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Hello I pick up this older laser engraver it is a gravogaph LS500XL and it was working good but as you cut a line from left to right it was going down hill a little so I messed with the allen screw at the top left corner on the bar it is on top of the motor and now it puts the error upon the display showing error end of travel anyone know how to fix thanks
I have a borrowed repair manual, it isn't for your machine but most Gravograph machines are very similar where electronics are concerned...According to my manual you'll get this message due to a limit switch issue, so, the problem is secondary and likely has nothing to do with your screw adjustment, unless you accidentally pulled a wire off one of the limit switches-- so first, check the wires on the X and Y limit switches.
but I've had this message a few times because of my auto-focus switch; I remove the spring-loaded plunger rod extension to allow for engraving taller items, and sometimes I need more space, and I'll push the rod up into the switch farther. All is well until I re-boot the machine, and the laser's controller senses the focus switch is 'closed' and won't open, which it should do within seconds of the home-position routine.
So If you have auto-focus on that machine, and I suspect you do, make sure the plunger is fully retracted down. When booting up, my machines do NOT move the Z table, that only happens if I do it manually, OR if I have the plunger pushed up, so I'm thinking your table shouldn't move on boot up either. But your X and Y axis's WILL move, toward the limit switches; when they bump the switches they will move away slightly from the switches and "park" in home position. Also, whenever manually moving the head any time while on, the axis's will reset to home position. If an X or Y switch is bad, you'll get this error every time it tries to 'go home'...
Fortunately, limit switches are cheap if they're bad.
Below is the entire troubleshooting info from this manual. It's translated from French, which isn't a lot different from translated from Chinese :)
Good luck!
Quote:
When this error message appears, this is a problem with a limit switch which is not functioning,
or the power board do not receive the signal from limit switch.
When this problem appears after the switching ON machine, the Z (table) X (head) or Y (bridge)
move a few centimetres, and then this error message appears, on LCD display.
In fact, limit switch circuit is in normal using “open”, so when the machine is switching ON, there
is a rooting of tests during the firmware loading, and then if there is a signal from a limit switch in
“close” position, so the stepper motor turn in order to “open” the circuit. But after a few
centimetres if the limit switch circuit stays on close position, all movement of the machine stop ,
and then the “ERR end of travel” appears on display .
Check the limit switch in relation with the movement X Y or Z or Z auto. For the Zauto limit
switch, try to move up and down the shaft of the Z auto (just near the lens) in order to control
the free sliding, if the Z auto shaft is lock in the head, remove the shaft and clean it , put 1 drop
oil, and then put it back I the head, and then switch the machine OFF and ON to control the end
of travel state.
Regarding the other limit switch control the functioning with a multi-meter, and then check the
continuity between the limit switch contacts and the connector on power board (big black
connector with brown and black wires)
thank you for the reply I was missing around with it before I read the post and what happens is when I turn on the machine it starts it setup and then the table goes down just a bit and then the error code shows up. the x or y bar or focus lens does not move just the table so I will try to find the limit switch by chance you know were they may be, also don't have a plunger on the focus but it has a long peace of rod with threads on the end I think the plunger rod was taken off do not have a picture of what one looks like on this machine so don't know for sure
the rod with threads is the plunger rod, what's been taken off is the extension. The table going down tells me the auto focus limit switch is the problem. The plunger may be pushed upward into its pocket, activating the switch, so first thing to is to pull the rod down as far as it will go. If it's already full down, push it up and down several times to work the limit switch, and spraying the rod thru the slot with WD40 may help if the switch is stuck. Make sure it's pulled full down when you're done. Reboot the machine- if the table DOES NOT move and the laser head finishes going to home position, you should be good.
If the table still moves, that means the circuit is still closed and the switch may be stuck or bad. Disconnect one of the wires on the plunger's limit switch, then reboot...
Yep the rod was the problem it got push up and got stuck I pulled it down and used wd40 and it works thank you for the help. I been manually focusing. One other thing when I do a vector line like starting on left side of table like at measurement 3in and go to the right all the way to 3in the line goes down hill would you happen to have something on the beam alignment may be it is off causing it to go down hill.thank you again for the help you were right on.
It's not the beam alignment, it's the gantry alignment, which you were adjusting in the first place- you need to loosen one of gear cogs (far right is my choice) from the drive rod, then you can push the far right end of the gantry rail up a bit to compensate for the down-hill. How much to push up is anyone's guess, takes a few adjustments to dial it in good.
Do you still have gravo LS500xl
I just picked up a ls500xl and ls200