersized if new system.
Oil heating up
1. Contaminants stuck in relief valve
2. To light of oil
3. Oil cooler if equipped dirty or fan not running
4. Dirty oil
5. Low oil level
6. Excessive pump wear
7. Relief valve set to low
Hydraulic Pump not
responding quickly
enough or not enough
flow present.
1. Relief valve pressure set improperly or relief failing
2. Low oil supply
3. Hydraulic pump is worn or damaged
4. Valve not shifting all the way
5. Clogged flow controls if present
Oil Foaming, air in
oil
(white color)
1. Air leak in hydraulic pump suction side
2. Oil level low
3. Wrong oil put in tank
4. Pump shaft seals or access plates could be drawing air into the
system.

Daily Care and Feeding of Your CNC Machine
1. Check the hydraulic pressure to make sure its at 4.5 MPa
2. Check the hydraulic fluids to make sure theyre at the right operating level
3. Check to make sure the chuck pressure is at the right operating pressure
4. Make sure the way lube level is at the right operating level, and replenish if needed
5. If your CNC machine has a cooling system, make sure the cooling unit level is at the
right operating level
6. Clean the chips out of the chip pan, and grease any part that may need to be greased
7. Clean off the window of the door and the light so you can see inside your machine
8. Wipe down any stainless steel way covers and lubricate them with hydraulic oil so they
move smoothly
On a weekly basis, or every 40 hours, take the filter off the CNC control cabinet and clean it so
air will be able to flow through for cooling.
Every Three Months or 500 Hours
1. Check and grease the chain on the chip conveyor
2. Check and clean the filters on the coolant tank
Every Six Months or 1000 Hours
Contact your local distributor to have the following preventive maintenance performed by a
certified Okuma Engineer:
1. Have the coolant tank cleaned of sludge, chips, and oil
2. Have the chuck and jaws taken off the machine and cleaned
3. Have the hydraulic tank drained and replace the hydraulic oil with fresh hydraulic oil
also have the line filter and suction filter changed
4. Have the radiator cleaned and make sure the radiator fins are straight
5. Have the lubrication unit drained and cleaned out then add fresh way lube
6. If your machine is equipped with a cooling unit, have the unit drained and refilled
7. Have the leveling of your machine checked and adjust if necessary
8. Have all way wipers inspected for any damage clean and replace any wipers that are
damaged
Once a Year or Every 2000 Hours
Contact your local distributor and have the following inspected:
1. Have the headstock checked for taper
2. Have the spindle checked for radial and end play
3. Have the chuck cylinder checked for run out
4. Have the tailstock checked for taper
5. Have the turret parallelism and inclination checked
6. Have your distributor run a backlash program to check the backlash in X and Z axis and
adjust if necessary
7. Have your distributor check the X and Z axis gibs and adjust if necessary