Anilam Crusader II Z-Axis issues

I have just aquired a Bridgeport Series 1 machine with Anilam Crusader II 3-axis controller. The x and y axis work great. I can input programs manually into the controller and run them with no problems if I do it in SINGLE STEP mode everytime, but in AUTO it sometimes gets stuck on a step and I have to reset it and start again. My big problem is the Z-axis is not working at all. When I first started it up it let me jog the Z-axis one time and since then it does not move or attempt to move and just errors out and displays 18 in the feed display. I have checked the wiring connections on the Z but do not see any problems. Does anyone have any suggestions, servo or driver board and does anyone have parts that might fix the problem. Thanks

I have a crusader M series so I know it is similar, but the same. I have switched servo drive before to isolate problems. Also I diagnosed a bad servo motor by changing the connection from the Y axis to the X axis. I don't know if this would be acceptable to a service tech, but it worked for me. Good Luck!

Thanks for the input. I actually fixed it. The place that had it before had rigged it instead of fixing the few issues that it had. The limit switch on the z-axis was broke and not functional, so everytime the z bottomed out it blew the fuse on the driver board (didn't know it had a fuse), so instead of putting a new switch on it they just put a few boxes of fuses in the driver compartment. Also the z-axis slide scale was loose and would be up to .100" off at times which is why they could not get it to repeat in the z direction. I fixed these two problems and the thing works great. Thanks for the suggestions though I was curious about switching the connections to test the boards.

I have an Anilam Crusader II for my Lathe. We bought BobCad and in the setup the Controller froze. Bob Cad pointed at Anilam, Anilam would not help and said to buy a new CNC. We got the controller unfroze but now the Z axis drifts, doesn't display it's location and when ever I try to use the controller to move it I get error 18. I switched the X & Z axis cables and the X axis cables work on the Z axis. However the Z cables are not registering on the X axis.
I checked for continuity on the cables and they are good. I think I am missing a code to set the parameters for the machine. Does any one have any feed back?

Aaron

You didn't say, but I am guessing your lathe must be using linear scales for position. It sounds to me like that is most likely the problem. When the scale is not working correctly, the servo will wander because it is not getting feedback to keep it in a certain position. The scale could be bad, or it could be a bad connection on the circuit board. On the crusader M it is the "black tab" board but I am unsure on the crusader II. If you can locate the connections you could try connecting your Z axis cable to the X axis position and see if you get a position display, then move it manually to see if it changes. If your scales have a connection to the outside of the control housing, you could switch the cables there and try the same things. Again assuming you have linear scales, the Z axis could have debris inside causing it to not function correctly. If your machine does not have linear scales, it would have to have an encoder on the servo motor. That would also cause the same problems. The other possibility is it could just be old and wore out. I hope this helps.

I am having similar issues with the z axis on my 3 axis machine. X & Y operate as they should, when I manually move the Z axis the machine trips the safety interlock and shuts the machine down. I am looking at the servo drive board but believe it is in the power supply to the board.