Boxford A3 HSRi Axis overtravel and spindle overheating - help!

[Tom Aylwin]

Hi I have a Boxford A3HSRi which keeps diving into the work and aborting saying "Axis overtravel, machine requested to move to x= 123...

I have also noticed the spindle collet and casing getting hot - nearly too hot to touch. The spindle clamp and gantry get warm but not hot.

Boxford say its a motherboard issue. £1500 to replace so thought I'd see if anyone had experience of this before I spend money!!

Ant comments gladly received!

Many thanks

Tom

[Boyan Silyavski]

1500??? No way. In worst case scenario that could be a great opportunity to change the control board with something like CSMIO/IP-M

[Tom Aylwin]

1500??? No way. In worst case scenario that could be a great opportunity to change the control board with something like CSMIO/IP-M

Thanks for the reply Silyavski. That sounds amazing. I haven't a clue how to fit that to a Boxford machine! Does it just plug in somewhere? Will it work with Boxford steppers and software??
I'm a complete novice at this so any help hugely appreciated.

[Boyan Silyavski]

I have no idea whats inside your machine, maybe somebody will help there. But basically you rip out the main board fit the new one inside or make a separate housing, read the manual of the new board, connect the stepper drives to the board, connect limit switches, connect buttons to inputs, map inputs in Mach 3.
You will need Mach3 also. That's the program that most people use for CNC, its inexpensive , has great forum, ...



If nobody knows more details, basically i will help you. You will need to open the machine control box? and take some pictures, of the board, drives and motors.

[Tom Aylwin]

Are these any use? They are integrated behind the machine.....

[Boyan Silyavski]

Now, now, you will need schematics for the machine, but it seems the board with the green lights is the motor drives combined in one board, the one at the right side is the motion control board and the small one should be some termination boards for inputs and out puts.

So at this stage you are pretty sure the board is faulty, right? No way to take it down send to them and they repair for cheap?

If the answer to previous is no, then you need to ask them for the schematics so we see what type of signals it sends to drives, at what voltage and so on, also what else it does and what cables enter and go out from the board. Now somebody experienced with retrofits in your area could figure which is which and what is what very fast.

If they don't send you the schematics the thing to do is see motors name plate, figure motor size, figure at what voltage are driven / transformer output/ rip all out and fit all in one board like that MX3660, its breakout board and 3 drivers integrated. Its LPT compared to the one i said before which is Ethernet but has drives integrated and from all reports is a very nice combo.

[Boyan Silyavski]

Does the Hf spindle has some control box? where the cable to the spindle is coming from?

[Clive S]

Hi I have a Boxford A3HSRi which keeps diving into the work and aborting saying "Axis overtravel, machine requested to move to x= 123...

I have also noticed the spindle collet and casing getting hot - nearly too hot to touch. The spindle clamp and gantry get warm but not hot.
Boxford say its a motherboard issue. £1500 to replace so thought I'd see if anyone had experience of this before I spend money!!

Ant comments gladly received!

Many thanks

Tom

Why would the gantry and the spindle getting hot have anything to do with the mother board. .. Clive

[Tom Aylwin]

Why would the gantry and the spindle getting hot have anything to do with the mother board. .. Clive

Hi Clive,
Someone told me perhaps the heat was affecting the grease in the sliding / screw mechanisms - changing its consistency - and causing a momentary stall, hence mother board losing itself??

My instinct is it doesnt get that hot but I'm a woodworker, not a metal engineer!!

[Clive S]

Hi Clive,
Someone told me perhaps the heat was affecting the grease in the sliding / screw mechanisms - changing its consistency - and causing a momentary stall, hence mother board losing itself??

My instinct is it doesnt get that hot but I'm a woodworker, not a metal engineer!!

Ok I personally would not go down the route of changing the MB until I had checked out the mechanics.
You mention that the spindle collet get hot and clamps get warm. Have you tried running the machine without the spindle running (doing fresh air cuts) and then see if the machine loses position?.
.
You really need to give more info and a clear description of the problem you are having. ..Clive