SAFETY FIRST Anytime your dealing with electrical components, remember to always turn off your equipment and unplug from the wall before changing/testing parts.

If your System 1 engraver starts

• losing steps
• moving erratically
• losing baselines
• crowding, or overlapping letters on a line

you have an axis problem. An axis problem can be caused by a table, control unit, or computer/engraving program, or a combination of these.

To determine the source of your problem, try these steps.

Make sure you can move x-axis (spindle) and y-axis (table) freely with control unit turned off. If it doesn’t, it’s probably one of the table components listed below. If everything seems okay, got to next step.

Loose, or improperly aligned helical coupling

It should be centered in the frame, half way between the stepper motor and the thread, leadscrew. Helical coupling cracked. Loosen both screws and gently spread apart looking for cracks.

Bad Stepper Motor

Loosen the helical coupling and see if the motor turns freely

Bent Leadscrews.

Bad/overtightened colored leadscrew nut. You can not easily move the leadscrew by turning the helical coupling

X-axis carriage plate bearings or out of adjustment

Leadscrew Bearings

Loosen your engraving motor from the helical coupling and see if your leadscrew turns freely.

Run the Slew Test

If problem persists in slew mode, its most likely with the table or control unit. Try the individual below. If slew test does okay, may be with computer/engraving program. Go to next step. However, in some cases it can still be control unit.

Swap the stepper motor connectors (X & Y on the back of control unit) on back of control unit - did the problem axis change/move

It changed - Control Unit Problem

• Stepper driver board
• resistors interface board
• cable - interface to stepper

It didn’t change

• Table problem - most likely bad motor
• Engraving motor cable or connector
• Helical coupling cracked
• Bad Stepper Motor
• Bent Leadscrews
• Bad/over tightened colored leadscrew nut
• X-axis carriage plate bearings or out of adjustment
• Leadscrew bearings

If you reached this point, the control unit and the table are most likely okay. Check the following

• Engraving Program
• Computer
• SuperPro Interface Card
• Interface cable between the computer and the control unit.

Notes

X-Y GOTO OPTION

Sometimes its hard to tell which axis is bad with a slew test. If it is not obvious, try the X Y GOTO function under the OPTIONS menu in SuperPro.

Note: There is a ‘bug’ with the ‘F3 to accept’ prompt in the pop-up box of the X Y GOTO function. You do not need to press the F3 key at any time in this option. Just by pressing the [ENTER] key after entering the Y coordinate will change the CONTROL UNIT Status from Ready to Switch. After you hit ENGRAVE to move to the X,Y position, you simple press the [ESC] key followed by the ENGRAVE switch on the control unit to return to the original Home position.

To use the X-Y GOTO function for axis diagnostics, first check the X axis by entering 5 in the X field, and 0 in the Y. If the position is correct, press the [ESC] key, followed by the ENGRAVE switch on your control unit. If your position needs adjustment, see MODIFYING THE X Y POSITION below. While not as exacting as the manual’s procedure, it takes care of most engraver’s requirements.