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ShopBot PRS5 Alpha Z8 ATC Manual

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PRS5 Alpha Z8 ATC

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Summary of Contents for ShopBot PRS5 Alpha Z8 ATC

  • Page 1 PRS5 Alpha Z8 ATC...

  • Page 3: Table Of Contents

    Table of Contents Safety Mounting the X-Axis Echain Trough Running ShopBot Setup Assembly Process Mounting Echain Trough Input/Output Vocabulary Mounting the Spindle Homing your X and Y Axes Precautions Mounting the Pneumatics Manifold Homing your Z Axis Unpacking the Crate...

  • Page 5: Safety

    Never place your hands on the rails of the ShopBot. Be aware that the machine may move unexpectedly in any direction, which can cause serious injury if your hands are in the path of movement.

  • Page 6: Assembly Process

    Planning Your Assembly We’ve provided some estimates of the time required for each step in the assembly process for someone who has never built a ShopBot before. There’s a lot to learn, and it can help to break up the assembly Unpacking/Prep into multiple days;...

  • Page 7: Vocabulary

    Vocabulary Whatchamacallit We’ll use a lot of terminology when referring to the parts of your machine during the assembly process; it’s helpful for us to be on the same page about how we refer Spindle Gantry to each part of your machine Gantry Dust Foot...

  • Page 8: Precautions

    Wiring diagrams and specifications are located inside the control box door. Other Electrical precautions: Ground Wire: Your ShopBot electrical connections must include a ground wire. Lack of proper grounding can result in poor machine performance, damage to electrical components and injury or death due to electrical short circuit.

  • Page 9: Unpacking The Crate

    Sort hardware by size to reduce the amount of time contact ShopBot support right searching for the correct bolts, nuts and washers for a given stage of the assembly. away and we’ll get things Many components of the machine come pre-assembled to reduce the number of straightened out for you.

  • Page 10: Tools For Assembly

    Tools for Assembly Power Tools Your ShopBot will arrive with a kit of tools that will be helpful in assembling your If you have an impact driver or machine. Some of these tool are also useful for installing optional machine upgrades battery drill;...

  • Page 11: Base Table Assembly

    Base Table Assembly The PRS5 table is assembled using carriage bolts. Start by opening the main crate. The lid is held on using The square portion of the bolt locks into either a “klimps”; these can be removed by prying them upwards from square hole in the steel table components or the the top using a screwdriver.

  • Page 12: Reading Your Table Drawing

    Reading Your Table Drawing Inside your documentation box (which you will have already opened if you’re reading a paper copy of this document!), you’ll find a dimensioned drawing of your machine’s table. This drawing gives valuable information about the layout of your Part IDs and table, the number of components and their spacing.

  • Page 13: Prepping Table Sides

    Prepping Table Sides Locate the long, thin crate(s) that arrived with your machine and remove the screws holding the lid in place to access the rails and Refer to your table drawing. Count the table sides for your machine. number of table legs and cross supports on your table.

  • Page 14: Attaching Table Legs

    Attaching Table Legs Once you have all of your bolts inserted into the table sides, slide the template that was included with your machine over the sets of bolts for your table leg/cross support combos to To help balance the table leg on the table help position the bolts for the table leg.
  • Page 15 Attaching Table Legs (Cont) Finger tighten 6x 5/16-18 Flanged Nuts For each of the lone cross supports, drop one onto the threads of each of the 6 bolts spacer plate onto the carriage bolts and loosely holding the table leg in place. finger tighten two nuts to hold the plate in place until later in the assembly.

  • Page 16: Attaching The Leg Supports

    Attaching the Leg Supports To set the position of the next leg, we will attach Next, we will set the position of all of the table legs. First, the left-most table leg the first lower side support. Slide the lower side must be positioned precisely in order to support under the first pair of table legs and guarantee full travel for your machine.
  • Page 17 Attaching the Leg Supports (Cont) Insert carriage bolts from below into the holes highlighted below, with the threaded portion of the bolt sticking up Tighten the bolts on the opposite end of the leg towards you. Loosely finger tighten flange nuts onto these support in the same order.

  • Page 18: Supports And Levellers

    Supports and Levellers Back to the Start Roughly set the spacing for the spacer plates halfway That’s one side of your table! Now we need between the two table legs on either side. to build a mirror image of the first side to complete your two table sides.

  • Page 19: Lower Cross Supports

    Lower Cross Supports Tighten the nuts on the bolts in the order Next, we will connect the lower cross supports indicated by the numbers in the diagram to the table left table side assembly. Position below. one lower cross support so that the mounting holes align with those on the outside of the leftmost table leg.

  • Page 20: Connecting The Two Tablesides

    Connecting the Two Tablesides It will now be possible to stand both sides of your table up and allow the lower cross support to rest on the ground opposite the table legs. Secure the rear lower cross support to the rear leg of the left table side assembly using 3 carriage bolts to complete the lower table assembly.

  • Page 21: Inserting The Upper Cross Supports

    Inserting the Upper Cross Supports Each end of the cross support will slide onto the center two bolts that we left loose when attaching your table legs. Leave these bolts loose until all cross supports have been installed on the table assembly Lift your first cross support into place between the first two table legs on your table assembly.

  • Page 22: Checking Table Squareness

    Checking Table Squareness With all the table components now in place, it is time to check that the table sides are aligned before tightening the bolts. Use a tape measure to check the corner-to-corner distance across your table. If one of your measurements is more that ⅛” (3mm) longer/shorter than the other, you’ll want to adjust your table before tightening all of your bolts.
  • Page 23 Checking Table Squareness (Cont) Once you’ve confirmed that your table is square, we can begin to tighten the bolts that secure the upper cross supports. Start with the front-most cross support that rests between the first set of table legs. Before locking down the next Upper Cross Support, measure the gap between the first and second cross support;...

  • Page 24: Installing Rails

    Your rail assemblies are packed along with your table side extrusion in a long crate that arrived with the larger crate containing the rest of your ShopBot. The rail assembly will be attached to the table side using 5/16-18x¾ Button Head The ShopBot PRS5 makes use of V-Rollers screws and matching T-Nuts.
  • Page 25 Installing Rails (Cont) The v-rails on your rail assembly will face As you’re sliding the rail assembly into the table side extrusion, towards the outside of your table. carefully rotate the t-nuts on your bolts to align them with the t-slot. Make sure that the end of your rail assembly lines up closely with the end of your tableside extrusion.

  • Page 26: Installing Hard Stops

    Installing Hard Stops After sliding both rails into their respective table sides, we will install the hard stops on all 4 corners of the table. Each of the four stop blocks should be positioned 6”(150mm) from the closest end of their table side. Once the stop blocks are in position, lock them in You’ll install a stop block at each end of place by tightening the two mounting screws.

  • Page 27: Installing Limit Targets

    Installing Limit Targets The limit switch targets will trigger your X-axis limit switch during the homing routine, they should be installed at both ends of the table side extrusion on the same side of the table as your control box. Don’t worry too much about the location of the limit targets for now;...

  • Page 28: Mounting The Gantry

    Mounting the Gantry CAUTION! The gantry assembly can weigh over 150lbs (70kg) – you will need at least two people to lift the gantry out of the crate and place it onto the table assembly. Don’t try to do this alone! At this point it may be helpful to remove the wooden sides of the crate as well, for easier access to lift the gantry.
  • Page 29 Mounting the Gantry (Cont) Walk the gantry over to the table and lower it onto the two rails. The V-rollers on your gantry should straddle the V-Rails on your table. First align one set of v wheels with the fixed rail –...

  • Page 30: Mounting The X Motors

    Mounting the X Motors Your X Motors each use a 30 Tooth pinion. Slide the pinion onto the motor shaft so that the end of the shaft is coplanar with the top face of the pinion gear Note that there are two set screws that must be tightened to secure the pinion on the motor shaft.

  • Page 31: Finalizing Rail Placement

    Finalizing Rail Placement Starting from the front of your table; slowly roll the gantry towards the back. Tighten each bolt on your rails as the gantry clears the bolt. Working your way along the rail like this will ensure that your rails are parallel by using the gantry to space them precisely. PRS5 Alpha Assembly Guide DocID: SBG00600 Revised: 3/14/24...

  • Page 32: Eliminating Backlash

    Eliminating Backlash Once your rails are locked in place; it’s time to seat the X Motors properly so that the pinion gears are fully engaged with the gear rack. Failing to fully engage the pinions will result in an effect called “backlash” where your pinions will briefly disengage from the rack when the motors change direction causing inaccurate or flawed cuts.

  • Page 33: Mounting The Control Box

    Mounting the Control Box Your control box has 4 mounting “ears”. The top two mount to the inside face of the table side extrusion. Use the “Drop-In” T-nuts, bolts and washers to loosely attach your control box to the table side extrusion. You’ll need to slide it back and forth a bit to align it with the lower mounting holes.

  • Page 34: Mounting The X-Axis Echain Trough

    Mounting the X-Axis Echain Trough The X-Axis Echain (Cable Carrier) guides cables from the side of your gantry, down to the side of your control box. The echain will be supported by a steel trough connected to the side of your machine. For specific information about where to mount your echain trough, refer to the table drawing that was included with this document.

  • Page 35: Mounting Echain Trough

    Mounting Echain Trough Position the echain trough on top of the two trough support brackets. Secure in to the support brackets using carriage bolts and nuts. PRS5 Alpha Assembly Guide DocID: SBG00600 Revised: 3/14/24...

  • Page 36: Mounting The Spindle

    Mounting the Spindle Note: If you have purchased a router instead of a spindle; keep on going to the next page where we’ll discuss the process for mounting a router on your ShopBot. You’ll find your spindle already attached to an aluminum mounting plate.

  • Page 37: Mounting The Pneumatics Manifold

    Mounting the Pneumatics Manifold The toolchange function of your ATC spindle is driven by a small cluster of pneumatics controls that must be mounted close to the spindle. Inside your ATC accessories box, you’ll find a pneumatics manifold mounted to a steel enclosure with some wires and pneumatic tubing already connected to the solenoid valves and manifold.
  • Page 38 Your spindle kit will include a dust foot designed to fit your specific spindle (make sure to mention your spindle type if you ever call ShopBot to order a replacement dust foot!). The upper portion of the dust foot attaches to the metal cylinder at the base of your spindle.

  • Page 39: Mounting The Dust Hose Bracket

    Mounting the Dust Hose Bracket The dust hose bracket mounts to the top center of the Z Plate using a pair of M6 bolts with washers and split lock washers. You’ll also find a set of three hose clamps included with your dust hose bracket. Two of these are meant to be passed through the rectangular holes on the front of the dust hose bracket to clamp onto your dust hose.

  • Page 40: Installing End Caps

    Installing End Caps Extrusion end caps give a finished look to the your tableside extrusion and also guard the sharp edges of the table sides. Install the end caps by lining up the two posts on the underside of the endcap with the holes in the extrusion;...

  • Page 41: Installing Push Bar

    Press the The “pushbar” is an yellow steel push bar into safety feature on your the cutout in the bracket ShopBot that helps that you’ve already prevent someone from mounted; then press the accidentally coming close second bracket onto the...

  • Page 42: Mounting The Z Zero Plate

    Mounting the Z Zero Plate Your machine includes a “conductive Z Zero Plate” this plate will be connected to a sensor input inside your control box. The copper clip is connected to electrical ground. When the plate comes into contact with any electrically conductive material to which the clip is attached, the control system will detect that contact.
  • Page 43 Wire Routing The wires for your machine must be able to bend and move as the machine moves. We employ cable carriers (sometimes called E-Chains) to protect the wires during operation and make sure that they are not bent too much. You will need to route a few more wires through you E-Chains before making the final connections in your control box.

  • Page 44: Opening E-Chain Links

    Opening E-Chain Links The links on your E-Chain can be opened with a flat head screw driver. Insert the tip of the screw driver into the opening at the edge of the link and apply some leverage to pop the link open. Once you’re finished inserting cables, the links will snap closed with a bit of pressure.
  • Page 45 Wire Routing (Y-Axis) Most of the wires are already partially installed on your machine at this point. A coil of wires will already be connected to the base of your VFD. Cut the zip ties on these wires and unwrap them. Find a clear space to lay them out flat, making sure that there are no kinks in the wires.
  • Page 46 Wire Routing (Y-Axis) (Cont) We’ll start by making the final connections at your spindle. Spindle connections vary in size and shape depending on the type of spindle that you’ve purchased with your machine. 2.2HP and 4HP HSD spindles will have one large orange power cable along with a smaller grey cable that supplies DC voltage to the cooling fan on the spindle.
  • Page 47 Wire Routing (Y-Axis) (Cont) Your cables will be secured to the machine at a number of locations using the zip-ties that were included with your assembly kit. Before starting to lock your wires in place, lower the Z axis of your machine to its lowest point – this is to ensure that there is enough slack in your wires to allow the full range of motion for your machine.

  • Page 48: Attaching X Echain

    Attaching X Echain Connect the X Echain Bracket to the Gantry End Plate on the same side on which your Echain Trough is mounted. The end of your Echain may already be attached to the bracket; but if for some reason we were forced to remove it while packing your machine;...
  • Page 49 Attaching X Echain (Cont) There are multiple locations where it is possible to attach the exit end of your X E-Chain. To make sure that your machine will have the full range of travel, start by moving the gantry all the way to the back end of your machine table. Then pull the E-Chain exit as far towards the front as possible.
  • Page 50 Attaching X Echain (Cont) The opposite end of the Echain will be attached to the Echain trough. Use the 10-32 Flat Head SHCS along with washers, split washers and nuts to secure the end of your Echain. PRS5 Alpha Assembly Guide DocID: SBG00600 Revised: 3/14/24...
  • Page 51 Wire Routing (X-Axis) The bundle of wires coming from your gantry should now be contained behind the X Axis echain bracket at the side of the gantry end plate. To continue routing your cables, first make sure that the x axis cable carrier is disconnected from the end bracket that is attached to the X Axis echain bracket.
  • Page 52 Wire Routing (X-Axis) (Cont) Work the cable bundle down the length of the echain, opening and closing links as you go until the cables are routed to the opposite end of the cable carrier. Once your cables are completely routed through the X E-Chain, it is time to secure the cables with zip-ties.
  • Page 53 Connecting X Motors/Sensors Each X Axis motor will connect to a motor cable that will be run back to the control box. Locate the large black wire with the white connector on the end of it. Connect the two halves of the connector.

  • Page 54: Mounting The Vfd

    Mounting the VFD If your machine uses a spindle (and not a router) it will come with a VFD (Variable Frequency Drive). The VFD takes the power that you’ve connected to your machine (either single-phase or three-phase power) and outputs 230V 3-Phase Power to run your spindle.
  • Page 55 Mounting the VFD (Cont) Find the top mounting hole for your VFD near the top of the table leg where the table leg meets the table side extrusion. Insert a screw and secure it with a nut. The bottom bracket of your VFD will line up with one of the holes lower down on the table leg, depending on the size of your VFD.
  • Page 56 Mounting the Tool Bar The toolbar for your ATC will arrive fully assembled and ready to mount to your table. Every ATC system comes standard with 9 tool positions on the tool bar. Machines with a 60” gantry can expand this to a total of 11 and 72” machines can be expanded to 13.
  • Page 57 Mounting the Tool Bar (cont) The mounting brackets are meant to be adjusted to fit the Gently slide the toolbar along the table sides until the flat face exact width of your table. Start by loosening the two 5/16 of the mounting brackets rest against the outside face of your bolts holding the mounting bracket on the side nearest the last set of table legs.
  • Page 58 Mounting the Tool Bar (cont) Your ATC system uses compressed air for 4 different Your main air hookup will connect to an orange and grey functions; first, the drawbar mechanism is pneumatically filter-filter-regulator. Attach the filter-filter-regulator to the actuated, second, the ATC spindle uses compressed air to inside face of your table side near the toolbar on the same pressurize the spindle casing to prevent dust from entering the side as the solenoid valve assembly on your toolbar.

  • Page 59: Control Box Wiring (Atc)

    Control Box Wiring (ATC) Inside your control box, you’ll find wiring diagrams specific to your ShopBot system. Have your electrician refer to these drawings when connecting power to your machine. The following instructions will cover the process of connecting your...
  • Page 60 Control Box Wiring (ATC) (Cont) Motor Power Disconnect Fuses 24VDC Supply 5VDC Supply Spindle Contactor Contactor Controls both spindle Protect DC power Supplies power for Supplies power for Controls power supply Controls power and motor power supplies and filter interface board interface board to VFD supply to motors...
  • Page 61 Control Box Wiring (Cont) Motor Power Disconnect Fuses 24VDC Supply 5VDC Supply Spindle Contactor Contactor Controls both spindle Protect DC power Supplies power for Supplies power for Controls power supply Controls power and motor power supplies and filter interface board interface board to VFD supply to motors...
  • Page 62 Control Box Wiring (Cont) The Alpha control box uses a The cable gland includes rubber inserts with holes of various sizes, cable gland to seal around the chosen to match the cables that need to be inserted into your control cables that pass into the box.

  • Page 63: Connecting The S/O Cable

    Connecting the S/O Cable Your control box will have three openings in the back of the case. Each of these openings will be sealed with a “cord-grip” that can WARNING: RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK be tightened to seal around the cable inserted through the hole. Two of these openings will be used for the power supply to your Make sure that your control box is disconnected from motors and spindle.

  • Page 64: Connecting The Spindle Logic Cable

    Connecting the Spindle Logic Cable The spindle logic cable is used to communicate the spindle start signal from your control box to your VFD. This two wire cable will be connected to the terminals labelled F1/C1. In this case, it does not matter which color cable is plugged into each of the terminals –...

  • Page 65: Connecting The Limit Switches And Z

    Connecting the Limit Switches and Z Zero Plate All sensors on your machine will be connected to the row of “input” channels along the bottom right edge of your main interface board. Your Z Zero plate along with your X, Y and Z axis limit switches plate will be connected to inputs 1, 2, 3 and 5 respectively.

  • Page 66: Connecting The Remote Pendant

    Connecting the Remote Pendant Your Alpha control system includes a remote pendant Emergency Stop equipped with an emergency stop button that cuts all power to the motors and spindle; a Driver Reset reset button that is used to reset the contactor that powers your motor drivers and Spindle Start clear motor faults should they...

  • Page 67: Connecting The Atc I/O

    Connecting the ATC I/O The ATC Interface board should be installed in the bottom left hand corner of your control cabinet as shown in the picture on the right hand side of this page. The 12 pin connector for the main ATC I/O cable plugs into the white socket on the left side of the ATC interface board.

  • Page 68: Connecting The Motor Cables

    Connecting the Motor Cables A typical Alpha control system will use 4 motors and drivers, 1 each for the Y and Z axes and a pair of motors for the X axis. Additional motors and drivers can be added to use accessories like rotary indexers or secondary z axes.

  • Page 69: Setting Up Your Control Station

    ShopBot. If you don’t want to look for another PC, or are having trouble getting your own PC set up to control your ShopBot; we sell laptops that are pre-configured to work with the ShopBot control software. RECOMMENDED PC SPECS: Operating System: Microsoft Windows (XP and beyond).

  • Page 70: Pc Setup

    PC Setup (2) Set User Account Control to “Never Notify” (3) Set Power Options The first process to change is User Account Open your power options menu and set the Control. This can be found by performing a laptop to never “go to sleep” and never “turn off search from the Start Menu in Windows 7 &...
  • Page 71 Installing SB3 The latest version of the ShopBot control software that was available on the date your machine shipped will be included on a USB drive clipped inside your green ShopBot Handbook. ShopBot releases regular software updates; so it is always a good idea to check at shopbottools.com/support/control-software to see if there is a newer...
  • Page 72 Now that you’re ready to run your software – first make sure that you’ve plugged the USB cable into the port next to the cable gland on your control box and connected the other end to the PC that you will use to control the ShopBot. PRS5 Alpha Assembly Guide DocID: SBG00600...
  • Page 73 In the file browser, open the folder labelled “PRS ShopBots”. If your machine is a Desktop or a Max (or the Saburoku; a version of the ShopBot sold in Japan), select the settings file that matches your machine here. If you have a alpha or standard gantry machine;...
  • Page 74 More details about the user interface and setup of your software are contained in the ShopBot handbook. Shown here is a brief overview of some of the main functions that you’ll be using on a daily basis in your software.
  • Page 75 Running ShopBot Setup The ShopBot Setup app will help manage many of the The next page contains customized settings for your machine. Open the app by your Z homing settings. clicking on the “Tools” menu and selecting “ShopBot Setup” The default values here...
  • Page 76 .000 Input/Output Inputs Mapping .000 Input Function Lights up when… Number Z Zero Plate Grounding clip (attached to bit) touches Z Zero Plate The X Axis limit switch passes in front of the X Axis X Axis Limit limit target The Y Axis limit switch passes in front of the Y Axis Y Axis Limit .000...
  • Page 77 “Yes”. The machine will then automatically touch off on your limit switches to record home. Once this routine is finished, you’ll return to the ShopBot Setup App. Click “Next” to proceed to the final screen where you’ll click “I’m done” to save you settings.
  • Page 78 Homing your Z Axis Your Z Axis Home position is set using your “Z Zero Plate”. The Z Zero plate works by detecting when any grounded surface on the machine comes into contact with the thin aluminum plate. The copper clip is connected to ground, so it can be clipped to your bit or collet nut to ground the tip of your bit.
  • Page 79 ATC System Reference Cooling Fan HSD ES-915 Air Flow Direction 5HP ATC Spindle Tool Bar Tool Holder Spindle Pressure and Tool Draw Bar Cone-Clean (60psi) 9 Tool Clips Max Open/Close (90psi) for 48” Y Axis Spindle and Fan Pull Stud Spindle Sensors Power (230VAC 3ph) and Controls...
  • Page 80 “height” of each tool relative to your table surface. These routines can be accessed in the “Cuts” menu of your ShopBot command console or by typing the 2 letter command “CN” followed by the routine number that you want to run;...
  • Page 81 Starting a Cut File To load a cut file into the ShopBot software, press the “Cut Part” button in the red position window; or enter the keyboard command “FP” in the command console. A file browser will appear – select your cut file (cut files have the extension “.sbp”). A yellow notepad sheet will appear –...
  • Page 82 “Vacuum Tables” folder in C:/SbParts on the PC that runs your ShopBot control software. How will you cut the plenum pattern into this layer of your table? Luckily you’re now the owner of a nearly complete ShopBot CNC! You can use the machine to prepare its own table.
  • Page 83 Attaching the Base Layer The base layer is secured the to the table steel using screws inserted from the underside of the cross support steel. Place the base layer with the front edge lined up with the front edge of the cross support nearest your X=0 end of your table.
  • Page 84 Building your Plenum If you are building a vacuum table, the plenum layer is the “distributor” of air flow from the vacuum ports on the base of the table to the MDF “bleeder board”. It is important that the plenum layer not be made of porous material –...
  • Page 85 Building your Plenum (Cont) Once the glue has dried, remove the wood screws (so that you don’t accidentally hit one while cutting out the air channels and vacuum ports on your plenum). Find the design file that matches your table size in the Vacuum Tables folder located in C:\SbParts\ on the PC where your control software is installed.
  • Page 86 Plumbing your Vacuum System If you purchased a vacuum system with your machine, you most likely also purchased a vacuum manifold. The vacuum manifold is an assembly of pipes that splits the inlet of your vacuum into multiple lines that will be connected to the different “zones” of your vacuum table. Each line can be turned on or off...
  • Page 87 Plumbing your Vacuum System (Cont) Attach the manifold to your table frame using zip ties – then insert elbow joints into the tops of the lines coming out of your manifold and the fittings threaded into the base layer of your table. Next, use a tape measure to measure the length of pipe needed to connect each line from the manifold to the inlets on the bottom of your table.
  • Page 88 Adjusting your Vacuum Manifold The ball valves on your vacuum manifold can be used to turn vacuum hold down on or off to one or more zones on your vacuum table. Rotating the handle of the valve so that it is parallel to the direction of airflow will turn the zone on;...
  • Page 89 Attaching the Spoil Board For non-vacuum tables, the spoilboard can either be attached by gluing a sheet of MDF to the base layer using a generous amount of wood glue – or the spoilboard can be screwed down onto the base layer using wood/drywall screws. Be sure to use a drill to counterbore your screw holes so that the heads of your screws sit well below the surface of your table top.
  • Page 90 Attaching the Spoil Board (Cont) if you’re building a vacuum table, you can’t cover the spoilboard with glue because that would block all air flow through the MDF – making your vacuum table quite useless! Instead, use a construction adhesive like that can be dispensed from a tube and caulking gun; “Liquid Nail” is a commonly available example.
  • Page 91 If the glue isn’t completely set, the MDF spoilboard may peel up and be ruined during the surfacing process. We’ve created a utility for surfacing your spoilboard which can be accessed through the ShopBot control software by opening the “Tools” menu and clicking “Table S[u]rfacer”.
  • Page 92 Checking Spindle Tram “Spindle Tram” refers to the alignment of the spindle rotation axis with a vertical line that is perfectly parallel to the table surface of your machine. Spindle tram is important because it will effect the accuracy and finish quality of your cuts. If you notice grooves on the sides of your parts after you cut them out –...
  • Page 93 Maintenance (Daily) In order of importance… Spindle Warmup – Even if your machine is sitting idle between gigs; to prolong the life of your spindle, run the spindle warmup routine by entering the command “C5” in the command console. This will keep your spindle well lubricated and free of internal corrosion; especially if you live near the ocean or in a humid area.
  • Page 94 Every 6 Months (Heavy use 40+ hrs/week) to 12 Months(Light use ~ 20hrs/week) Replace all pinions – Contact ShopBot for a set of replacement pinions for your machine. Replace all pinions at the same time (just like tires on a car).

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