I have a problem with my VM17 which seems to be causing a lot of symptoms but I think it is the vf drive.
I have a CSM drive and "4 speed" 20 hp spindle.
With the spindle disconnected from the vf drive I can select M41, M42, M43 and M44 with no problems and the led for the appropriate relay (CR41 - CR44) comes on. When I try this with the spindle connected to the vf drive M41 and M42 are OK but M43 and M44 cause the machine to shut down.
With everything connected if I put in M03S630 the spindle spins at 630 revs and all seems good. 630 rpm is the highest speed for the first speed (M41). If I adjust the spindle speed to 90% the spindle slows appropriately but makes a noise. The same happens if I adjust it to 80% but the noise gets louder. The noise is a rumbling noise like a bearing noise. At 70% the noise gets louder and as I decrease the speed more the noise gets even louder.
The same happens in "speed 2" (M42). The maximum rpm for that "speed" is 1470 rpm. f I put in M03S1470 the spindle spins at 1470 revs and all seems good. If I adjust the spindle speed to 90% the spindle slows appropriately but makes a noise. The same happens if I adjust it to 80% but the noise gets louder. The noise is a rumbling noise like a bearing noise. At 70% the noise gets louder and as I decrease the speed more the noise gets even louder. Yesterday when I adjusted it to about 60% the machine shut down (error 449 I think).
If I select M03S3000 (the top speed for "speed 3) the machine shuts down.
The "reset" led on the vf drive is on most or all of the time but nothing happens when I press the reset button on the lower left hand corner of the vf drive box.
I have had trouble for a long time with the brake (I have to program in steps to slow the spindle in about 300 rpm steps as the machine shuts down if I just program in M05 from, say, 1500rpm) and I now have these problems with not being able to get certain spindle speeds and I am also now having trouble with spindle orientation for changing tools.
Sprotybob has been great helping me to eliminate some possible causes late last year but I think there are limits on how much time one person can spend helping another and so I'm throwing this out there to see if anyone has had any similar problem or can help me with how I can test the vf drive or give me an idea what I can replace it with.
I think I have narrowed it down to the vf drive as the relays on the spindle seem to work (I can hear them clicking in and they don't drop out plus they all need to come on for speed 1 (M41) to operate and since the machine seems OK in that speed that seems to mean the relays are all working). It also seems the parameters are OK (because I can get M41, M42, M43 and M44 to work fine if the spindle is disconnected from the vf drive). But when there is (minimal) load on the vf drive it all seems to go bad.
Thanks in advance for any help you can offer.