timing problems, i think. please help

[Rod or Sharon]

Well EEAmayaTech....have to address you as that as you never sign your name.....

As to the Big Reds and the turning them off and back on issue... I will stand on my previous advice with a bit of clarification....If and I repeat if, the machine has color changed and the presser foot stops "between" needles", and hopefully there is not a needlebar down or partially down.....if so, you are sitting in a very precarious position with a needlebar stud hanging on the edge of the reciprocater jaws and if the machine is turned off and back on, there is a very high probability that the needlebar stud will be dislodged from the edge of the reciprocator and fall. Now it will be a needlebar down situation that is much more difficult to remedy... I'll copy and paste from my previous post...

" The problem/danger of just shutting it off, this is for the Big Reds, not the XT's, is that if the needlecase is not lined up with the presser foot and it is not at a very close headup position, when it powers back up, the needlecase will make or try to make a move to it's home position which is needle #9. If the needlebar stud is just hanging on the edge of the reciprocator jaws, it more than likely will cause it to slip out and fall. Now you have just complicated the problem immensely."

Sorry if we do not agree on this, I have experienced this problem too many times with customers and personally witnessed it too many times in the past not to still say turning off and on the machine in a color change error situation as the "first" course of business, is a bad idea and bad advice to give anyone in this situation....

Rod Springer
Amaya Tech & Trainer

[EEAmayaTech]

Hey Rod, Ah yes, I am very familiar with that former software issue. Assuming they r running an old OS, 99% of the time the Amaya will correct itself. The needle case is NEVER supposed to move without being at head up. And in the rare case it moves not at HU, it only takes about 30 minutes to pick up a dropped needle bar. Its quite easy as long as you take off the rear cover so they can go to home and disconnect the needle case from the color change motor. It is my humble opinion that the exception does not make the rule.

TJ

[Rod or Sharon]

TJ

For starters.....this particular situation has abolutely nothing to do with any version of the AOS software issued to date.....absolutely nothing!

It has everything to do with the optical sensor for the color change function and the flag associated with it. With the Big Reds, because of dirt, oil, lint, debris, etc., that could affect the function of the optical sensor, the needlecase could get lost and not know exactly where it was suppose to be.....

You are right about one thing, I agree that the needlecase should NEVER move without the machine being in a headup position. But, you covered yourself by saying..."And in the rare case it moves not at headup.." Guess that means it can and does. In any case that is contradictory information.

As far as 30 minutes to pick up a dropped needlebar....for an experienced tech , in a normal situation, with one bar down....ok, I might go along with that. But, I personally want to see you talk the average Amaya owner through that little process in 30 minutes over the phone, for that matter, sitting right beside them.

When I talk about the machine being turned off and on....we are referring to an Amaya that has stopped off of a proper color index position. This does not always mean that the needlebar also stops in a headup position. It may be parially down. Guess it must be one of those "rare" cases that I have personally witnessed many times over the years. If that machine, depending on how far off center that needlebar is, makes it's usual little jump before trying to recover headup and moving to it's home position, then it will probably knock the stud off of the reciprocator jaws and the needlebar will fall.

I am not sure why you are taking a stand against doing a process in a safer way for the average Amaya owner, i.e., do not turn off the machine, do depress the E-stop, if the needle bar is down or parcially down, rotate the Z axis shaft for machine headup, center the needlecase so that the presser foot is lined up with the needle and the needle is lined up with the needle plate hole and before dis-engaging the E-stop use compressed air to thouroughly clean out the optical sensor and flag....

Nuff said.....if you don't get it....I guess you just don't get it...aaah well, as my mother used to tell me, in a hundred years from now, what difference will it make?

Rod Springer
Amaya Tech & Trainer

[EEAmayaTech]

Rod. First off the Only way the Z motor Would Ever move while the color change index sensor was blocked is because there is a software problem. Period. Absolutely no other explaination. The same said with a color change while not at head up. Askin the customer to spin the shaft while between color changes is crazy. Secondly I own and sew with 6 Big Reds, when ever i get between 2 needles i turn the machine off and then on. I've done it over a 100 times on my machine and another 100 on customers. Lets not make mountains out of moll hills. And yes the 30 minute needle bars r with customers over the phone due to a software release i dont care to mention. A single dropped needle bar only takes about 5 minutes. You of coarse do not need to remove the needle case. Those service calls r not worth my time so i just spend no more than 30 minutes on the pbone and walk the customers through it. The reason it is important is so customers do not have to pay a tech to come out for simple stuff. Knock ur Amaya off a cart onto a needle case and u need the needle case rebuilt... Now U Need a Tech.

[Rod or Sharon]

Gee TJ, my question here is why have you had to do it 100 times on your own machines? That doesn't make sense. Would you like me to send Rod?
Sharon

[EEAmayaTech]

Hey Sharron, I doubt I could afford him. Therrs not Tons of money in Embroidery in case u didnt realize. I just havent gotten around to replacing the Color Change Sensors yet. Goin on 7 years old.

But EE stands for my Bachelors Degree in Electrical EngineerIng that I received after my Electronics Technician Certification. Nuff Said. Embroidery and Repairs I do as a hobby.

[Rod or Sharon]

TJ,

Please re-read my last post very carefully. I did not say "spin" the Z axis shaft, I said "rotate" it to machine headup.....notice I said "headup?"

Then and only then manually move the needlecase by hand to center a needlebar/needle with the presser foot and needleplate hole.

This training session is over...

Rod Springer
Amaya tech & Trainer
Embroidery Cottage, owner

[EEAmayaTech]

Rod, neglecting to detail exactly how to go to head up is an excellent way for the customer to misalign the take up lever drive gear or jam the needle case. There is much more risk in Manually Rotating the shaft and Manually pushing the needle case vs turning it off and on.
TJ

[EEAmayaTech]

I'm still waiting for a response from Rachel. Is the Burning smell coming from underneath the black plastic cover?
TJ

[EEAmayaTech]

assuming nothing is working now and if the smell is coming from underneath the cover it is most likely due to a overheated chip on the motherboard. I've delt with burnt chips on the Z motor, Y Motor, and color change motor. U can confirm this by removing the motherbboard and visually inspecting the board. 1st run ur hands on the bare metal casting or EMC shield to discharge any static electricity in ur hands. I believe there r 17-3mm screws and 6 posts securing the board. While removing the screws get a feel for how tight they r so as not too overtighten when reinstalling. Using a marker, mark on the board which holes the posts r in and any un used connectors so it will b easy to reinstall. Maybe take a digital picture to reference later. All the connectors r pok-e-oked and can only b installed one way. There is a small guide on each side of the black connectors. b careful when removing the connectoers. Avoid pulling on the wires. Use a small screw driver to help delatch one side of the connector at a time. B gentle, u do not want to break the mating connector solder joint to the motherboard by wiggling too much. Remove the board and look underneath. The X,Y, AND Z DRIVER FETS r underneath the board. they rest on Foam heat sinks. When the FETs overheat they melt the foam heatsinks and really stink up the joint. On the top of the board there r labels (x,y,z) near the driver FETs. When reinstalling a board always work from center out and tighten each screw a little at a time. also b4 u reinstall a board make sure there r insulating washers between the board and casting at each of the mounting holes.
Let us know what u find.
TJ.

[EEAmayaTech]

Also, please make sure that the power is off but the power cord remains plugged into the outlet and Amaya. This is necessary for u to properly ground yourself and the board during the procedure.
TJ

[Amy]

Hey Jenny and TJ, Just thought I'd let you know there is another EE out there. I worked as a EE for the local Navy base here in Indiana for 36 years and did embroidery as a hobby. I retired in March and now I can devote myself to embroidery (and a little consulting work on the side). I know the next question is "A Navy base in Indiana? Where's the ocean?". I've heard that one before.

Amy in Indiana

[The Embroidery Authority - OLD]

Holy Cow,
I go away for a week and I miss all this!!!

Alright, let's break this down for the average "Amaya User".
When the machine is first turned on, the machine has a series of checks it does before anything moves. With that said, the machine will verify that the needle is at the Head Up position first. If it is not, it will attempt to move it to head up. THEN the machine will attempt to send the needlecase to it's home position.

This has been the procedure since the early Amayas and hasn't changed.

If the needlecase is NOT centered on a needle correctly when you turn on the machine, it is very possible for the head up command to actually cause the needlebar and even the take up lever to loose their proper position and jam up the machine further than it already is.

In short, I would not simply turn off and then turn on the machine if I knew the mechanics were not right.

I'm not taking sides, simply going from my own experience as a 9 year Melco tech.

Ed

[Lazydaisy]

Thank you all for you insight into this. I am honesty affraid to even go near it now, but I must do something. I am going to spend more time rereading your post and please put more if you think of anything.
Thanks for your time and sharing your experiences.