Oh man!! I have been staying away from this thread because I didn’t want to jinx you!! That’s crazy you had so many successful cuts and now your back to freezing.
1 Like
Seems consistent in all scenarios and well above the minimum requirement.
Brand new.
Hey, on a side note, is it normal for a lead screw to have this much bend in it, @langmuir-aksel?
It’s been like this since Day 1, but I’ve been busy dealing with other parts of this dilemma. Today it’s ticking me off a little more than usual.
I am aware that some people from Langmuir Systems have now been reading this thread.
I would like to state for the record that it has been 44 DAYS that I have been chasing this FireControl DRO freezing issue. In an effort to remedy the issue, I have taken the following steps:
•Checked voltage drop on my electrical service panel, re-wired electrical service ground (no effect).
•Routed all wires and cables so that they are straight (no loops), and so that all sensitive cables (usb, arc voltage, torch firing, torch leads, etc) are not touching other cables (no effect).
•Changed Laptop computer from one that just met system requirements to one that has roughly double the system requirements (no effect).
•Verified power supply voltage (adequate).
•Changed Plasma cutters three times; two different brands, two wired through CNC port, and one wired through internal raw voltage (no effect).
•Incorporated a ground plug isolator (no effect).
•Incorporated a USB isolator (no effect).
•Fixed a defect in the Langmuir electronics enclosure that had the USB shell touching the case. I did previously have as little as 2,000 ohms resistance from USB shell to table. I now have ~60,000 ohms resistance (freezing seemed to improve slightly).
•Verified table electronics enclosure is isolated from the table.
•Verified laptop is isolated from the table.
•Identified arc voltage entering the Langmuir Electronics enclosure via a defective Z-axis motor, or Z-axis motor cable, and replaced the Z-axis motor assembly (freezing seemed to improve significantly, but still persists).
I think it is relatively likely that the defective Z-axis motor back-feeding arc voltage into the Langmuir electronics could have damaged something internally.
I would hope that at this point @langmuirsystems could either send me a new electronics enclosure to eliminate this as a variable, OR come up with a definitive procedure by which I could test the electronics enclosure for proper functioning.
At this point the X-motor, both Y-motors, and the Langmuir electronics enclosure (including THC module) are the only parts of the equation that have not been replaced.
I have forwarded numerous crash reports, and both photos and videos of the freezing to Langmuir Systems.
To reiterate, I have spent thousands of dollars eliminating the variables that are my responsibility to eliminate, and over 100 hours of my own trouble-shooting time. All of the tangible issues that have been discovered have traced back to Langmuir-supplied components! This is in addition to receiving incorrect table frame components (which were replaced), and a bent Y-axis weldment, a bent gantry tube, and a bent Y-axis lead screw, all of which I have just lived with.
(I have no words)
I’m starting to get fired up, Jim. I know I expressed some frustration early on, and was told that this is a good machine, and that the Langmuir people are great people, but I really seem to have gotten a lemon. When you couple the functional aspects that have been “off”, along with the structural, cosmetic, and packaging QC issues my machine had, I feel like my table must have been the last one sent out the door on Friday afternoon, or something along those lines, anyway.
I should probably be asking for a refund, but I would really like to make this machine work!
3 Likes
I am a Libra, so by nature I want to look at things in a balanced way giving both sides a chance.
Your side: You have given this such a go with determination that no one could fault you for having the frustration and anger at this point. Your determination has won the respect of most all who have read this thread.
It is possible that there were issue, early on, that were masked by some other fault in the system. And as you pointed out, there were so many changes that some of those changes may have led to other issues down the road. Many of us with working systems would be hesitant to open up our cabinet for fear of changing something inadvertently.
These are complicated machines although they are not in the level of complexity as a fighter jet. But, sending these out in the field with exposure to jostling during transport and assembly and wires being hooked to the wrong terminals (I am guilty of this) and the myriad of other things that can go wrong once they leave the manufacturers hands, it is no wonder that Langmuir is hesitant to just ship out replacement parts. That being said, I would like to see Langmuir send you a new circuit board and enclosure cabinet just to try to rule out this part of the machine.
2 Likes
I would be more than happy with somebody walking me through a testing procedure, but they seem foggy on exactly how to do this. Shoot, I would even send it in and let them test it, if they could promise a quick turn around.
I only know two things for certain:
-
I definitely HAD arc voltage going into the table electronics through the Z-axis motor.
-
FireControl is still behaving the exact same way, though much more intermittently than it was.
Unfortunately for me, it’s much more difficult to diagnose an intermittent problem.
At this point I’d have to agree, and feel it passes the reasonable person test. @langmuirsystems should realize by now how much exposure this topic has and how much it’s hurting them from a customer service experience standpoint. Their resistance to the possibility that the trouble is in the electronics enclosure is frankly worrying and shows them in a bad light to any potential customers who happen across this thread. After all that you have done and the money you’ve sunk into trying to solve the problem I would think that they would finally bite the bullet and make this right.
1 Like
You would think. But instead I’m still only getting about 1 email every 24 hours from their service ticketing system. I’m just hoping the new owners will realize this isn’t a good look.
One of the first orders I had that I couldn’t fulfill was for my buddy’s hotrod shop. I helped him start it, so he was trying to help me get started. They’re tied in with the “Hoonigan” brand, and some of his social media videos have literally gotten TENS OF MILLIONS of views. He’s been begging me for a month to “put them on blast”. 
I keep telling him “no, they’re good folks, I gotta give them a chance to work with me”.
1 Like
Yes, you are indeed patient with them and very thorough in your troubleshooting. It is unfortunate as their cost to swap out an electronics box is so small compared to the negative exposure provided by this lingering thread. I was so disappointed when I saw the title updated with the words Not yet… Wonder if they’d sell you one? Not that you should have to purchase one but if you asked for a price maybe it’d spur them a bit…
1 Like
I started to type that same question into my service ticket yesterday afternoon. Thomas’ last email to me mentioned that we could possibly test for “errant voltage” inside the unit, but that it might be hard to find. It’ll probably take two more days (emails) before I can actually grasp what I need to measure.
Shoot, I’ve thought about offering to buy a whole new table, with the understanding that if it works, they offer me a full refund with freight on this one.
Casey this is something that fixed mine when my z axis went wacky, Squeeze the outer shell down just a little. Free and easy to try.
4 Likes
I did that when I swapped motors because the new one was very loose. What was your doing? Same thing as mine?
Has ANYBODY here had the same issue of Fire Control DRO’s only freezing?
So Is it all the axis or just one say your z freezing?
1 Like
Perhaps I need to change the way I’m wording the issue, because after 800 posts people still seem confused about what’s happening.
THC is what seems to be freezing. Specifically, the readings for THC in FireControl: the live voltage reading, the torch speed reading, and the THC “on, ok, up, down” lights, will all freeze at their current reading, whatever it happens to be when the freeze occurs. If THC is in the middle of an up or down move, when it freezes, it will usually continue that move forever.
If I turn THC OFF the issue is “hidden” (i.e. it seems to go away, but whatever is causing it is probably still at work).
I can use the machine without THC, but as many of the parts I cut are long, and I can’t seem to get material flat enough to cut, say 30” @ 0.060”, WITHOUT THC I really can’t get the quality I need.
I have heard many people talk about the screen graying out; that does not happen with mine. I have heard people talk about the torch going out mid cut, that does not happen with mine.
It’s just the DRO’s for THC in FireControl, and it wouldn’t even be an issue, except that sometimes it crashes the torch, and other times it doesn’t correct height, which let’s the other axis’ crash the torch.
So far as I can tell this is a really rare issue.
@Phillipw, regarding what you may have been asking, the Z-axis doesn’t really freeze. The command for it to move freezes.
Perhaps my THC module has failed, somehow?
Well again I wasn’t clear . That’s what I meant that part of fire control…
I have never seen a grey out that to me sounds like people having usb port or disconnect problems.
When I seen what very few emi freezes fire control became completely unresponsive.
Except one time I had 160 washers cammed out I accidentally let the USB cable hit the table leg. Fire control became unresponsive but the machine continued to cut until it reach the last line of code it had already read.
The reason I asked was I had never seen a partial freeze. That make me wonder if the newer version is more resistant or if this may be in part a software glitch.
Do you say when it freezes you can still say load another program have you tried or do you just shut down.
2 Likes
Typically I shut down, but, YES, as long as it freezes without the Z-axis trying to move (i.e. THC ON and OK lights are lit), then I can load another program, and it will do the IHS sequence and start the cut, with voltage and torch speed still reading whatever they froze at in the previous program. Obviously smart voltage will never engage, and no THC corrections are made, in this scenario. I’ve only tried it once or twice just out of curiousity.
You would think it would throw an alarm…
Casey-
Apologies for the trouble you’ve had here. This is not an issue we have seen often if at all in the many thousands of units out in the field.
The DRO issue seems to point to a strange electronics issue so I’ve authorized a complete replacement Electronics Enclosure (including THC chip) and VIM. We hope to get yours back for testing as well. You should have received the order confirmation to your email.
I am locking this thread as its getting too long to handle. I encourage you to create a new focused thread if and when this replacement does or doesn’t fix your issue.
Best,
Langmuir
10 Likes