Hey guys, sorry if this is in the wrong forum but I figured this was a bit of an engineering question. I have an 8'x12' multicam that has been retrofitted and frankensteined heavily that we use at work. A while back the motor on the x axis started acting up so I bought 3 identical motors to replace it. The old motor had been getting hot (170+ deg F) and I figured it was just old, so I replaced it and all was fine. After 6 months it started to get hot like the old one and when it reached 160F it would begin to reverse direction suddenly. So I replaced it one more time with the newest one, but this one doesnt even get warm before it begins to go in the opposite direction.
Initially all these motors would work properly after turning on the machine, and heck, some days I could cut for hours without anything going wrong, but lately it is just not wanting to work with me.
So my question for you engineers is what on earth could cause a stepper motor to reverse its direction so suddenly? I'm not an engineer and to be honest currents and magnetism were not my best subjects in school, though I do have an alright grasp on it, but this problem is far beyond my field of study. Any help is greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Jasper