Laser stops halfway through job

[Mark Anderson]

Our Epilog laser is stopping in the middle of a job. It's not in the same place on the Y axis each time, but is in the approximate same spot each time on the X axis (about 19"). When pushing reset after it stops, it sees the current position it stopped in as home. :eek: I can turn off and restart the laser and it immediately goes to the correct home position. I've cleaned the encoder strip and the problem continues. I will call Epilog support later this morning, but I wanted to ask for everybody's best guess as to what the problem might be based on your own past experiences. BTW...We have had to replace two controller boards in the last couple of months, but that seemed to be a completely unrelated problem. In both cases Epilog support as been first rate! :D

Epilog Mini 45 Watt

[Joe Pelonio]

Did the complete file make it over to the laser? It might do that if the file was big and only part of it was in the laser's memory. If that model has the LCD screen you can view it and check that.

[Mark Anderson]

Joe,
The whole file made it across, and it's a known good file that we used yesterday. The problem actually started intermittently yesterday afternoon, but we were able to restart and resend the job and it would finish. Today however it isn't as cooperative. :cool:

[Joe Pelonio]

Tech Support will be open in half an hour or so, let us know what it was.

Did you replace your x-motor yet? Maybe it's hanging up when it gets hot.

[Jody Malinich]

I'm with Joe one this one. Right after we got our Helix it started doing the same thing yours is, a quick call to Epilog and I had a new motor the next day.

Jody

[Mark Anderson]

Thanks for everyone's input. We had already replaced the X-axis motor this morning with a spare. I just got off the phone with Epilog support and after several tests determined that the air assist supply hose was getting just enough of a jerk going under the encoder cover that the X-axis motor would stop in it's tracks...and when I say just enough I mean VERY slight. We just raised the cover a tad and reset the screws with the new height and can use as is until we get a replacement hose. As usual Epilog support was great. We are up and running ! :D

[Judith Halliday]

Thanks for everyone's input. We had already replaced the X-axis motor this morning with a spare. I just got off the phone with Epilog support and after several tests determined that the air assist supply hose was getting just enough of a jerk going under the encoder cover that the X-axis motor would stop in it's tracks...and when I say just enough I mean VERY slight. We just raised the cover a tad and reset the screws with the new height and can use as is until we get a replacement hose. As usual Epilog support was great. We are up and running ! :D


This has happened to me as well. I now leave one of the screws off the encoder cover and it sits higher. Dirt will collect on the air assist hose and it catches. What happens is a nice straight burn of a line in the same location.