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68

Bend-Tech Dragon

Troubleshooting Guide

Mach3

09

10.16 Diagnosing Sensor, Cable, and Control Box Problems

If an Axis on the Dragon is not homing properly, it is possible for the operator to diagnose the 

problem using Mach3. Mach3 can be used to determine if there is a cable, sensor, or Control 

Box issue. 

10.16.1 Diagnosing a Sensor Issue

Diagnose a sensor issue using Mach3 to monitor the Input Signals in the Diagnostics interface. 

If an Axis is not homing properly, swap cables to determine if it is a sensor, cable, or control 

box issue. For example if the A-Axis (Horizontal Axis on the Toolhead) is not homing properly, 

follow the troubleshooting process to determine the issue.

Observe which limits are being triggered in Mach3 (for the A-Axis this will be the M4-Limit and 

M4Home).

10.16.2 Checking the Control Box

To eliminate the Control Box as the issue, move the A+ sensor cable to the A- port on the 

Control Box, and move the A- sensor to the A+ port on the control box. 

Swapping the cables at the Control Box should change the Input Signals to Mach3.

If the M4--Limit and M4Home remain triggered the signal has not followed the cables. This 

indicates there is a problem with the Control Box.

If M4++Limit is activated it indicates the input has changed along with the cable configuration. 

In this case the Control Box is communicating properly with Mach3 and there is a problem with 

a cable or sensor. 

10.16.3 Checking Sensors

Important

Sensor cables can be swapped without powering down the Dragon. However, 

motor cables should not be swapped until the machine is powered off. 

Swap the A- and A+ sensor cables back to their designated input ports on the Control Box. 

Swap the A- cable to the A+ sensor on the Toolhead. 

Swap the A+ cable to the A- sensor on the Toolhead.

Summary of Contents for Dragon mAchines

Page 1: ...Part 1 of 1 Dragon Troubleshooting Guide Revision 002 English 2021 Bend Tech LLC Dragon CAM v1 0 Dragon mAchines ...

Page 2: ... most complete and accurate information regarding its products We are constantly working to improve and advance our products to increase performance user satisfaction and experience Bend Tech LLC assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions regarding this manual Bend Tech LLC assumes no liability for damages resulting from the use of the information contained in this publication ...

Page 3: ...ii Bend Tech Dragon Dragon Machines Dragon Troubleshooting Guide Revision 002 English Original Instructions October 2021 Bend Tech LLC 729 Prospect Ave Osceola WI 54020 USA 651 257 8715 www bend tech com support bend tech com ...

Page 4: ... 2 2 4 Remove the Gate 19 2 2 5 Adjust the Eccentric Bearing 19 2 2 6 Re install the Gate 20 2 2 8 Position Drive Gear Powered Gate Only 20 2 2 9 Re attach the Safety Guards Powered Gate Only 20 2 3 Adjusting the C Axis Backlash 20 2 4 Calibrating Coordinated Rotation 21 3 4 1 Open the Wizard 21 3 4 2 Dragon Calibration Wizard 21 2 4 3 Begin Calibration 22 2 4 4 Computer Setup 22 2 4 5 Ready the T...

Page 5: ...t is Pausing at the Wrong Time 32 5 1 4 Material Support Lift is too High 32 5 1 5 Material Support Lift is Bottoming Out 33 5 2 Material Support Lift Settings In Bend Tech 7x 33 5 2 1 Change the Support Lifter Gap 33 5 2 2 Adjusting Lifter Trigger Pause 33 5 2 3 Material Support Lift Support Retraction Settings 33 5 2 5 Disabling the Material Support Lift 33 5 3 Material Support Lift Retraction A...

Page 6: ...2 Connection Lost While Machine is Running 53 9 3 Ethernet Connections 54 10 Troubleshooting Mach3 56 10 1 Diagnostics in Mach3 56 10 1 1 Mach3 License Data 56 10 1 2 Coordinating Dragon Designations With Mach3 56 10 1 3 Dragon Axis vs Mach3 Definition 57 10 1 4 Testing Homing Sensors in Mach3 57 10 1 5 Jogging With Mach3 57 10 2 Mach3 Troubleshooting 58 11 2 1 Limits 3 4 and 5 triggered in Mach3 ...

Page 7: ...6 Diagnosing Sensor Cable and Control Box Problems 68 10 16 1 Diagnosing a Sensor Issue 68 10 16 2 Checking the Control Box 68 10 16 3 Checking Sensors 68 10 16 4 Reading ESS LED Status Codes 69 10 16 5 Ethernet Jack LED Lights 70 10 17 Running Warp 9 Utility 71 10 18 Mach3 Lost Communications while Operating 71 10 19 Other Mach3 Errors 72 10 19 1 Invalid Bootloader Signature 72 10 19 2 CryptoMemo...

Page 8: ... to normal use of the machine such as belts lights tooling etc This warranty is void if Bend Tech LLC has determined any failure is the result of mishandling abuse misuse improper installation improper storage improper maintenance or unauthorized modification of the machine The warranty does not cover damage due to natural disasters fire flood or other external factors The warranty may become void...

Page 9: ... team and sales team are always available during our hours of operation Phone 651 257 8715 Email Sales team sales bend tech com Support team support bend tech com Address Bend Tech 729 Prospect Ave Osceola WI 54020 U S A Customer Service Comments questions or concerns regarding the Dragon Machine this manual or the Bend Tech Software can be directed to Bend Tech sales and service representatives a...

Page 10: ...itions Examples Danger Danger Danger indicates a serious condition that could cause severe injury or death to the operator or bystanders if the instructions are not followed Warning Warning A Warning indicates there is a possibility for minor injury if the instructions are not followed correctly Caution Caution Caution warns the operator that minor injury or machine damage could occur if instructi...

Page 11: ...ion or focuses on information that is critical or unique to an operation Notes and Tips Note or Tip Notes and tips give additional helpful information for operating the Dragon machine or Dragon software They are meant for supplemental information and not information that is critical for operating procedures ...

Page 12: ...is part of Machine Control Gate The adjustable mechanism that holds the material in place at the Head of the Machine Head The machine assembly that makes up the front end of the machine Limit Switch The switch that operates as an automatic control to prevent a mechanism or process from going beyond a prescribed limit Load Position The position the machine enters after clicking START on machine con...

Page 13: ...ch as part designing importing library access etc Toolhead The machine component that the tools are attached too Maneuvers the tools into position with the A and Z axes Trolley The machine component that includes the Chuck Travels along the Support Beam on the X Axis Beak Control Box Toolhead Chuck Material Support Lift Support Beam Tail Trolley Gate Head D r a g o n A 4 0 0 D r a g o n A 2 5 0 ...

Page 14: ...00 lbs 181 4kg 5 8 15 8mm 1 32 0 79mm Material Size Material Thickness Can process rectangle tubes up to a 6 375 hypotenuse e g 2 x6 3 x5 Material Size Round Rectangle Square Max 6 152 4mm Min 75 19mm Max 4 101 6mm Min 1 25 4mm Max 4 101 6mm Min 1 25 4mm Max 4 101 6mm Min 1 25 4mm 400 lbs 181 4kg 5 8 15 8mm 1 32 0 79mm Can process rectangle tubes up to a 6 375 hypotenuse e g 2 x6 3 x5 Max Material...

Page 15: ...he Support Session On the Bend Tech Dragon Home interface click the Help tab then click Support Request 3 Fill in the requested information Fill in your Name E mail Phone Number and if you know a Service Technician or have had help with this issue before fill in that Service Technician s name 4 Provide Details about the Problem Give a detailed description of the issue in the Description of Problem...

Page 16: ... are Dirty Clean the Gate using glass cleaner brake cleaner or compressed air Eccentric Bearing needs Adjustment Remove the Gate and adjust the eccentric bearing on the Bearing Rotation Plate Gate Ring Gear See Section 2 2 for the full procedure C Axis Backlash needs Adjustment Check the C Axis for backlash If play is observed see Section 2 3 2 1 3 Gate is Loose Eccentric Bearing needs Adjustment ...

Page 17: ...Gate Eccentric Bearing needs Adjustment Remove the Gate and adjust eccentric bearing on the Bearing Rotation Plate Gate Ring Gear See Section 2 2 for the full procedure 2 1 6 Gate Jaws are not Operating Smoothly Lead Screws are Dirty Clean Gate Lead Screws with brake cleaner glass cleaner or compressed air Re lubricate Gate Jaw Rack Pinion are Dirty Clean Gate Jaw Rack with brake cleaner glass cle...

Page 18: ...e same for both the Powered Gate and Non Powered Gate there are a few additional steps when uninstalling and installing the Powered Gate For Non Powered Gates skip to 2 2 4 Note The Parts Catcher Beak Assembly and or Coolant Trays may need to be removed before uninstalling the Gate from the Dragon 2 2 2 Remove Safety Guards Powered Gate Only The safety guards are only installed on machines with Po...

Page 19: ...o the Gate Mount Bolts Turn the Gate Ring Gear to access the Gate Mount Bolts Locate the four Gate Mount Bolts and loosen them using a 9 16 in socket ratchet and extension While enlisting a helper remove the Gate from the front of the machine Place it on the work surface face down 2 2 5 Adjust the Eccentric Bearing There are two concentric bearings which are not adjustable and one eccentric bearin...

Page 20: ...and ratchet Important Re install the Parts Catcher Beak and or Coolant Trays if they were removed to access the Gate 2 2 8 Position Drive Gear Powered Gate Only Push the C Axis Drive Gear onto the C Axis motor shaft Ensure it fully meshes at the center of the Gate Ring Gear The drive gear must be centered on the Gate Ring Gear Install each set screw and tighten securely with a 3 32 in Allen Wrench...

Page 21: ... with a 3 16 in Allen wrench 2 4 Calibrating Coordinated Rotation Before a Dragon A400 machine that has been retrofitted with a Powered Gate can process angle or channel material the Chuck and Powered Gate must be calibrated This is to ensure the coordinated rotation feature is working properly Note or Tip The Dragon machines are calibrated at the Bend Tech manufacturing facility Calibration of th...

Page 22: ...Trolley Ready the Trolley by using the mouse to jog the Trolley within 1 2 feet of the end of the Rail Once this is complete click NEXT Caution Avoid moving the Trolley past the Homing Switch on the Rail Damage to the Trolley Homing Switch or Rail could occur Tip It is not necessary to jog the Trolley within 1 2 feet of the end of the Support Beam However jogging the Trolley to the end of the Supp...

Page 23: ...he Chuck head calibrated to level it is now synchronized with the tool head This is critical when performing cutting procedures Once this is done click NEXT Important When leveling the Chuck ensure the key is in the 2 o clock position 2 4 9 Powered Gate Calibrating the Powered Gate requires the user to place a level on the Gate As indicated on the screen the best place to do this is by placing the...

Page 24: ...correct in software project settings Chuck Grip Setting are Wrong Verify the Chuck grip setting is correct in Dragon CAM Tube Library Machine Chuck Grip Click the question mark to see examples of Chuck Grip settings Machine Not Homed or Calibrated Correctly From the Bend Tech Dragon home interface click Machine Control then click HOME ALL AXIS to home the Dragon If it is determined the machine nee...

Page 25: ...graver calibration process Air Pressure is Incorrect Set the air pressure for the Engraver Actuator Cylinder to 7 8 psi 3 2 2 Engraver is not Turning On No Air Supply Check the air lines to the Engraver and the main air supply to machine Ensure valve on the Engraver is open Ensure the bleed valve is open 3 3 Setting Engraver Air Pressure The Engraver is driven by pressurized air It uses two separa...

Page 26: ... are not Correct Check the part in Edit Flat Y Axis Backlash Needs Adjusting Remove the Trolley Cover and observe backlash on Y Axis Motor If incorrect adjust on machine See Section 6 8 for full procedure Perform a Backlash Test in Machine Library Mechanical Settings Y Axis Motor or Y Axis Drive Gear Loose Remove the Trolley Cover and perform visual and physical check of Y Axis Motor and Y Axis Mo...

Page 27: ...ction 4 3 for a full procedure 4 1 3 Round Holes are Cutting as Ovals Incorrect Cutting Speed Adjust material feed rate Material is Loose in the Chuck Ensure material is secure in Chuck Gate is too Tight or too Loose Ensure material moves freely in the Gate with no play Too much Backlash Perform a Backlash Test in Machine Library Mechanical Settings Remove the Trolley Cover and perform a visual in...

Page 28: ...o Tight Ensure material moves freely in the Gate with no play 4 1 6 Torch Not Firing Plasma Unit is Not Powered On Check the plasma unit s power switch check power cable check cable to Control Box 4 1 7 Torch is set too High Check Torch height with feeler gauge perform Torch Mount procedure Inadequate Air Supply Check air supply check air pressure Consumables Need Replacing Remove and inspect Torc...

Page 29: ...Stop button and lay it out of the way on the Trolley Remove the Trolley Cover 2 Remove the Pillow Block Mount Bolt Use a in socket to remove the rear pillow block mount bolt nearest the Y Axis Motor 3 Grind the spot Clean of Paint Use a grinder to clean any paint off the flat washer surface of the pillow block bearing 4 Fabricate a Grounding Tab Use in or 3 16 in steel to fabricate a grounding tab...

Page 30: ...nel This is especially true if the machine has not been mounted to the floor of the shop 1 Position the Trolley Jog the Trolley to the front of the machine 2 Check Machine Straightness Use a taut string or a laser to determine if the Support Beam is straight The operator can also stand at the Tail or the machine and sight down the Support Beam Any fluctuations in the Support Beam are often visible...

Page 31: ...he Machine is Level Use a bubble level to level the machine Also ensure the machine remains straight by sighting along the length of the Support Beam or using the string provided with the machine 4 Tighten the Swivel Levelers and Floor Brackets Once the Rail Beam is true tighten the Swivel Levelers Tighten the Floor Brackets 5 Ensure the Machine is Straight and Level After the Swivel Levers and Fl...

Page 32: ...g with the Rail Material Support Lift has fallen out of Adjustment Calibrate the Material Support Lift Material Support Lift is not Calibrated Correctly Calibrate the Material Support Lift 5 1 2 Material Support Lift is Not Homing Material Support Lift has fallen out of Adjustment Calibrate the Material Support Lift 5 1 3 Material Support Lift is Pausing at the Wrong Time Material Support Lift is ...

Page 33: ...n the case of some larger materials such as large square or rectangle material the lifter may need to be set to compensate for material size If the Material Support Lift is binding and or skipping steps when processing large material it may be necessary to change the Support Lifter Gap Contact a Bend Tech Service Tech before changing these settings 5 2 2 Adjusting Lifter Trigger Pause The Lifter T...

Page 34: ...en the Material Support Lift enclosure 2 Locate the Air Cylinder Locate the Material Support Lift air cylinder 3 Adjust the Needle Valves There are two needle valves on the air cylinder When facing the inside of the enclosure the needle valve on the left adjusts the retraction speed of the Material Support Lift The needle valve on the right controls the actuation speed of the Material Support Lift...

Page 35: ... 1 1 X Axis Will Not Jog Breakout Board has come unseated from the Motor Drivers With the Dragon powered off and disconnected from power open the Control Box using a flathead screw driver Press down on the red Breakout Board firmly to ensure the Breakout Board is seated properly on the motor drivers Press here when checking the Breakout Board ...

Page 36: ...ment Move Trolley along the Rail by hand and observe any locations where the Trolley might be binding The Trolley should travel smoothly along the length of the Rail without binding or rocking side to side If Trolley movement is inconsistent it may be necessary to adjust the Trolley Eccentric Bearing See section 6 2 for a full procedure on adjusting the Trolley eccentric bearings 6 1 3 X Axis Moto...

Page 37: ...ustment of the bearing using the flat wrench Adjust the bearing so the Trolley rides smoothly along the Rail with minimal effort and no rocking Note Eccentric Bearings are off center bearings It is best to adjust the eccentric bearings when they are in the closest position to the rail Once the bearing is loose rotate it and adjust it to the tightest position 3 Loosen the Rear Eccentric Bearing Use...

Page 38: ...old the tension nut in place with a 7 16 in wrench Take a second 7 16 in wrench and tightening the locking nut against the tension nut to lock it in place 6 4 Chuck Troubleshooting 6 4 1 Chuck is Skipping Steps Breakout Board has come unseated from the Motor Drivers With the Dragon powered off and disconnected from power open the Control Box using a flathead screw driver Press down on the red Brea...

Page 39: ...the Chuck Jaws Clean the Chuck Jaws with brake cleaner and a rag 3 Re install the Chuck Jaws Chuck jaws should be re installed in the same position on the Chuck from which they were removed The Chuck and Chuck Jaws are numbered Match the Chuck Jaws to their corresponding positions on the Chuck Install the Chuck Jaws on the same rotation of the Chuck Key This will ensure they are all the same dista...

Page 40: ... Lubricate the Chuck With the Chuck clean lightly lubricate the inside with a quality spray lubricant 5 Re install the Chuck Jaws Re install the Chuck jaws ensuring they are installed in the same location and on the same rotation of the Chuck key 6 Re install the Chuck Re install the Chuck Tighten the Chuck mounting screws then give each screw another quarter turn 6 8 Y Axis Backlash Adjustment Th...

Page 41: ...ck Troubleshooting 06 3 Tighten the Bolt Securing the Y Axis Motor Then tighten each one The chuck should have no side to side or up and down play The gear should rotate smoothly without binding If this does not resolve the issue contact technical support ...

Page 42: ...r has Failed Replace the Motor Driver See section 7 2 7 1 2 Machine is not Powering On Control Box Power Switch has Failed Replace the Control Box Power Switch See section 7 3 7 1 3 Smooth stepper is not Connecting to the Computer Critical Failure in the Circuit Board or Circuit Board Component Replace the Smooth stepper Board See section 7 4 7 1 4 Axis is not Responding or is Responding Incorrect...

Page 43: ...er off the machine and disconnect from power 2 Open the Control Box Using a large flat blade screwdriver open the Control Box by turning the latch counterclockwise 3 Disconnect the Breakout Board Locate the red Breakout Board in the upper left corner of the Control Box The Breakout Board will have a ribbon cable leading to it Gently pry the Breakout Board out of its location and set aside Leave th...

Page 44: ...cle assembly 1 Power off the Machine Power off the machine and disconnect from power 2 Open the Control Box Using a large flat blade screwdriver open the Control Box by turning the latch counterclockwise 3 Disconnect the Power Switch Remove the two wires that connect to the Control Box Power Switch noting the location of the wires so they can be re attached to the new switch in the same location 4...

Page 45: ...e nuts that secure the smooth stepper to the Control Box door Once the nuts are removed remove the smooth stepper 4 Install the new Smooth stepper Installation is the reverse of removal 7 5 Replacing Control Box Fuses Replacing the Main Power Fuse The Main Power Fuse is a 10A 120VAC fuse Ensure any replacement fuses are 10A 120VAC The Main Power Fuse is located in a slot just below the Main Power ...

Page 46: ...river turn the black Control Box Door Latch located on the right hand side of the Control Box counterclockwise to open the Control Box Locate the red Breakout Board in the upper left hand side of the Control Box The Breakout Board will have a flat flex cable leading to it Carefully pull the Breakout Board off the Motor Drivers This will give access to the left hand Control Box Mounting Bolt The Br...

Page 47: ...Leg Once in position with a Mounting Bolt fed through both parts thread a nut onto the Mounting Bolt and tighten finger tight Place the 9 16 in wrench on the nut and use the ratchet extension and 9 16 in socket placed on the bolt head inside the Control Box to tighten the Mounting Bolts securely Note The Powered Gate Control Box will have a separate Powered Gate Driver Box attached to it This cont...

Page 48: ...f the main Control Box The Powered Gate Driver Box is secured with Velcro which is pre installed on the Control Boxes 6 Control Box Connections Transfer all cable wiring and compressed air connections from the old Control Box to the new Control Box Bend Tech recommends starting at either the top or bottom of the old Control Box and transfer each connection individually Using this method will avoid...

Page 49: ... there is an issue with a sensor if the machine cannot find home or if a machine Axis experiences a collision 8 2 Checking a Sensor The operator can check a sensor by placing a piece of metal such as the blade of a screwdriver in front of the sensor In the Machine Library on the Main interface click the Wizard icon and choose PERFORM FULL CALIBRATION Follow the prompts on the screen the program wi...

Page 50: ... 4 Setting a Proximity Sensor 1 Disconnect the Sensor Cable Disconnect the sensor cable 2 Position the Sensor Bolt Position the sensor bolt directly in front of the sensor This will require jogging the machine To move the axis by hand power OFF the machine 3 Check the Gap between the Sensor and Bolt Head Use a feeler gauge to check the gap between the face of the sensor and the bolt head the gap s...

Page 51: ...sensors A Axis and Z Axis Toolhead negative sensors can be changed easily However the positive sensors require removal of the Toolhead to change The positive sensors can be disconnected and the machine run safely without them until down time is scheduled for sensor replacement ...

Page 52: ... Task Manager and ensure it is not running other programs while trying to connect When the machine loses connectivity while running it is typically because of electrical interference with the Ethernet Cable or the computer is prioritizing memory to a different process or program It is possible a cable can become damaged by hot slag or that it can become jostled by the machine s actions and lose co...

Page 53: ...all sleep timers are turned off Ethernet Cable Connection Incorrect Ensure the computer is connected directly to the Control Box Ensure the Ethernet Cable is connected to its own Ethernet plug in the computer with no adapters 9 2 Connection Lost While Machine is Running Ethernet Cable Routed Incorrectly or Electrical Interference Re route Ethernet cable away from other electrical cables Computer R...

Page 54: ...rom the USB port to the router to gain internet access for computers without Wifi capabilities This will leave the other ethernet port open for use with the Dragon machine Y A B Z X Y C X B A A EStop Engraver Torch Laser Gate EStop EStop Z Z L E Router WiFi PC Tower Back Control Box Computers provided by Bend Tech have a built in WiFi adapter However if WiFi is not available the computer will need...

Page 55: ... Y A B Z X Y C X B A A EStop Engraver Torch Laser Gate EStop EStop Z Z L E Router Ethernet to USB Adapter PC Tower Back Control Box Important Do Not connect the Control Box to a USB port via an adapter Do Not Connect the Computer to the Control Box via a Router ...

Page 56: ...ce Center 10 1 2 Coordinating Dragon Designations With Mach3 In some cases it may be necessary to coordinate the Dragon Machine Control homing system with Mach3 software user interface Mach3 uses and machine limit labeling system in its user interface These are prefaced by a numbered order preceded by the letter M Per Dragon programming the designations in Mach3 are considered home Note When homin...

Page 57: ...functioning it will light up its designation in Mach3 This offers a quick and easy way to troubleshoot a sensor or cable Also in the case of a malfunction check Mach3 If a designation is lit up when it should not be it is an indication of a problem with an Axis sensor cable or box 10 1 5 Jogging With Mach3 There are some situations where the machine may need to be jogged but will not be able to Th...

Page 58: ...In the Program Run tab Mach3 will display the same G Code as Bend Tech 7x Determine the line number where the project failed and then compare it to Bend Tech 7x 10 4 Prioritizing Mach3 on the Computer All new Dragon machines are shipped with a new computer that is optimized for use with the machine However customers with older machines will need to supply a computer It is important to optimize the...

Page 59: ...r of connectivity associated error messages and problems could occur This is explained in more detail in section 10 12 Dragon Power Up Order of Operations Turn on black switch on the Control Box The switch is connected to the ESS board which is necessary for connectivity Power on Green Button 24V to each of the motor drivers Motor drivers are not connected to the ESS board Open Dragon CAM select m...

Page 60: ...l interface Note The A axis is labeled 4 in the Mach3 jog controls interface 10 6 1 Jogging During Calibration If the Dragon is performing its calibration process the Machine Control interface will not be accessible In order to jog the machine during the calibration process Mach3 will need to be used In any Mach3 interface press the Tab button and it will open a jog controls interface This will ov...

Page 61: ...ate a new nesting project The machine is waiting to receive information on the new material length before it will move However if the machine needs to be jogged go into Mach3 and press the Tab key on the keyboard Use the Mach3 jogging interface to jog the machine 10 7 Determining Machine Status in Mach3 In the Program Run tab in Mach3 there is a Status message at the bottom of the interface Status...

Page 62: ...face Mach3 will display if a limit switch has been triggered by lighting up an input indicator yellow Indicators for the Torch and Engraver will light up red when active A Limit Switch or E Stop will cause the machine to disable Checking the input signals in Mach3 can indicate what is disabling the machine For example if the machine is disabled and one of the external input signals is lit that inp...

Page 63: ...he age of the machine and when it was produced by Bend Tech Bend Tech does not recommend reconfiguring any Pin numbers without first consulting a Bend Tech Service Tech Enabled vs Disabled Next to each Signal is a red X or green check mark indicating if a specific limit switch is enabled Red X disabled Green Check Mark enabled Some Axes only have one sensor In these cases only the location equippe...

Page 64: ...nt as soon as possible 10 12 Leaving Mach3 Open If the Mach3 interface is left open when the Bend Tech Dragon software and the Dragon machine are shut down then upon booting up the computer a message window will pop up saying the Ethernet Smooth stepper has failed to communicate for an extended period of time When this occurs click OK If the Main Power Switch is turned on and the green button is p...

Page 65: ...Reset in Mach3 and the machine will be enabled Important If the machine is disabled always check the Control Box first to ensure the Main Power Switch is on and the green button is lit 10 14 Calculating Run Time in Mach3 1 Create a Nesting Project Load or create a nested project Ensure Disable OK to Move is checked 2 Turn off the Plasma unit Ensure the plasma unit is powered OFF If the torch is le...

Page 66: ...ine Controls to start from the previous G Code line For older machines the following instructions will walk through the process of Restarting a Job after Torch Failure The Macro can also be obtained from Bend Tech 10 15 1 Editing the Macro If the Torch fails to initialize the G Code will default to the beginning of the job in Mach3 Before restarting a job in Mach3 the Torch Initialization Macro co...

Page 67: ...face will read Torch Failed to Initialize In the G code display click the up arrow on the right hand side of the display twice to move the command line back two steps in the code This is the command to lower the Torch to the cutting position Click Set Next Line The Status message will now read Press CycleStart for preparation move Click the green CYCLE START icon A Preparation Positioning window w...

Page 68: ...me 10 16 2 Checking the Control Box To eliminate the Control Box as the issue move the A sensor cable to the A port on the Control Box and move the A sensor to the A port on the control box Swapping the cables at the Control Box should change the Input Signals to Mach3 If the M4 Limit and M4Home remain triggered the signal has not followed the cables This indicates there is a problem with the Cont...

Page 69: ...ts Knowing the meaning of these status lights can help diagnose connection problems between Mach3 and the Dragon ESS Board Status Lights Light Status Definition Solution Green Right Two quick blinks Waiting for communication with Mach3 N A One second on one second off BootP mode Remove the small plastic jumper from the BootP pins JP1 and power cycle the ESS See the image below One long flash two s...

Page 70: ...nowing the meaning and behavior of each color of the status lights can help the operator diagnose connection problems between Mach3 and the Dragon Ethernet Jack LED Amber Link Light On Cable is connected to a device the computer Off No connection bad cable or Ethernet disabled on computer Green Data Light Flashing Ethernet connected Plastic jumper on the BootP pins JP1 ...

Page 71: ...ool The computer will ask if changes are allowed to be made to the computer Click YES Click Start PC Configuration Note This process does not always work as expected If problems persist contact Bend Tech Support 10 18 Mach3 Lost Communications while Operating Problem Cause Mach3 Lost Communications Bad Ethernet cable Bad connection at either end of the Ethernet cable Ethernet cable routed too clos...

Page 72: ...error it means it has not been able to communicate with the ESS correctly In the case of an Invalid Bootloader Signature message close Mach3 cycle power to the ESS off then back on Restart Mach3 10 19 2 CryptoMemory Error On rare occasions Mach3 will display an error that reads The CryptoMemory did not provide a valid authorization This error indicates the ESS board is not functioning properly Che...

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Page 74: ...Bend Tech LLC 729 Prospect Ave Osceola WI 54020 1 651 257 8715 sales bend tech com www bend tech com ...

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