[JFYM88]

I just bought a cincinnati arrow 1000, I am having some trouble, it needs axes alignment everytime I power the machine, Does anyone know how to fix this problem? any help is appreciated.

thanks,
Best Regards

[slowlearner]

Seriously?

[JFYM88]

Seriously?

Yes!! I am new with Cnc machines. I have done the alignment as the operator manual says, and it looses the alignment when I shut it down.

Do you know what is happening?

[slowlearner]

Your vmc will have to be aligned every time it is powered up. Other than the alignment for the axis' and the tool changer are you having any other problems?
I have owned several of these vmc's over the years and will try to help. It has been a couple since I have ran one though.

[meckardt55]

The A2100 control uses incremental encoder type of feed back from the axis drives. YOU WILL NEED TO ALIGN THE MACHINE EVERY TIME YOU SHUT IT OFF!! Which takes all of 2 minuets if you park the 3 axis at the align point when you shut it off.
To have the machine be aligned when you start it up you need absolute encoders. The FANUC control can use absolute encoders.

Mike http://cncmachineservices.com

[JFYM88]

thank you very much for your help slowlearner and meckardt55!! I thought something was wrong with it, because when I went to check the machine before buying it, the operator started it and I don't remember the machine asked for alignment, and when it arrived and I started it, some message appeared saying that the axis moved when it was shut down.

yes I have others problems, it ask for time and date every time I turn it on, but I had read that you can loose information if you replace the batteries. I already replace one, the one that is visible if you take out the axis boards, before investigating what could happen if you replace them, but everything looks the same. it keep asking me the time and date, so I think that maybe I have to replace the one that is hidden to stop it from asking time and date. but I am afraid to loose parameters or something like that. so I wont do it until I know a safe way to do it or when I get the money to send it someone.

-it has a 5 rotary axis, the motor on the B axis is making I weird sound in some positions or when is rotating. it goes from low to higher.

-missing touchscreen and keypad. I read it would be probably a bad KTI board.

thank very much for your help!! have a great 4th of July weekend!!

[maver1ck]

As the others pointed out, most modern CNC's have switched to using absolute encoders and batteries to maintain axis position after the machine is shut off, but in the 90's when your machine was built, the most common method was what your machine has, align to a switch. Some of the earlier machines (pre A2100 control) didn't use the limit switches, so the operator had to manually jog the machine to a designated point on the axis before aligning it. If they were not at the correct point when they aligned it, the machine's home position would change from day to day.

Now, on to your battery issue. As you mentioned, changing the batteries on the control boards can cause serious issues in the A2100 control, so you don't want to change them without knowing what you are getting into. However, many people don't do their research first, and end up with non-functioning machines because of it. For those people, I've been offering a service to re-flash the BIOS as needed. If it comes to this on your machine, send me a PM and I'll get the information to you.

As you mentioned, the missing touchscreen/keypad issue is frequently the KTI board, but there are other potential causes as well. However, most shops don't want to spend the money to fix this properly and just add a keyboard and mouse to the operator's station (if it didn't already have them) and just ignore the alarm.

[JFYM88]

I am currently having a problem, hope you can help me with this. Normally when I align the machine, it aligned to the limit switch X=+0.0000 Y=+0.0000 Z=+27.0492 A=0.0000 B=0.0000. something happened and now the Z axis instead of saying +27.0492 at the limit switch, it says +0.0000. as the parameters were configured to the Z being +27.0492, the Z axis wants to go up and it get to the limit switch and errors come up and turn off the machine. and I suppose that if I ask for tool change, it wont do it, because now the coordinates have changed.

do you know how to configure the machine so instead of being +0 at the limit switch, it would be +27.0492 at the limit switch?

[JFYM88]

Looks like the Limit switch was stuck, the machine is now properly working.
thank you very much for your time and help!! I do appreciate it.