Problems with my new Chinese CNC

[DominicASP]

I just bought a Chinese 3040Z-DQ 230W Four Axis Ball Screw CNC and followed the instruction from the manual to configure the machine with Mach3.
I started testing the machine with simple X Y Z commands using Mach3 and my keyboard and noticed some really rough noise and experienced motor blocking/skipping at random locations on the X and Y axis. I did not experience anything wrong in the Z axis. There is definitely something wrong with the machine and/or configuration and I'm trying to get your advice on how to fix this and if any of you ever experienced similar problems.

To get a better idea on what I'm referring to, please watch my video and notice the problems encountered at 0:03, 0:11, 0:19.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwS3iP8Iw9s

Thank you

 

[KENAT]

Did it come with a warranty or service contract?

Posting guidelines faq731-376

http://eng-tips.com/market.cfm?

(probably not aimed specifically at you)
What is Engineering anyway: faq1088-1484​

 

[JNieman]

Sounds like Mach3 issues, to me, or possibly the controller in between Mach3 and the machine. Mach3 isn't ready to use out of the box for just any machine - you have to configure a motor settings to get the machine to work right.

I know Mach3 is "free" but ....TANSTAAFL

_________________________________________
NX8.0, Solidworks 2014, AutoCAD, Enovia V5

 

[btrueblood]

Those are step motors? There are speeds at which a step motor will oscillate, it sounds like that is what is happening to you. Try slowing the motor speeds down (or up).

 

[DominicASP]

Thank you guys for your help.
They are indeed step motors. I've followed the Mach3 configuration from the manual but I suspect that additional tweaking is required. I'll try to slow down the motors and keep you guys posted.

 

[mcgyvr]

Thats mechanical binding.. I'd suspect shipping/transportation may have caused it to get out of square/bent,etc...
Slowing max speed down will really just mask the problem.

I'd disconnect the ballscrews and make sure all the carriages/linear guides move freely.. Adjust as needed.

Also do your stepper drivers have adjustable/settable output current?
Could just need more current to the steppers but again that will really just mask the problem too.

 

[DominicASP]

So slowing down the max speed did help but the motor still seems to skip (1-2 times per X or Y passes). As mcgyvr mentioned, I think it just masks the problem.

 

[mcgyvr]

Nothing worse than a stepper driven machine loosing steps.. Might as well just throw all your material in the garbage because thats where it will end up with missed steps/binding.

 

[berkshire]

Can you print out a copy of the tool path and check the distance between each step, sometimes a repeat of the same step, or a skip over too far to another step will cause the same symptoms. However based on what you have said it does sound like mechanical binding.
B.E.

You are judged not by what you know, but by what you can do.

 

[dgapilot]

If you haven't already, go to

http://www.machsupport.com/

and download the MACH 3 manual and set up info. When I was setting mine up I had trouble missing steps, but worked through it. That was several years ago, so I forget the solution, but it was in the manual and or forums.