Agiecut 100 Technical Questions

I few a few technical questions about my old machine. I don't think the wire tension is what it should be and I think checking it should be a pretty straightforward voltage check but I have no idea what voltage I should see at the brake.

So question 1; what voltage should be across the brake wires at the given HC settings? HC1= ? Volts, HC11= ? Volts, etc.

2; does that voltage come directly from the DWC-01 board or from some place else?

I have a number of manuals including most of the wiring diagrams for what they are worth but is there such a thing as a service manual that would have this kind of information?

And if so, does any one know how to get one?

As always, I appreciate your help!

Gary

1. I'm calling trick question. HC has nothing to do with brake tension. It produces a DC charge on the actual wire to "repel" it from the workpiece.
2. that voltage is generated on the PMO-04/9 in generator(3rd board from left top row in MID).
3. to answer the question properly. the voltage for the brake is supplied from the DWC. The control of said voltage is adjusted on the DMD-03/20 that is in the upper head. The calibration procedure does not include measuring voltage. it includes actual measuring of the wire tension. Each brake asm. is slightly different so actual tension is used. Do you have a tension Gage?
4. there was a service manual from way back in the day. They are no longer available. Most info like this was covered under SI's (service infos).
5. there was also a problem with the location of a capacitor used to create the brake voltage on the DWC board. it was right above a PTC pill and the heat from it would dry out the cap and short it. This would kill the voltage and tension would go to zero. i will get component location for you it is a 63V 10uF electrolytic cap, get a couple and keep on hand.

It was not my intention to create a trick question for sure.

From the limited information I have thought that HC setting was used to set the wire tension for different cutting conditions.

The reason I noticed the tension is not what it should be is because the wire will get enough bag I n it that it will cut through the tab on the ends and not in the middle.

I was thinking, because I have no real information that I should be able to check the voltage on the brake and see what's happening. I assumed that more voltage = more brake = more wire tension.

I do not have a wire tension gage, but I will get some capacitors today and await your guidance.

I think you would be welcome to come for a visit. Lovely small town with absolutely nothing to do except work on an old Agie.

Thanks Gary

I was able to pick up some 63 volt 10uf capacitors today and I looked the board over pretty good and only see one of those capacitors on it at the C5 location. Another question if I came up with a tension gauge, how much tension am I looking for? I always thought the wire tension probably changed depending on rough cut, skim cut, part height etc. is that right or wrong?

Thanks Gary

Hi Gary, the tension is the FW on the erosion S screen it is in newtons. A newton is ~100grams so a FW setting 0f 17 lets say is 1700grams or 1.7 kilograms. tension gages usualy measure grams. The capacitor is on the bottom left of the board between to transistors and above a blue round disk or a good size ceramic resistor

Thanks, I have two DWC-01 boards. One a has a B after the part number and one has a D.

The board in the machine (B) has the blue disc and a capacitor which looks original that is tan and looks like a tear drop. It is a 50v 10uf.

The board with the D has the white ceramic resistor and a 63v 10uf capacitor that looks like a little can. These both appear to have been changed at one time.

I put that board in the machine and when cutting I have 0v at 2fw and 11.47 volts at 20fw on the brake wires at the upper head.

That seems like it is working. I am cutting a part and I will see how it goes. I plan to change out the capacitor on the original board and see what that does for it.

Is there a way to get the wire tension energized without cutting. When I just run the wire or when the machine is idle it just has 4.73 volts on the brake all the time. Not sure if that is real voltage or just residual fees back that I am seeing.

Also with a tension gauge how do you make an adjustment. Is there a potentiometer some place that changes that voltage to match the fw setting number?

I really doubt I have to do that, it seems fine with this board but I like to know all I can.

Thanks for your help. It would be very difficult if not impossible to get any where with these old machines without guys like you.

Thanks Gary

Hi Gary, my pleasure. yes there is a potentiometer on the DMD-03 to adjust. if you want to run actual speed (AW) and tension (FW) thread the wire turn off the handbox and start wire running with the button just above cycle start. (arrow straight down)

Running the wire with the down arrow is what I was talking about doing when I said that it just shows 4.73 volts no matter the fw setting. It shows the same when not running the wire at all, however when I start erosion I can adjust it from 0 to 11.6 volts depending on the fw setting chosen.

I will see if I can get a tension gauge and see if it is in the ball park.

Just an after thought, but I don't think I had activated a program by doing the OPM32 Ready before running the wire so it probably didn't know what tension to run.

Does that sound right? I will try it again. Thanks Gary

down arrow WITH handbox off now fw and aw will work. how close are you to Chicago?

When you say handbox off I guess you mean with out the hand lit up. I did not do that so I will try it again.

I did get a good part out of it last night with the other DWC board in there.

I am about as far as you can get from Chicago and still be in Illinois. 300 miles give or take a few.

Thanks Gary

yep the picture of the hand with the LED. same as erosion turn off for cycle start. Turn off for actual speed and tension.

Got thanks!

Gary