Z axis locking up, any similar experiences?

While I'm waiting for Tormach support to come back from the weekend, curious if anyone has experienced a similar failure. Today the Z axis on my mill started to seize up during rapid moves in the upward direction. My machine is a series 3, a little under a year old, and has been used somewhat regularly but not heavily. I can get the Z axis to move at less-than-rapid speeds, but it makes a squeaking noise as the screw turns, like a squeaky wheel.

For a little while now it also seemed to me like the Z axis was "noisier" than it used to be--there seemed to be more vibration when the head was rapiding up or down than I had remembered it making. Not sure but maybe 6-10 operating hours ago this might have started? I checked the Z axis ways and they seemed a little dry (I have the automatic oiler set up per the manual and it seems to run properly) and I gave the ways and screw a good soak with the oilcan but the squeaking noise didn't seem to change.

Anyway, curious if any have had similar experiences and might have a preview of what I'm in for. I'm mostly hoping it's just a bearing or something I can get to without taking the machine half apart. At least it happened while the warranty is still definitely in effect :P

Is it possible that you have a plugged oil line going to the Z axis and/or ball screw assembly? You could try putting some way oil into an oil can and manually oil the Z axis. A vibration could be lots of things, maybe a loose bearing or gib. I would first try flooding things that move with oil and see if that changes anything.

Robert

Are you getting any Drive alarms, such as Over current? Have you checked the backlash? I ask because, you will need additional Clues
To narrow this down, such as a ball nut, Bearing's, coupling or a something as simple as sheet metal dragging. If the machine is still under
warranty it would seem unlikely a nut or bearing would wear out so soon. Unless a lube point has failed in the way's or ball nut.

RTP- Burnsville
Is spot on with my thinking as well. Take the lines loose and flood the points.
RTP looking at your name are you in WNC?

Does the Tormach even have drive alarms? If so not sure where those would show up.

My gut feeling is that backlash is in the <.001" range based on how it behaved when I was setting the height with a feeler gauge but I haven't put an indicator on it in a while. At the very least it's not in the "!?!" range. If there's sheet metal dragging it's somewhere I can't see. The squeaking makes me suspect that there's something going on with at least one rotating part though that could certainly be rooted in a lube problem.

While it's probably not the gibs, I would definitely test the gibs in the z-axis. If they are too tight all sorts of bad things can happen.

I had a Z axis oiling problem on my machine, it would gravity back thru the supply line and would take 3 or 4 pumps to get oil to the Z, I installed a check valve in the supply line to the Z manifold, it fixed the problem for me.
There have been several Z axis oiling problems over the last couple of years here on the forum.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by CNCRebuilder

RTP- Burnsville
Is spot on with my thinking as well. Take the lines loose and flood the points.
RTP looking at your name are you in WNC?

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Hi,
I am in a SW burb of Minneapolis, MN.....

Robert

I know this might sound silly!
I had x,y axis lockup or bang or whatever
called tormach they had me reinstall mach from master disks that come with mill!
I was thinking no way this is software, 10 min later I was good to go. had to recalibrate spindle and stuff tho
md

I'm using linuxcnc :)

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Originally Posted by sansbury

I'm using linuxcnc :)

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Ok I did not see this option, when I purchased my mill!
Cool, this is what their new lathe is using right?
md

Mine was a rubber snubber that worked its way from the base of the screw (to soften the blow if the head slammed into the Z axis stepper mount) to the top of the screw. It was on there VERY tight for some reason, maybe it happened with the previous owner. So I called Tormach for the 3rd time on this issue and they blamed my wiring and tried to sell me a $700 controller as usual. I have to credit the tech for even mentioning the rubber bumper since that was the cause. I was also blamed for not adjusting the gibs properly as per the manual....they were adjusted properly. Seriously, this thing has never worked properly.

Any follow up on this?
Did a machine shut down and computer reboot fix the problem :)
Always wanting to learn more about these machines so its easy to id , fix problems that pop up.

md

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mountaindew

Ok I did not see this option, when I purchased my mill!
Cool, this is what their new lathe is using right?
md

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Tormach is still advertising the dual boot CD for the Tormach controller, I called them to order one and was told that it isnt available, this was a couple of months ago or so. I would like to switch to Linux cnc.

Mach/windows has been screwing up yesterday and today, It made a noise similar to gears stripping on Z - yesterday and went .200 too deep into the part, restarted the computer and it worked the rest of the day. Today it was making a banging noise at a certain spot on 5 waterline holes, then on the profile it cut two parts fine and the third it went full depth thru the part in Y + direction, lucily I didnt trust it and was standing at the machine, and was able to hit the e stop and saved the cutter.

If the machine makes an unusual noise, I stand right there because it will usually do something like this at some point in the program.
I think tomorrow will be a reinstall disk day............ as I think there is a software problem.

Mike - it could be that your Z drive is about to fail. I had similar symptoms just before one of my drives failed. Replaced the drive and no problems since then.

Mike

I'm about to go over and do a more thorough test to confirm but the Tormach tech suspected it was a Z axis brake problem and it's looking like he was right. It looks like the brake was not disengaging on power-up.

My problems were OK today, I rebooted the computer and Mach, ran that contour and chamfer ops again on the part that it screwed up and it went fine today!??
A restart didnt fix it yesterday, a complete reboot today and the problem is gone, at least for the ops I did this am.

I have linux 2.4 on another computer, I guess its about time to try it out........

Sansbury I had the exact same issue with my series 2 and it turned out to be the z axis motor.

I had the Z gib on my 1100 drop down and seize the Z axis. In a panic, I tried to jog the head up, making it even worse. I ended up lifting the head with a hydraulic bottle jack.

A little background: My machine is a VERY early build...I think it's #065. Prior to this, I had very bad backlash issues and had adjusted all three gibs. To make a very long story short, the Z gib had no "tanged washers", either top or bottom, so it was free to go past its "sweet spot". I'm unsure if it ever had them, but it does now. (I made them.) I surmised from all the adjustments that I made, including straightening the head (it was .011 out of tram in a 10" dia.) that the previous owners really abused this machine and had no idea how to keep it well maintained.

Hopefully your issue is software related and you won't go through the nightmare that I did.

We own a S2 and have a strange noise when jogging only the head up. We've taking this machine apart and put it back to together several times since we owned it. Everything works great, just a strange little rattle. After investigating more, with the head cover open, pushing on the metal wire compartment on the motor the noise goes away. So it sounds like something could be loose behind the motor wiring compartment... IDK Not sure if anyone has this issue or not, but thought I'd bring it up