Have a problem with Big Red

[Brian]

I'm a first time poster so I appreciate any advice. I think I may have a major problem but I'll let ya'll judge. My machine powered up and an Off Color Index appeared. This typically happens so I blew the lenses clean and powered back up. I did this several times to no avail. I noticed that when I powered up Big Red that it was attempting to move the head but was stuck. So I got a flashlight and piered in and saw the Reciprocator was not engaged with the needle bar. It somehow slipped below. I managed to get the head to needle 16 (Lots of costly clicking sounds and looked inside, removing the cover on the left side. I cleaned it up and replaced it following the loose first technique. I looked in the back where the motors are and noticed the Take-up Lever Gear is out of wack. This is what was causing some of the snapping sounds. I'm not sure how to get it back into position. It is spring loaded so it's totally up right now and my others ar in the middle. The gears on everthing look fine though. Please let me know if this is an adjustment or a possible broken part. Thanks all.

[Rod or Sharon]

Brian,

I do not understand what you are describing as a "loose first technique."

The lenses you describe are probably the "optical laser sensors."

Quite often, when dealing with the Big Reds, if an off color index error occurs and the needlecase stops with the presserfoot in-between needles and if the machine is turned off and powered back up, the reciprocator may just move a fraction of an inch in the wrong direction and drop the needlebar out of the reciprocator jaws. After depressing the E-stop,if the machine is on, the needlecase should always be moved physically by hand to line up a needle with the needleplate hole and then the E-stop released. The machine should never be turned off and powered back up or the E-stop depressed and released while the presserfoot is inbetween needles.

You could try going into Maintenance, Steppers and left click on "Home" in the Color Change Column shen the presserfoot has stopped between needles. But, if the laser or flag is contaminated, it will probably not be successfull.

"Out of wack" takeup lever....you failed to say which one and if this takeup lever was out of position before you used the "loose first technique."

I would venture a guess that, assuming that the laser/flag are both cleaned and capable of performing properly, it is probably one or more adjustments that need to be made to get the machine back into sync...

It may be that just the laser(s)/flag(s) were/are dirty. You may have a bad order color change motor. You may have thread boundup in some of the threadfeed drive gear(s). You may have a broken/fractured main threadfeed drive gear. You may have a lubrication issue, ie, not often enough. I have often said that if you are waiting for the timers to tell you to lubricate the machine, you are waiting too long. Those timers are guidelines, not the gospel.

Where are you located?

Rod Springer
Amaya Tech & Trainer