PLASMACAM WILL NOT INITIALIZE

[shinertx]

keeping getting error message when trying to initialize machine ( error short circuit in power to one or more of these motor(s): CARRAIGE GANTRY Z, ) this is on a 4x4 dhc table. I have replaced all motors all the harnesses, new control box, sent computer in to have it checked out just to come home and have this error come up on my screen, it will detect the machine but when I go to initialize is were the problems comes in. the torch will fire- ok, run led test- ok, hold x/y/z-axes get error. Any help would be grateful thanks Robert.

[shinertx]

well I was as not expecting the answer I got back from plasma cam to repair my control box $698.00 or buy a new one for $1,900.00.

[PlasmaMac]

The $698 is the price for a new DHC control box when you exchange it for your old one. It sounds like you have an older DHC model. I'll tell you that you are darn lucky that plasmacam still offers parts and service for a machine as old as that one that was first produced 15 years ago and hasn't been made for almost 10 years. I can't tell how many times over the last few years that I can't get parts for shop tools that are only two years old! It is insane! Someone I know has an original plasmacam 98-z purchased back in the late 90's that he has running in his shop Still! The fact that he can get still parts and service for something that is getting close to 20 years old is phenomenal!

Anyways, on newer a DHC2 a new controller with exchange is only $498 according to the owners community price guide, but I haven't seen any issues on our system and it is still has time left on the 3 year warranty.

Hope that you are up & running in no time.

Good Luck,

JAG

[shinertx]

just was not expecting that kind of price but if I don't fix I lose money anyways with orders! just have to bite the bullet. sine I have had the machine it has been great with no issues, than one day turned it off and it went down hill form there. with the amount of money I have spent I hope it will last another 10yrs.

[PlasmaMac]

One of my pals has one of those older dhc machines and bygod puts has put 1 million pounds of steel on it for the last 10 years....He said that he was waiting for it to DIE so that he could have an excuse to get the samson 5x10....well it never died! The old DHC kept on going and going, like the "ever ready bunny" (those where his exact words). Finally he just got the 5x10 and runs both of them now.

Pretty amazing how long those older plasmcams will run.

[jopalmer]

I am very new to this site and this post caught my eye as I had a very similar thing happen to me. I bought my older dch from a high school who had hardly used it. It had been sitting in storage and the price was right so I bought it. After setting everything up mine would initialize but then flip out and I would get some kind of error message saying check for jamming or lose cables. Like you I ran every diagnostic replaced harnesses to no avail. Called Plasmacam and they said it must be my control box. So... I sent it to them and they went through it and sent it back to the to tune of $500.00! Guess what...it did the same thing! They finally sent me a new operating program through an e-mail (not design edge) I cleaned everything off the computer, uninstalled the original program and re installed the one they provided and VOLA! Ask them to e-mail you the program and try it, if for some reason they wont let me know and I will send it your way!

[Joe Jones]

What did they send you that is "NOT DesignEdge" ????


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[luisCNC27]

Im having the same problem on my PLCAM DHC2 with powermax1250 with proper noise reduction and copper gel ground wiring and over all nice set up that has given me 0 problems since 2013.Idk what happened It was cutting the day before, but today as soon as i hit "Initialized" the whole car tried ,but barely even moved and said this "torch hit material",I then cleaned the machine and now it said " error short circuit in power to one or more of these motor(s): CARRAIGE GANTRY Z.So I decided to clean the consumables, check any loose cables and their condition, in this try now the error of "short circuit in power to one or more of these motors" was in another motor. I dicard the consumables since they are in good shape and were cutting just fine the day before. I had a similar issue that was fixed in the control panel, but is there any other reason why the day after it just decided to send 3 different messages everytime I dismounted and gave it another try. appreciate any help or suggestion.