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IndustryArena Forum > CNC Electronics > Spindles / VFD > Spindle rotor (& tool holder) not grounded (???)
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  1. #1
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    Question Spindle rotor (& tool holder) not grounded (???)

    I'm a new hobbyist who recently took delivery of an AlphaCNC AMN-6040-M fixed-gantry CNC router for use in prototyping parts in 6061-t6 aluminum. So far the machine looks pretty solid but I'm having a few setup issues. The manufacturer is kind of trying to help, but language barriers, etc... It's been slow & frustrating. This is one of the setup issues I'm having:

    Background-->

    The Z-Axis calibrator I ordered with the machine isn't working. Luckily I tested it first! When I touch the calibrator to the spindle motor housing I see the 'Digitize' input go high in Mach-3/Diagnostics like I think I should, but when I touch it to the rotor / tool-holder, I don't get the 'Digitize' signal. This seems to indicate that there's no electrical contact between the spindle housing and the rotor. I confirmed this, my multi-meter reads OPEN CONNECTION when I check resistance between the housing & rotor. This isn't a multimeter or probe contact issue (paint, etc), I can read 0-ohms across the tool holder, etc.

    Both the manufacturer (who obviously didn't test this before shipping the machine) and my local 'experienced friends' are incredulous and say "that's impossible! You should have contact thru the bearings (etc)". So I ask:

    Questions-->

    - The spindle rotor, and therefore the tool holder aren't grounded. How is it possible that there's no connection between the spindle rotor & the housing?
    - Is the spindle motor defective? Is this a common issue?
    - Or is the rotor typically isolated but is normally tied to ground via a wire but isn't here? (loose wire?)
    - Is there any way to "manually" ground the rotor spindle?

    Besides relying on the Alpha CNC guy, we're going on three weeks of emails on this and other issues with no good results so far, the only thing I can think of to resolve the problem is to hack around it by building or buying some sort of switch based Z-Axis calibrator.

    I'm aware I could manually ground-clip the bit before using the Z calibrator but I'm planning on upgrading to an ATC and want to resolve the issue up-front if possible.

    ????*??

  2. #2
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    5717

    Re: Spindle rotor (& tool holder) not grounded (???)

    Ceramic bearings perhaps?

    When using the tool setter you could temporarily ground the spindle or tool bit with an alligator clip. Don't forget to remove and stow it before turning the spindle on
    Jim Dawson
    Sandy, Oregon, USA

  3. #3
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    35538

    Re: Spindle rotor (& tool holder) not grounded (???)

    Get a tool setter with a switch inside, so you don't need continuity through the spindle bearings.
    Gerry

    UCCNC 2017 Screenset
    http://www.thecncwoodworker.com/2017.html

    Mach3 2010 Screenset
    http://www.thecncwoodworker.com/2010.html

    JointCAM - CNC Dovetails & Box Joints
    http://www.g-forcecnc.com/jointcam.html

    (Note: The opinions expressed in this post are my own and are not necessarily those of CNCzone and its management)

  4. #4
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    Re: Spindle rotor (& tool holder) not grounded (???)

    Quote Originally Posted by dwg123 View Post
    I'm a new hobbyist who recently took delivery of an AlphaCNC AMN-6040-M fixed-gantry CNC router for use in prototyping parts in 6061-t6 aluminum. So far the machine looks pretty solid but I'm having a few setup issues. The manufacturer is kind of trying to help, but language barriers, etc... It's been slow & frustrating. This is one of the setup issues I'm having:

    Background-->

    The Z-Axis calibrator I ordered with the machine isn't working. Luckily I tested it first! When I touch the calibrator to the spindle motor housing I see the 'Digitize' input go high in Mach-3/Diagnostics like I think I should, but when I touch it to the rotor / tool-holder, I don't get the 'Digitize' signal. This seems to indicate that there's no electrical contact between the spindle housing and the rotor. I confirmed this, my multi-meter reads OPEN CONNECTION when I check resistance between the housing & rotor. This isn't a multimeter or probe contact issue (paint, etc), I can read 0-ohms across the tool holder, etc.

    Both the manufacturer (who obviously didn't test this before shipping the machine) and my local 'experienced friends' are incredulous and say "that's impossible! You should have contact thru the bearings (etc)". So I ask:

    Questions-->

    - The spindle rotor, and therefore the tool holder aren't grounded. How is it possible that there's no connection between the spindle rotor & the housing?
    - Is the spindle motor defective? Is this a common issue?
    - Or is the rotor typically isolated but is normally tied to ground via a wire but isn't here? (loose wire?)
    - Is there any way to "manually" ground the rotor spindle?

    Besides relying on the Alpha CNC guy, we're going on three weeks of emails on this and other issues with no good results so far, the only thing I can think of to resolve the problem is to hack around it by building or buying some sort of switch based Z-Axis calibrator.

    I'm aware I could manually ground-clip the bit before using the Z calibrator but I'm planning on upgrading to an ATC and want to resolve the issue up-front if possible.

    ????*??
    You may have ceramic bearings which some have so there will not be any Ground contact with the Rotor this can be a problem also as the Rotor becomes charged it can discharge the rotor voltage, and will damage any electronics you attach to it, you may also get a little shock when you change the tool

    The other thing if it does not have ceramic bearing, it could be that the grease being new and, is not allowing contact through the bearings

    Do as Gerry has said then you don't have to have anything attached to the spindle which is much better way to do it,

    Check the spindle Plug that it has a Ground attached and that the spindle is Grounded it may not be, and will have to be corrected
    Mactec54

  5. #5
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    Re: Spindle rotor (& tool holder) not grounded (???)

    The alligator clip approach is pretty dangerous. You may forget to put the clip on before the measurement, or you may forget to take the clip off afterwards.

    I don't know what real machinists use, but I just put a brush contact on the shaft of my spindle.

  6. #6
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    Re: Spindle rotor (& tool holder) not grounded (???)

    Thanks for the suggestions, all.

    The AlphaCNC support guy is at a loss and I get the impression he's semi-unwilling to put in much effort to resolve the issue.

    To complicate things, now that I'm actually using the machine some (on wood) I've noticed a grinding sound coming from the spindle. It's worst around 10K RPM. This sucks, coming from a new machine - it will cost somewhere around $600 if I have to replace this 3.2kW motor...

    Depending on how this resolves, if they screw me over I'll probably end up either fixing the problem by getting a new spindle motor or rebuilding the existing one.

    Then if this ground problem still exists, I like the contact switch idea, thanks for that @ger21

  7. #7
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    Re: Spindle rotor (& tool holder) not grounded (???)

    Quote Originally Posted by dwg123 View Post
    Thanks for the suggestions, all.

    The AlphaCNC support guy is at a loss and I get the impression he's semi-unwilling to put in much effort to resolve the issue.

    To complicate things, now that I'm actually using the machine some (on wood) I've noticed a grinding sound coming from the spindle. It's worst around 10K RPM. This sucks, coming from a new machine - it will cost somewhere around $600 if I have to replace this 3.2kW motor...

    Depending on how this resolves, if they screw me over I'll probably end up either fixing the problem by getting a new spindle motor or rebuilding the existing one.

    Then if this ground problem still exists, I like the contact switch idea, thanks for that @ger21
    Did you check to see if the Spindle has a Ground you can do this with your meter, check the 4th Pin in the spindle connector to the spindle body ( continuity test ) if it is not connected you will have to connect it, a lot of these spindles do not have the Ground connected and the user has to correct this

    The grinding noise could be just bad EMI from no Grounding or Correct Shield Grounding and no EMI Power Filter, Incorrect VFD Drive Parameters set also can cause this also , these are just some of what can be wrong if it is not mechanical
    Mactec54

  8. #8
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    Angry Re: Spindle rotor (& tool holder) not grounded (???)

    Quote Originally Posted by mactec54 View Post
    Did you check to see if the Spindle has a Ground you can do this with your meter, check the 4th Pin in the spindle connector to the spindle body ( continuity test ) if it is not connected you will have to connect it, a lot of these spindles do not have the Ground connected and the user has to correct this

    The grinding noise could be just bad EMI from no Grounding or Correct Shield Grounding and no EMI Power Filter, Incorrect VFD Drive Parameters set also can cause this also , these are just some of what can be wrong if it is not mechanical
    Thanks for the excellent suggestions!

    I checked and my meter reads 0 Ohms from the spindle ground pin to the spindle motor housing, which is very well grounded. Oh well, it was worth checking. Do you think it's worth setting up an osciliscope on the power leads? I have a cheap USB osciliscope that should work; I guess I'd be looking for spikes between ground and the three power-in phases, right? Anything that's not the X Hz sine wave I should be seeing?

    But I'm starting to strongly suspect it's mechanical. When I warmed up the spindle this morning, starting at 6000 RPM, I heard a squealing noise, like a skidding bearing. Not loud but abnormal. Not good. I immediately jumped in and bumped the RPM to 8000 and the sound wend away. After finishing the warmup routine I dialed it back down to 6000 and the sound was gone.

    So yeah, I have a bad feeling about this. I emailed the vendor AlphaCNC about this a week ago and no reply so far. I the past they repeated several times, "polish the spindle", but I KNOW I have a good meter connections and clearly spelled it out with pictures, then they fell silent. And now there's this bearing issue with a brand new motor. This is getting old fast.

    If they continue to ignore me I'm thinking of dumping an expose of what they've been putting me through as a warning to others here. That being said, I think the machine itself is pretty good so far. It's definitely stiff and although I'm not pushing it too hard yet I'm impressed with it's performance. It's just the many quality issues & poor support are killing me. This issue is actually only the tip of the iceberg. Guess that's what I get by going with the 'inexpensive' solution. I hope they get back to me so I don't have to go there. If they don't support me I have nothing to lose by burning them down...

  9. #9
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    Re: Spindle rotor (& tool holder) not grounded (???)

    Quote Originally Posted by dwg123 View Post
    Thanks for the excellent suggestions!

    I checked and my meter reads 0 Ohms from the spindle ground pin to the spindle motor housing, which is very well grounded. Oh well, it was worth checking. Do you think it's worth setting up an osciliscope on the power leads? I have a cheap USB osciliscope that should work; I guess I'd be looking for spikes between ground and the three power-in phases, right? Anything that's not the X Hz sine wave I should be seeing?

    But I'm starting to strongly suspect it's mechanical. When I warmed up the spindle this morning, starting at 6000 RPM, I heard a squealing noise, like a skidding bearing. Not loud but abnormal. Not good. I immediately jumped in and bumped the RPM to 8000 and the sound wend away. After finishing the warmup routine I dialed it back down to 6000 and the sound was gone.

    So yeah, I have a bad feeling about this. I emailed the vendor AlphaCNC about this a week ago and no reply so far. I the past they repeated several times, "polish the spindle", but I KNOW I have a good meter connections and clearly spelled it out with pictures, then they fell silent. And now there's this bearing issue with a brand new motor. This is getting old fast.

    If they continue to ignore me I'm thinking of dumping an expose of what they've been putting me through as a warning to others here. That being said, I think the machine itself is pretty good so far. It's definitely stiff and although I'm not pushing it too hard yet I'm impressed with it's performance. It's just the many quality issues & poor support are killing me. This issue is actually only the tip of the iceberg. Guess that's what I get by going with the 'inexpensive' solution. I hope they get back to me so I don't have to go there. If they don't support me I have nothing to lose by burning them down...
    You need to check the pins with a continuity test, Ground Pin to the spindle Body

    The Bearing problem is not uncommon for the Bearings to make noise when starting up if it has been running for a while the grease gets soft and when the spindle stops the grease will run into the bearings causing the bearing to skid when starting up can your spindle run at 3000 RPM at startup some can and this will help until the grease has moved

    The noise problem you have is from the VFD Drive and you need a EMI Power Filter on the input power to the VFD Drive and if your system has any Switch mode Power supplies they should have a EMI Power Filter on there input power supply also

    Unless you have a low pass filter I would not try that with your phone
    Mactec54

  10. #10
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    Re: Spindle rotor (& tool holder) not grounded (???)

    Thanks again for the feedback. Maybe I'm getting over-concerned about the bearing noises? Being a n00b sucks, so much to learn, so many mistakes to make.

    And yeah, sorry for the confusing description, I did test Ground Pin to Body and recall getting wither 0 Ohms or possibly a fraction of an Ohm. I think I'm screwed on the spindle problem (bad pun not intended) and am going to look into getting a switch-based tool height calibrator. It's only money...

    And so now AlphaCNC is ignoring my June 18 emailed plea for support. I just sent them an email threatening to basically burn them down online if they don't make things right with this customer. So many crazy / easily avoidable issues, you guys will enjoy the read about a Really bad customer experience™. It's looking like everyone here who warned me away from getting a Chinese CNC machine were right after all. Serves me right I guess. Hopefully they'll get back to me with some basic support and avoid my email flames of wrath & warning to others...

  11. #11
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    Re: Spindle rotor (& tool holder) not grounded (???)

    Quote Originally Posted by dwg123 View Post
    Thanks again for the feedback. Maybe I'm getting over-concerned about the bearing noises? Being a n00b sucks, so much to learn, so many mistakes to make.

    And yeah, sorry for the confusing description, I did test Ground Pin to Body and recall getting wither 0 Ohms or possibly a fraction of an Ohm. I think I'm screwed on the spindle problem (bad pun not intended) and am going to look into getting a switch-based tool height calibrator. It's only money...

    And so now AlphaCNC is ignoring my June 18 emailed plea for support. I just sent them an email threatening to basically burn them down online if they don't make things right with this customer. So many crazy / easily avoidable issues, you guys will enjoy the read about a Really bad customer experience™. It's looking like everyone here who warned me away from getting a Chinese CNC machine were right after all. Serves me right I guess. Hopefully they'll get back to me with some basic support and avoid my email flames of wrath & warning to others...
    There are some good Chinese suppliers so this does not reflect on all, they soon figure out when someone is new to CNC machines by how you describe things in your request to get answers, what you get for your money is normally quit good, most of these company's don't have English speaking support so when you buy a Chinese built machine, it's up to you to be able to make what you can out of your machine in most cases there is always going to be some problems with a machine and with no support ( which most don't have ) it is completely up to you, USA made machines you would have the same problem at a much higher cost, some of these manufactures support is no better

    So you can forget about customer service once you pay the money for your machine this is a given

    Would like to know what kind of problems you have had, any threats in emails you send them will go on deaf ears as it would not translate into Chinese that they would understand
    Mactec54

  12. #12
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    Re: Spindle rotor (& tool holder) not grounded (???)

    Quote Originally Posted by mactec54 View Post
    There are some good Chinese suppliers so this does not reflect on all, they soon figure out when someone is new to CNC machines by how you describe things in your request to get answers, what you get for your money is normally quit good, most of these company's don't have English speaking support so when you buy a Chinese built machine, it's up to you to be able to make what you can out of your machine in most cases there is always going to be some problems with a machine and with no support ( which most don't have ) it is completely up to you, USA made machines you would have the same problem at a much higher cost, some of these manufactures support is no better

    So you can forget about customer service once you pay the money for your machine this is a given

    Would like to know what kind of problems you have had, any threats in emails you send them will go on deaf ears as it would not translate into Chinese that they would understand
    Fair & well said. I agree with your assessment, this is why I chose the machine. It could do what I needed at a cost I could afford.

    I'm going to do a mini-brain dump here, hope you don't mind. Not sure if it's tldr, I'm going to vent a little. I'm still awaiting reply from AlphaCNC, hopefully they'll respond, I want to give them another week before deciding how to handle it.

    Brief summary of issues:
    1. Ordered machine (100% advance deposit) in early December on assurances machine would ship within 2 weeks. They apparently didn't even start working on it until January. Then delayed due to national holiday. Then COVID (entirely not their fault). They eventually shipped in late March.
    2. They wanted me to arrange shipping (brokers, etc). Eventually they pointed me to their people who handled it, still it was difficult & time-consuming.
    3. They claimed surprisingly low shipping costs, but eventual cost was > $2000.
    4. They offered to under-invoice to reduce Trump import tax. They didnt, additional unexpected cost = $1700
    5. Machine arrived in basically good condition but had a few visible issues, namely kinks in fogger lines due to inadequate slack in tubes.
    6. Removed z-axis cover to deal with fogger, noticed axis lubrication lines were empty. Several days of investigation lead the the realization that oil drains down into lower part of the system, in order to lube upper parts several actuations of pump lever are required. Results in machine dumping excess oil on shop floor while not (or barely) lubing z-axis screw. AlphaCNC was no help in this. I ended up installing a check-valve in one portion of the system which successfully keeps oil up in the lines but I'm still having problems with oil draining from the z-screw thru distribution manifold into z-sliders. Spring check valve installed here blocked all flow, am going to try a diaphragm check-valve soon. Initial check showed that z-axis screw (the highest wear part) was never lubed, it was totally dry. Still, no z backlash from wear I can see, so *shrug*.
    7. Fogger distribution manifold had an open port. It would have spewed cutting fluid all over the inside of the machine if left unblocked. Luckily I was practicing on wood then. Blocked open port, resolved kink issue (no help from AlphaCNC) and fogger is working well.
    8. Looking closer at X *& Z axises, there was a lot of buildup of grime where sliders meet rail. It looks like my machine may have been used extensively before they sold it to me 'new'. Additionally, there's evidence of a part being improperly secured to the table & vibrating around leaving scratches. Also there were metal chips everywhere inside, especially around the x-axis. Don't think these are from the machine (!), likely assembled incredibly 'dirty'.
    9. The MPG controller I ordered wasn't shipped with the machine. They initially questioned this, then shipped me a model that wasn't what I ordered and didn't work correctly. They eventually shipped the correct MPG and it more or less works well - sometimes jogs in the wrong direction (!) but that's rare.
    10. The setup files they shipped had several bad settings in the mach-3 machine configuration XML file, leading to a lot of wasted time debugging the problem. By then I had given up even trying to get help from AlphaCNC on more complex issues, I decided to focus on hardware.
    11. Possibly related to #9, I've seen the machine get confused. For example when I pause then resume, it continues moving but the wrong axis. Looks like I may have to have to replace the controller.
    12. The E-Stop button on the machine doesn't work. They can't figure it out. It appears to be a configuration issue, at the electrical level everything looks fine. e-stop on the MPG & mach-3 work so I'm using that.
    13. As mentioned above (the reason for this thread) there are the spindle tool height calibrator issues and (potentially) spindle bearing noise issues.
    14. It looks like the x-axis as configured from the factory is off by 1-2%. Still investigating but it appears to be a steps / inch setting.
    15. I ordered the machine with a 4th axis rotary accessory. It didn't quite fit on the table so they chopped away the fence/tub walls roughly with apparently what looks like was a hacksaw. If they had asked I would have said to leave it, let me deal with it.
    16. Spindle drive electronics occasionally start with E001 on cold start.
    17. They said it came with a license for Mach-3 but it was a demo. I bought a licensed copy, They did supply a pirated version of Aspire, but I will never install it. I don't need Aspire and if I did I'd buy a legitimate copy.

    ... I could go on, but that's the general idea from the top of my head. I'm pretty sure there's more I'm forgetting.

    On the other hand, in some ways I think the machine is pretty good:
    1. It (being fixed-gantry) is very stiff and runs tools thru 6061-T6 at Fusion360's recommended feeds & speeds at 100% feed rate with no chatter. I did order the machine with Delta servos & a 3.2KW spindle (+$3000 in options), so I'd hope so. I haven't run high-speed high-efficiency tool paths with larger tools yet, so the verdict is still out but it's looking good so far.
    2. Although the machine is pretty rough in some ways, apparently cut with a cutting torch and not cleaned up, with obvious spray-paint runs & drips (where's your pride in workmanship, man!), dirty-casting voids on the surface of the XY table, where it counts it's spot-on. The load-bearing portion of the frame is cast-iron, and where it counts, like where rails are mounted & gantry attached it was ground & properly assembled.
    3. Aside from the issues listed above, the machine is working pretty well.
    4. AlphaCNC initially did make some half-hearted attempts to support getting the machine set up & running correctly. I think when I asked about spindle noises they decided that potential replacement was going to be too expensive, labeled me a 'troublesome customer' and decided to ignore my emails going forward.

    In summary (sorry if that was TMI):
    1. I think the machine is a good design, and at it's core is well-built.
    2. It looks like they took a machine being used on their production floor and retrofitted it to my specs and sold it to me as new.
    3. Quality of final assembly was really, really bad.
    4. QC was apparently nonexistent. Open pneumatic ports? Really?
    5. Their attempts at support were half-heated & then non-existent.

    It's too bad really, I plan on modding this machine for 5-axis - it's a great foundation for that. I expect to eventually have $50K in capability for a $15K investment. If AlhpaCNC were to listen to my suggestions & establish a small distribution & support office here in the USA (or somewhere English speaking) to smooth the shipping & support issues, my guess is they'd develop a following pretty quickly. If they evolved this machine into a budget 5-axis product that can run fairly large parts with good precision at a low cost, I bet they'd have customers lining up to buy it. I would have been first in line for such a machine.

    As it is, would I buy the machine again? Although I was probably naive going into the deal, I needed parts quoted at $50K by job-shops and am cutting parts at $10K invested (plus a ton of unexpected lost time) plus cost of bits & material. I don't know, there weren't many alternatives... The rather painful side could have been avoided pretty easily with a little QC & a single good support person. At least the machine is working and I'm getting my parts plus future capability at a price I can afford.

  13. #13
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    Re: Spindle rotor (& tool holder) not grounded (???)

    What VFD Drive did you use that E001 may be a simple fix manufacture and model number I most likely have the manual and can take a look

    Mach3 this is a known problem never use pause when cutting or it will mess up, I'm surprised that you went with Mach3 for a new machine like this

    The chips on the machine where most likely from testing

    Do you have a link to there web site
    Mactec54

  14. #14
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    Re: Spindle rotor (& tool holder) not grounded (???)

    Quote Originally Posted by mactec54 View Post
    What VFD Drive did you use that E001 may be a simple fix manufacture and model number I most likely have the manual and can take a look

    Mach3 this is a known problem never use pause when cutting or it will mess up, I'm surprised that you went with Mach3 for a new machine like this

    The chips on the machine where most likely from testing

    Do you have a link to there web site
    Thanks for offering to help!

    The VDF is a FULING INVERTER DZB300 series. Specifically, markings are "DZB312B005.5L2DK". The inverter drives a 3.2 KW spindle motor. If you can, can you pass along a link to the manual? I've looked around and am not certain which manual applies to this model.

    Thanks for the mach3 controller bug tip: no pause until I upgrade the controller. Regarding the controller on this machine, what would you recommend upgrading to?

    ... As far as a link to their web site goes, this is weird but I just went to their website http://www.alphacnc.com/ and it appears to be parked at GoDaddy. Maybe they forgot to pay their domain registration renewal or were hijacked? Or I wonder if they're in the process of going out of business? That sure would explain their failure to respond, etc. Anyway, they did exist, here's their youtube page https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEb...O5g2yudPzE5jeg

    For what it's worth, here's a link to their site as copied by the internet archive: https://web.archive.org/web/20190107.../alphacnc.com/

    The specific machine I chose wasn't listed on their web site anyway; it was recommended by the sales person when I told them I needed to work thru metal fast & with good precision. I can share the specification PDF if you're interested. Looks like I might have a 'unique' machine...

  15. #15
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    Re: Spindle rotor (& tool holder) not grounded (???)

    Quote Originally Posted by dwg123 View Post
    Thanks for offering to help!

    The VDF is a FULING INVERTER DZB300 series. Specifically, markings are "DZB312B005.5L2DK". The inverter drives a 3.2 KW spindle motor. If you can, can you pass along a link to the manual? I've looked around and am not certain which manual applies to this model.

    Thanks for the mach3 controller bug tip: no pause until I upgrade the controller. Regarding the controller on this machine, what would you recommend upgrading to?

    ... As far as a link to their web site goes, this is weird but I just went to their website http://www.alphacnc.com/ and it appears to be parked at GoDaddy. Maybe they forgot to pay their domain registration renewal or were hijacked? Or I wonder if they're in the process of going out of business? That sure would explain their failure to respond, etc. Anyway, they did exist, here's their youtube page https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEb...O5g2yudPzE5jeg

    For what it's worth, here's a link to their site as copied by the internet archive: https://web.archive.org/web/20190107.../alphacnc.com/

    The specific machine I chose wasn't listed on their web site anyway; it was recommended by the sales person when I told them I needed to work thru metal fast & with good precision. I can share the specification PDF if you're interested. Looks like I might have a 'unique' machine...
    This manual should cover your VFD Drive it is the DZB300 series but covers the DZB 200 series also
    Mactec54

  16. #16
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    Re: Spindle rotor (& tool holder) not grounded (???)

    Quote Originally Posted by dwg123 View Post
    Thanks for offering to help!

    The VDF is a FULING INVERTER DZB300 series. Specifically, markings are "DZB312B005.5L2DK". The inverter drives a 3.2 KW spindle motor. If you can, can you pass along a link to the manual? I've looked around and am not certain which manual applies to this model.

    Thanks for the mach3 controller bug tip: no pause until I upgrade the controller. Regarding the controller on this machine, what would you recommend upgrading to?

    ... As far as a link to their web site goes, this is weird but I just went to their website http://www.alphacnc.com/ and it appears to be parked at GoDaddy. Maybe they forgot to pay their domain registration renewal or were hijacked? Or I wonder if they're in the process of going out of business? That sure would explain their failure to respond, etc. Anyway, they did exist, here's their youtube page https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEb...O5g2yudPzE5jeg

    For what it's worth, here's a link to their site as copied by the internet archive: https://web.archive.org/web/20190107.../alphacnc.com/

    The specific machine I chose wasn't listed on their web site anyway; it was recommended by the sales person when I told them I needed to work thru metal fast & with good precision. I can share the specification PDF if you're interested. Looks like I might have a 'unique' machine...
    E001 is low Voltage so you need to check your supply voltage and current ( Amps ) that you have is enough for your spindle, are you running single phase or 3 phase
    Mactec54

  17. #17
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    Re: Spindle rotor (& tool holder) not grounded (???)

    Hi, i was reading trough this page, and yes.. if you do have ceramic bearings, you wont get ground at tool actually, so that should explain the failure on that probing.
    As a future controller, i would suggest UC300eth/UB1, that one would handle just about anything you need to run with all the IO's and also handles feed hold very well.

  18. #18
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    Re: Spindle rotor (& tool holder) not grounded (???)

    Quote Originally Posted by mactec54 View Post
    E001 is low Voltage so you need to check your supply voltage and current ( Amps ) that you have is enough for your spindle, are you running single phase or 3 phase
    This is residential, so 220V 1-phase, wired direct to service breaker box via over-spec wire, don't recall exact gauge at the moment. Two breakers, one at service box & one on machine.

    Since it's at power-on and not under any continuous load I'm assuming its electronics initial draw? I don't have any way of capturing peak-draw. I could measure amps on both hot legs with an inductive clamp but that would be useful for continuous load unless I hook the clamp up to a scope which is possible. But it shouldn't be much, I don't see any huge capacitors anywhere. (?)

    I'll double-check conductor fasteners to make sure they're tight, that never hurts.

    It hasn't happened the last few days. Looks like I may just have to live with it.

    Anyway thanks for your help.

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