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Brother TC-S2C Z axis issues

biglord4ever

Aluminum
Joined
Feb 11, 2015
I was running a small production run this morning. A couple of hours in, the tool dropped lower than it should've and bit into the top of the vise jaw. After clearing the e-stop, the tool was loose from the spindle. I did a tool change and it kicked out that tool as well. I checked the ball bearings in the draw bar and they look fine. I then proceeded to clean all of the 21 tool pockets to make sure it wasn't a debris issue. While going thru tool changes around the magazine, multiple other tools kicked out as well. But not every time. Then when I try to do another tool change, z went up past home and just kept going. I cleared it and finished cleaning. Now tools aren't getting kicked out, but about every 100 tool changes, z goes too high past home. This leads me to think there's a limit switch issue. But I can't find them! Anyone know where they might be on a 2008 Brother TC-S2C? Or what could be causing this issue if it's not the switches?
 
No limit switches or 'reference' switches. It has absolute encoders. Check to see your Z machine position when you touch the spindle face to 9" of 1-2-3 blocks sitting on the table. Should be 9". Doesn't need to be 9" of blocks, just whatever precision amount you have that the spindle face can reach. Whatever the height is, that is what your Machine Position should be.
 
I checked the z position accuracy this morning and its dead on. I also ran 100 or so tool changes manually. 1 tool dropped. It looked like it was misaligned in the pocket. Could've been my mistake after cleaning each pocket yesterday. Not sure.

I then switched to MEM mode and tried to dry run a program with the rapids turned way down. As soon as I hit cycle start, the z axis started to squeal as it ascended. What the hell is going on? I'm totally stumped!
 
Another item to check is spindle orientation. Also the keys in the tool pockets (ATC grippers) wear and can be replaced. I have seen the spring loaded plungers that hold the tools in the pockets stick (rusted) from poor coolant maintenance in the machine's past. Sounds like you have something going on in the Zaxis. Ball screw? Motor? Amplifier?
 
Motor is at the top, amp in the control cabinet and ball screw behind the covers. PM me and I can get you more info.
 
Thought it was fixed with cleaning and new grease. Ran for a couple of hours with the occasional squeal when z is above home during tool change. Then a tool wasn't loaded back in the pocket properly and was flung from the magazine as it indexed. And then this:

 








 
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