Bridgeport Japax

Hi all. My community college has a Bridgeport/Japax wire edm machine and I'm having trouble getting it set up. I used it as a student about 2 years ago, but I'm taking over where the previous instructor left off. The wire is now slanted, and when using the E-Table button, I can get the display to show that it's moving in U & V, but the upper table doesn't actually move. (BTW, these numbers only change when hitting X+ and Y+. They did change one time using Y-, but not with X-) The E. Limit light is on, I think this indicates that it has hit a limit switch. How do I get this thing to move in U & V to get off the switches? I have the instruction manual for this thing, but it makes no mention of this anywhere.

what is the model of the machine tool, and the power supply.......

This thing is an LV-3 model. The power supply looks like it might be an FE-02. Not sure about the 1st letter, as I can't actually get to the back of the machine due to the way the fluid tanks are situated directly behind the machine. The controller is a JAPT 3 series, there again, I can't actually make out the last digits of the controller.

wow thats an old one.....

seems like you need to check out the drive deck, it is located on the rear of the machine tool
it is down low, all you will see is a 19" rack panel front mounted into the machine casting, remove four screws and slide the deck out.....all the connections should be on the rear of the drive deck.

the drive deck contains the XYUV axis drives.

- you can remove the top of the deck and check the fuses and drive boards.
also check that the drive signals are getting to the deck from the 3F controller.

- driver transistors can be blown out on an axis and you will get the same symptoms....

- re-seat the boards in the drive deck.

- if you are using the remote (if you have one) try booting the machine without it plugged in and see if the keypad jog keys work.
you may have a bad remote.


ensure that the drive deck cooling fan operates!!!!!!

try giving it an mdi command and see if it moves that way.....

the uv axis assembly is a pain in the butt to disassemble and check out.....it always has water damage (corrosion) inside there as it does not stay sealed over the years.
hopefully you will ind the problem external of this......

also ensure the axis are free to mve.......although the macine would error out if the axis was obstructed......

the scrolling numbers are computer generated so the nc should be okay, there is just no motor action going on out there.

good luck

michael

i have seen the same issue on a older Sodick Mark 11 control. What it ended up being was the battery backup was dead and it lost some of the parameters. Pull the pannel and change the D batteries. Another thing to try and and swap the cables from the U drive to the X drive and see if when you hit the X+ that the U axis moves. That is a simple way to test the drives and boards.

Thanks all, I'm going to try and look at the thing today and maybe try some of the ideas posted. I'll let you know :)

i would not swap the U and X axis as the u is a stepper and the X axis is a servo.........

According to the techs, I'm going to pull the cover off the top and manually turn the screws to get the table off the limit switches...worst case scenario is to pull the motors off and then turn the srews. Hopefully the drivers aren't toasted :)

if you dont mind me asking, what techs???

be specific.

I talked to the guys at McWilliams Sales and Service in Michigan. They own all the parts for the Japax machines now.

good luck