fadal motor problems

[Gc]

Over the last while one of our Fadal VMC 4020 has had motor problems. In the morning I have to run it for about an hour at 500rpm slowly increasing the speed so that it will run. IF I push it it will start giving a jerking motion and stall out giving a spindle alarm. My question is: is there any censors that need replacing or is the motor need to be replaced. And if so are there any places that I could get a rebuild and is that worth it

[crazy^millman]

Cal Fadal and get a new one. They are not very expensive. If you take the time you are losing a day time 200 days paid for about 3 motors.

 

Good luck

[robinfly]

call cardinal machinery. think the number is 901-377-3107 ask for barry adams or bud. they are very helpful.

[Joels]

Are you sure it is not the belts that are bad? I run a 4020 and when i would use the thru the spindle coolant it would ruin the belts. When i would turn on the spindle it would make a loud noise. just a thought.

[Slick]

watermaker has a point. The most common problem I have seen with Fadal spindles are the belts. You would be able to see black dust or chucks around the spindle head if they are going. If that is it, it is in your best interest to have a service department come in the first time to show you how to change them. It's a pain if you have never done it.

As far as the "jerking" can you describe this a little more in depth? Do the Axis' jerk? Or the tool holder?

And finally (I'm a little long winded today!) Buying a new one, or a rebuild, and then having your original rebuilt to have as a spare is ideal, depending on how hard you're pushing it, you won't have much down time if it goes out again.

[Gc]

I know it is not the belts since we have another Fadal that has that chronic problem and have changed them a number of times. As for this one the jerking motion it could be better discribed as fast and slow rotation over and over again until it quits or I turn down the RPM

 

Thanks for the tips so far

[MetalMarvels]

A lot is going to depend on which drive you have for the spindle. Fadal has used many different types over the years, from inverters to Vector Drives. The earlier models were the inverter drives which did not provide any form of motor feedback loop - the controller just assumes that since it said "go" the spindle "went". The Vector drives come in a couple of flavors, Baldor and AMS - both of these do have motor feedback controls necessary for rigid tapping as well as tight motor speed control. Your machine probably has a model of the Baldor or AMS (there are 3 or 4 in total).

 

You could check here for the maintenance manuals that might steer you in the right direction. http://www.fadal.com/ie/manuals/manuals1.asp

And in particular - this link: http://www.fadal.com/_content/_documents/m...iveandMotor.pdf

[Joels]

We had a spindle drive changed and it took 3 visits from fadal service to correctly set the drive up correctly

[Gc]

After much calling back and forth with the Fadal suppurt I found out that it was the encoder(the encoder monitors the RPM of the spindle) that was faulty. There was no problem with the motor. The remedy was to unplug the encoder for now since we do not have rigid tapping it can run without it.

[Thad]

quote:

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I run a 4020 and when i would use the thru the spindle coolant it would ruin the belts.

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Using thru the spindle coolant should have no affect on the belts. Unless, of course, you load a toolholder or tool that does not have a thru hole and then activate thru tool coolant. This will back-blast coolant out the weakest point in the system, which is typically somewhere in the head behind the sheetmetal housing. You'll see coolant flowing from head.

 

Thad teh been there, done that