laser 4000 running slow in cold

[cherokee235]

This is a new one I've never seen in my 15 years using a LW4000. It is 40 degrees outside and all motors are running veryyyyy slowly. It didn't do this yesterday when it was 75 degrees all day. We noticed this symptom last week when we had a spell of cold weather. It then mysteriously ended. I still use a Dynamatic AF1500 speed controller with an A5000 CPU. I stuck my wife's blow dryer in the JO box, closed the door for about 7 minutes and the speeds all came back to normal.

Before the blow dryer I had it in manual mode it ran slowly and showed 47 hertz on the speed control display. It was so slow it couldn't get the arch all the way to its 4 different positions. Normal is 57 when running the bridge and trolley in manual mode. This unit has never done this before in all these years. Do you think the Dynamatic is attempting to tell me goodby?? I'm running good now, but the blow dryer routine is not very convenient.

The blow dryer routine doesn't necessarily convict the speed controller. Could it be the A5000? That is only 3 years old, so I hope it isn't that. However, it must be one of the two.

What say the laser gurus in the gallery??
Thanks, David

 

[madscientist]

i'm not a guru, but i'd say it's time to start a "new speed controller fund".

 

[lag]

David...There is a cable that runs from the A5000 to the speed controller. It carries an analog signal from the A5000 to the speed controller. Make sure it is tight at the A5000 ,if it is you may need to check the connections at the speed controller. I have had the plug come loose at the A5000, and cause the problem you have posted.

 

[cherokee235]

Thanks, Lag,

I just got off the phone with a service tech and he said the same thing. The speed controller will run at factory default speed if it doesn't get the speed pulse setting from the CPU. I believe I have a wiring issue because when heated wire expands and makes the circuit. I've done this before on other equipment and found the same results. I'll keep poking around until I find the gremlin. BTW, It did it again this morning
(35 degrees). After the dryer warmup, all systems ok.

David

 

[cherokee235]

Boy this thing has me baffled. Same problem again this morning. I checked the analog plug and all wiring had continuity. Terminal O and L are the signals from the CPU to the speed controller. I even wire jumped from the 12 pin connector to O and L to see if I had a wiring break. It didn't correct the problem. After 2 hours of wire checking she was still recongnizing no CPU speed control input and running at factory default of 16hz which is very slow speed. 5 minutes with the blow drier and she was up to normal speed (57hz) when driven with the joystick.

I need to determine if I'm getting an output on wire O to the speed controller. If I connect a meter to O and ground the other probe or contact another terminal, what do I set my meter on and what other terminal do I touch to make a circuit.

After she heated up and came up to speed I pulled wire O and it defaults to 16hz speed. I reconnected O and pulled wire L and it defaults to 16hz. Definitely the speed circuits to the Eaton.

David

 

[lag]

The voltage is 0-10 VDC ,if memory serves me correctly.

 

[Mike]

Try just moving the macine around and not heating up the jo, I have heard of this before and it is usally the thick oil in the gear boxes.
If you can just drive the machine around for a bit and it starts to "free up" and move faster, you may need to put thinner oil in the gear box.

 

[cherokee235]

I haven't had time to really chase this down, but my son put a small portable heater in the JO and set the t-stat to cut out at about 50 degrees. The bandaid works, but I need to ferret out the cause. It is either the Eaton AF-1500 or the Lasermind--(It is only 18 months old)

David

 

[n175h]

I know it has been a while since I addressed this issue, but it began to get worse even with the heater, so I couldn't ignore it anymore. After eliminating any failure in the CPU, we determined it was the Eaton.

I gambled and found one at the E-place for $250 and installed it today. Some seller from ecrecon had 3 of them. I programmed it to my book settings and yippee, it solved the problem.

I can get my old one rebuilt with a one year warranty at powercontrolservices.com, but it is cheaper to buy a new model controller from my distributor. If this one fails I'll do that.

Thanks for everyone's help.

 

[lag]

I have 4 Eatons sitting around. PM if you need a spare.