The X axis on my plasma cutter has stopped working intermittently. I have a 4X8 plasma table. X axis is along the 4 foot gantry, Y runs the 8 foot length of the table. It started developing a symptom where it would be cutting fine, then X would just stop. The torch would run up and down the table in a straight line because X wasn't moving for awhile, then X axis would start moving again, but it would be totally off from where it should actually be.

The DRO for X axis in Mach3 keeps running during this. I built this table using CandCNC's BladeRunner Dragon Cut electronics about 4 years ago. I started doing some rapid moves along the X axis and for awhile it would work fine, but then the motor sounded like it would stall out. It would stop during a rapid move, make a loud, overloading, grunting motor noise and stop working. I tried turning Mach3 on and off to see if that changed anything and it didn't. I then tried restarting the computer to see if that changed anything and it didn't. Once X axis has stopped working, if I turn the motor control box off and back on sometimes that will make it respond for a bit, but it always quits again. Once the X axis stops responding, I physically push against the torch mount on the gantry to see if the motor is engaged and it won't move by hand. the X axis DRO reads like it's moving, but it's not.

So, I took the Z axis motor cable out of the Z axis connector on the motor control box and switched it with the X axis motor cable (Z is now X, X is now Z) and now the X axis stepper motor works perfectly, but the Z axis motor quits working. So whatever stepper motor is plugged into the X axis connector on the control box doesn't work.

I guess what I'm asking is this. Is there something else in this design that could be causing X axis to stop working? This thing appears to have Gecko G251X stepper drives. I guess instead of switching motor cables, I could switch the Gecko drives themselves and see if the problem then moved to the Z axis. I'm sort of thinking (typing) out loud, but that seems like that would defiantly narrow the problem down the the Gecko drive if I move the Gecko drive itself and the problem moved with it.

Anyway, thanks for reading. If you have any ideas, advice or experience with this kind of issue, I would appreciate the help.

Oh, and nothing has changed about this system. It's been working as configured for years now. I haven't installed anything on the computer or changed anything software wise at all. It was fine the other day, fine for years before that, but not now.