3018 Pro 3 Axis Mini DIY CNC Router problem

[shorty1905]

Hi all, i'm new to this site and cnc machines, i am a fully qualified carpenter & joiner.
i bought my 3018 Pro 3 Axis Mini DIY CNC Router a couple of months ago, i've completed a few basic jobs. on my last job the machine started making a noise as if it couldn't move no further to the right or left, foward, backwards and up and down are fine. i've changed the head unit and the side axis motor and still it doesn't work as it should, i can move the head by turnining the threaded bar by hand but that's it. any help would be greatfully appreciated. thanks Dean

[Doddy]

The term 3018 is a generic sizing term common amongst lots of Chinese mini routers, but I'll go with the best info I can grab off Amazon as to a likely configuration.

If the motor is making a noise but not turning then that does/could sound like a fault between the motor driver and the motor (the motor has two pairs of coils - hence 4 wires - if one wire/coil fails then then motor generally will make a noise without substantially turning).

From what I can see there's a motor driver board on the gantry that each of the 3 motors plug in. With the machine de-powered, swap the wiring/plug for the motor that's at fault with another that works and re-test. If the problem follows the wiring (i.e. the donor motor is now faulty) then the problem likely lies with the controller board, otherwise it's likely to be the motor or the wiring. If the motor/wiring then you need to eyeball the cables, connectors, make sure everything is pushed home.

If the problem is localised to the board (i.e. swapping the motors makes the new donor motor fail) then it could that on the board under each axis drive there's a miniature rotary potentiometer that sets the current for each motor axis (i.e. 3 in total for 3 axis). You could eyeball these and try tweaking the appropriate channel to increase the current, but I'd be surprised if these have substantially moved from OEM/build calibration.

[Kitwn]

With the machine de-powered,

This bit is VERY important! Motor drivers do not like sudden disconnection of a motor when powered. You could easily create a new fault you did not have before.

Kit