** This is my first post to the group, my apologies if I use the wrong terminology, I'm still learning **
Hey Guys/Gals,
The story starts out with an issue last week with a HAAS HA5C Rotary/Indexer that is used in one of our Matsuura RA2F's as a "Semi-4th Axis" via a Remote Cable. I ran through the Operators Manual and followed the Troubleshooting Guide word for word. The conclusion was that there was something bound in the Spindle or Worm Gear. The 5C wouldn't index upon command, but everything else (Remote Cable, Power Cable, Encoder Cable) checked out. The 5C would index without the Spindle Lock Cover installed, but once it was installed, the Spindle bound up and wouldn't index. The Indexer has since been sent off to a 3rd party shop for service, since HAAS no longer services this specific Indexer.
After the aforementioned 5C was sent out, Management requested that we remove another 5C from our RoboDrill and install it in the RA2F to complete the parts run. One of our Sr. Machinists/Op.'s removed and installed the 5C from the RoboDrill into the RA2F. When he started to runt he program for the parts, everything was fine. We ran a total of 5 parts while monitoring the 5C and didn't have a single issue. About an hour went by and I was informed by the same Sr. Machinist/Op. that the 5C wasn't indexing properly, or at all. Confused by this, we went back to the RA2F to check it out.
Upon further inspection of the issue, he was right. After a reset of the RA2F, as well as the 5C, the 5C would index, but only about half of what it should. If we set the step for 90 degrees, it only traveled about 45 degrees. I checked the Control Input by using small jumpers across Pin 1/2 (Finish Signal) and I also jumpered Pin 3/4 (Cycle Start) as instructed by the Manual. Both checked out fine and didn't show any signs of damage. The CNC Interface Cable also checked out when it was executing/sending an M function to the 5C. The only thing I found that may be an issue is when the 5C is powered off, it was reading between 1-4 Ohms (varying) between Pins 1/2, which indicates that the cicuit is open? The manual indicates that if Parameter 1 is set to "1" the circuit should be open while powered off, if it shows any resistance the Relay is bad?
We can now get the 5C to index, we just cannot get it to index the correct value. When we try to get the 5C to index 90 degrees, we end up with about half of 90, between 40 and 45 degrees. We tried doubling the the M Code to see if the 5C would actually index as commanded, but the 5C still wouldn't index correctly. We actually zero'ed everything out of the 5C as well as probed the part to ensure we were all lined up three times, but we still weren't coming up with the correct index. While I know what I measured, I just have a hard time believing two 5C's went bad on the same machine, within two weeks. The problem itself is acting like a mechanical problem, but I'm still not 100% convinced it is. I've triple checked the parameters, all of which are correct. The cables are all good, so there's nothing electrical causing the issue.
Long story short: Do you have any ideas or input on what I could check next, or have you ever had this issue before with a 5C? I haven't received a phone call back from our HAAS Rep. yet and I've also been unable to find much information on this type of issue online. The manual is pretty general and I don't have any electrical schematics or diagrams to troubleshoot the Relay, so I'm rather lost at this point. The next step would be to pull it out of the RA2F and check inside of the 5C, I just wanted to post about the issue before I pull it apart on Monday.
Any input, advice, or help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance (My apologies if I've worded anything wrong, I'm still fairly new to CNC, so I have a lot to learn still).
Jerry