Spindle not running - Need Help

[Lumiyo Ben]

Ugh. Marchant Dice?, I had one of their machines, once.

Curiously - Mach3 is limiting the speed to 2400rpm (that might be your pulley set-up). With the "A" display, you're displaying the current taken by the spindle. The previous post, where your showed a display of "F400.0" was showing the frequency of the motor... The "F" display indicates the frequency driven to the spindle, whereas we can't deduce much from the "A" display (other than the VFD/spindle should be operating). If you hit the (I think) "Shift/>>>>" key to toggle through the displayable parameters, can you get to the "F" display and report the value therein? or press until the LED marked "RPM" is illuminated then report the value there?

Why I'm asking this is to confirm that the VFD is presenting a demand to the spindle (or should be) - and I'm using your first post where you included a photo of the VFD presenting a 400Hz demand to the spindle. In which case we can disregard everything else except the VFD and spindle (and the cabling between).

At that point I'd be recommending that with the power removed you examine the cabling from the VFD output to the spindle, and what I expect is a connector on the end of that cable where it enters the spindle. If you're able to test electrical continuity I'd be asking you to check the spindle coils (if the spindle has a connector on it, again, powered-off, remove the connector, and you will likely find 4 pins - check for low continuity of a couple of Ohms between each permutation of three of the pins (the fourth is likely disconnected). Whilst you have the connector removed from the spindle then check continuity of the cable back to the VFD. My fear is either the VFD or the Spindle is buggered. If you get a similar, low resistance between three pins on the spindle - chances are the spindle is okay, if you have continuity (low resistance) in the cable between the VFD and the spindle, then the cables okay... which leaves the VFD. Testing that is okay if you know what you're doing with a meter, and can work safely at mains voltages. If you know that, and you can set your VFD to 50Hz (looking at the Mach3 screen shot - MDI: "MD S600") then you can work that out for yourself - you're looking for an AC waveform of around 380V (pk-pk) or 240Vrms between the U-V/V-W/W-U terminals on the VFD output - with the spindle connected!

EDIT: Really stupid question - there's no E-stop wired to the VFD is there?... if there was the VFD should display ES, or similar.

Hi Doddy,

Thanks for all this info. Ill work through it now and see what i can find out.

Marchant dice are terrible - i've not been able to get any support from them at all about the machine.

Cheers

Ben

[Lumiyo Ben]

Hi Doddy,

The F display on the VFD is currently showing as F90.00

[Doddy]

... and I really am asleep... I was trying to get to F050, which is 1/8 of 400hz, which would be MDI : M3 S300, not 600, sorry. But that’s not strictly important here