SAM Troubleshooting

Common Problems

Last Updated: Friday, October 7, 2022

CAUTION: DISABLE ALL MACHINE POWER AND OBSERVE LOCKOUT PROCEDURES PRIOR TO MAKING ANY ADJUSTMENTS TO THE MACHINE. FAILURE TO DO SO COULD RESULT IN SEVERE EMBARRASSMENT, INJURY OR DEATH.


PROBLEM: POWER ON LAMP won't illuminate.
SOLUTION: 1. Check E-STOP.
2. Ensure gates are closed and power is on.
3. Check for messages on HMI. Power may be on although the button lamp is burnt out.
4. Check fuses.
5. Check for correct voltages.
6. Check for messages on HMI. Servo communication may have failed or drives be disconnected which will prevent the "Servos ready to power on" relay from enabling.
PROBLEM: Machine won't go into AUTO or STEP cycles.
SOLUTION: 1. Machine is in an error condition; check display for error, reset
2. Control power is not on; see above.
PROBLEM: Glass seems to move around while applying spacer.
SOLUTION: 1. Vacuum cups are dirty or damaged. Check; clean; replace as necessary.
PROBLEM: Spacer angles toward the edge of the glass from one corner to the next.
SOLUTION: 1. Vacuum cups are dirty or damaged. Check; clean; replace as necessary.
Clean only with warm water and dish soap. NEVER ALCOHOL.
PROBLEM: Spacer apply over-travels in either +Y or +X directions.
SOLUTION: 1. Data may be wrong. Correct if necessary.
2. Glass may not be conveying all they way into the stop. Clean photo eye. Increase infeed done timer parameter if necessary.
PROBLEM: Spacer overlaps too much at start corner.
SOLUTION: 1. Spacer Pre-Start Offset parameter may be too high. Decrease.
2. Perform Length Test.
PROBLEM: Spacer does not start close enough to end spacer. There is a gap in the corner.
SOLUTION: 1. Spacer Pre-Start Offset parameter may be too low. Increase.
2. Perform Length Test.
PROBLEM: Spacer leaves gap at end corner.
SOLUTION: 1. If spacer is straight, Spacer Off Offset parameter out of adjustment. Move value closer to zero.
PROBLEM: Spacer is not properly located or misses glass completely.
SOLUTION: 1. Spacer offsets out of adjustment, check and adjust.
2. Glass does not match network data. Correct if necessary
PROBLEM: Spacer bends in corner.
SOLUTION: 1. Spacer not sticking to glass well. See "Spacer does not stick to glass."
2. Feed Conversion Constant incorrect. Not enough spacer dispensed per inch of travel. Run Length Test routine to set Feed Conversion Constant.
3. Corner Adjust settings incorrect. Check, adjust.
4. Bad batch of spacer; check and replace as necessary.
See Corner Adjustment section.
PROBLEM: Spacer Does not stick to glass.
SOLUTION: 1. Glass isn't clean or dry. Make sure glass is both clean and dry.
2. Bad or old batch of spacer. Replace wheel.
3. Too much down-pressure from vertical guide wheel. Adjust spring tension.
4. Not enough down-pressure from vertical guide wheel. Adjust spring tension.
5. Feed Conversion Constant incorrect. Not enough spacer dispensed per inch of travel. Run Test routine to set Feed Conversion Constant.
PROBLEM: Spacer pulls up in corner.
SOLUTION: 1. Corner Adjust settings too aggressive. Check, adjust.
2. Glass isn't clean or dry. Make sure glass is both clean and dry.
3. Bad or old batch of spacer. Replace wheel.
4. Too much down-pressure from vertical guide wheel. Adjust spring tension.
5. Not enough down-pressure from vertical guide wheel. Adjust spring tension.
6. Feed Conversion Constant incorrect. Not enough spacer dispensed per inch of travel. Run Test routine to set Feed Conversion Constant.
PROBLEM: Spacer is not laying straight along side, bows and bends during straight-aways.
SOLUTION: 1. This is often a sign that the spacer stuck poorly or not at all during the application process. See "Spacer does not stick to Glass."
PROBLEM: Starting spacer does not stick, bends away from center of glass.
Ending spacer does not stick, bends away from center of glass.
Ending spacer does stick but is not straight.
SOLUTION: 1. Spacer not sticking to glass well. See "Spacer does not stick to glass."
2. Manually adjust spacer before placing top glass.
3. Make sure Prestart Spacer and Prestart Off Offsets are not set incorrectly, causing the starting and ending spacer to punch on each other or the guide wheels.
4. Spacer sticking or getting caught on guide assembly. Make sure entire head assembly is clean and free of debris, spacer and build up of sticky remains.
PROBLEM: Spacer doesn't cut correctly.
Corner cuts go all the way through
End cuts do not cut all the way through the spacer, leaving a notch rather than cut.
Cut or notch is at a marked angle.
SOLUTION: 1. Spacer building up in knife area because too much spacer is being dispensed per inch or there is too much boost in corner. Check Feed Constant value through Test routine and reduce corner boost if necessary.
2. Spacer building up in knife area because it is not fully feeding past the guide wheels as quickly as it is being dispensed by the feed wheel. Check for machine cleanliness. Reduce down-pressure on vertical guide wheel.
3. Knife dull; replace
Use extreme caution when adjusting knife assembly. Remove air when applicable.
PROBLEM: Knife does not cut spacer does not cut all the way through to the bottom.
SOLUTION: 1. Knife dull; replace
2. Knife out of adjustment. Make sure knife moves freely and square to cutting table.
3. Knife out of adjustment. Make sure knife is centered between rollers when extending.
Use extreme caution when adjusting knife assembly. Remove air when applicable.
PROBLEM: Spacer bunches up in feed or knife assembly while dispensing.
SOLUTION: 1. Spacer building up in knife area because too much spacer is being dispensed per inch or there is too much boost in corner. Check Feed Constant value through Test routine and reduce corner boost if necessary.
2. Spacer building up in knife area because it is not fully feeding past the guide wheels as quickly as it is being dispensed by the feed wheel. Check for machine cleanliness. Reduce down-pressure on vertical guide wheel.
3. Knife dull; replace
Use extreme caution when adjusting knife assembly. Remove air when applicable.
PROBLEM: Spacer backing missing or broken errors; machine stops functioning.
SOLUTION: 1. Spacer remover drive too fast or slow for general feed rate. Adjust.
2. Spacer remover wheels too sticky or slippery. Clean.
3. Obstruction of vacuum lines. Clean, replace.
4. Vacuum full of spacer backer, restricting air-flow. Throw away accumulated spacer backer or make Easter egg nests.
5. Bad batch of spacer; check and replace as necessary.
PROBLEM: Spacer jams in head.
Feed Axis Servo faults.
Tiny Dancer Servo faults.
SOLUTION: 1. Make sure the feed belt clamps are secure.
2. Make sure that the feed belts are clean with no buildup of glue from the spacer.
3. Make sure the spacer is fed correctly through the head with no unusual twists.
4. Make sure the spacer has a clear path through the tube upstream of the Tiny Dancer Servo.
5. Bad batch of spacer; check and replace as necessary.
PROBLEM: Tiny Dancer won't prestart. Machine stuck in "Tiny Dancer Prestart" step in program.
SOLUTION: Tiny Dancer feed servo tractor drive is open. Close tractor drive by flipping the nearby pneumatic inline toggle switch.
Spacer has gotten off track, either at the Tiny Dancer Feed Servo or within the head assembly. Check position and pull out any slack. Purge for a fresh edge.
Spacer is getting stuck upstream. Check for jams and fix as necessary.
PROBLEM: Next Spacer size on main screen is incorrect.
SOLUTION: 1. Make sure the spacer change sequence as described in the Operator Instructions was followed correctly.
2. Go to the Spacer Size Detect parameters page to view the Spacer Size Detect Current Position. Manually move the measuring wheel and verify that the current position on the screen changes with it.
3. On the same page, view the Spacer Size Detect Last Measurement. If it is too low, increase the Spacer Size Detect Home Position. If it is too high, decrease the Spacer Size Detect Home Position.
PROBLEM: Something is wrong somewhere.
SOLUTION: Check to make sure that gantry is square to the stops in both X and Y directions to a square referencing the glass stops.
PROBLEM: Axes seem to jerk from position to position.
SOLUTION: 1. Check AXIS SPEED PARAMETER, may be too high.
PROBLEM: Servo Communication Error
SOLUTION: 1. Normal on power-up. Home.
2. During regular operation, check logic voltage connections.
3. Check ethernet connections, try different patch cables.
PROBLEM: Frequent Servo Errors.
SOLUTION: 1. Normal on power-up. Home.
2. During regular operation, reset. If the problem persists, see below.
PROBLEM: Frequent Servo Errors. Position Error:
SOLUTION: 1. Position error tolerance set too low; see plc program.
2. Axis Torque Limit set too high; check & adjust - note: if the torque limit is set beneath a certain point (determined by the friction & inertia of the mechanical power-train) the motor will not be able to move.
3. Axis Accel / Decel / Speed set too high, check & adjust.
4. Poor Servo Cable connections; check motor & feedback cable connections at both the motor and drive sides.
5. Servo cable failure. Check & replace.
PROBLEM: Frequent Servo Errors. Position Error:
SOLUTION: 1. Position error tolerance set too low; see plc program.
2. Axis Torque Limit set too high; check & adjust - note: if the torque limit is set beneath a certain point (determined by the friction & inertia of the mechanical power-train) the motor will not be able to move.
3. Axis Accel / Decel / Speed set too high, check & adjust.
4. Poor Servo Cable connections; check motor & feedback cable connections at both the motor and drive sides.
5. Servo cable failure. Check & replace (if replacing, consider using 'high flex' cables).
6. Mechanical binding; check & clear.
PROBLEM: Frequent Servo Errors. Feedback Error; Encoder Fault.
SOLUTION: 1. Poor Servo Cable connections; check feedback cable connections at both the motor and drive sides.
2. Servo feedback cable failure. Check & replace (if replacing, consider using 'high flex' cables which are rated by millions of bend cycles.).
PROBLEM: Frequent Servo Errors. Hall Effect Error
SOLUTION: 1. Poor Servo Cable connections; check feedback cable connections at both the motor and drive sides.
2. Servo feedback cable failure. Check & replace (if replacing, consider using 'high flex' cables).
PROBLEM: Frequent Servo Errors. IPM Motor Fault / Over Temp / Over Current Fault
SOLUTION: 1. Poor Servo Cable connections; check motor cable connections at both the motor and drive sides.
2. Servo cable failure; check & replace (if replacing, consider using 'high flex' cables).
3. Drive failure; check and replace.
4. Stray wires shorting out terminals on drive; check and fix as necessary.
5. Binding during homing; check and clear any binding / blockages.
PROBLEM: Anything you can't figure out.
SOLUTION: CALL ERDMAN AUTOMATION AT 763-389-9475