So my boss just dumped a CNC machine in my lap

Hi - New member here - I've been searching the forum for some help on an issue and can't quite find what I'm after, so took the plunge and registered here to dig a little deeper.

I'm the IT guy (amongst other things) at a timber merchants and my boss just dropped off a metre cube sized package on a pallet and said - 'see if you can get this up and running for me'.

It turned out to be an ISEL 4300 3 axis CNCmilling/drilling machine - something I've never seen or used before in my life.

It did come with a bunch of paperwork, some of which is in English, most in German, as well as some GALAAD software and a GALAAD license dongle.

After some days tinkering, I've managed to get the machine to function somewhat:

• I've drawn a circle in the GALAAD milling software.
• I can get the rotary tool (looks like a handheld router) to position itself over the tool length sensor and the lower down until it depresses the switch.
• I can get the rotary tool to position itself at a starting point and then move along all 3 axis - tool lovers, draws a circle in the air, tool raises and then goes back the the start/homing location.

I haven't yet put a bit in the rotary tool, and there is no workpiece on the bed yet - baby steps - but I feel that the rotary tool should at this point be spinning but it's not.

The tool looks similar to a handheld router (albeit a thinner, taller cylinder) and has 2 controls on it - power (which is set to on) and a speed dial (11000 rpm and up). It has a 2 pin power input (240v) and it I wire this up with a plug, it works fine.

The software has a manual mode and if I press the 'start spindle button, nothing happens (other than the button turning into a 'stop spindle' button).

I have checked four fuses on the board and they are all fine, and I have checked continuity from the tool, all the way back the the point it connects to the board, and that's fine. There is at no point, any voltage being passed to the tool from the board though - as if the software isn't telling the board to switch the rotary tool on. That is as far as I'm able to check without further knowledge of the workings.

There is an I/O test in the software for XYZ and Sensor, but not one that I can see for the spindle - I'm not sure if I have to set a particular #number for the spindle i/o or select a specific type of spindle (seems you can set it to laser or water jet and a host of others - I have it set to standard spindle) and I'm a bit stuck now.

I'm sure I'll need to provide more info, but hopefully this is a good starting point.

Thanks,

JP