WELsoft Website Notes
Note 12
Target audience: Users of the Emco 5 CNC lathe and WELedit (NB not WELturn)
Subject: Loss of code in or lock-up of the original Emco controller for the lathe (NB not lathes with the WELturn upgrade)
(Raised by WELedit user Francis Tarttelin via e-mail F.C.T.@btinternet.com who wrote "I have the lathe, monitor, spotlight and mill/drill (sometimes) all connected to a 4 way extension lead. The lathe will often lock up if I connect or disconnect one of these plugs while it is running" .)
Even when you don't have this sort of electrical Clapham Junction, the problem can sometimes occur when the spindle motor is switched on.
The spindle motor switch is a double pole, single throw device. It should have a capacitor soldered across each pair of contacts. If these capacitors have gone "pop", the native controller in the machine (not the WELturn upgrade) can lock up or the code can be lost.
The solution is the replace the capacitors with ones of the same capacitance but a much higher working voltage.
Other things on the same mains power supply when plugged/unplugged, switched on/switched off can also cause the native controller to lock up or lose code. If they have them, check their suppression systems are effective.
Other than a monitor screen, don't plug into the power supply socket on the back of the lathe: that’s too close to home. If possible, use completely different power supplies for other devices. Plug the lathe into the sort of anti-surge unit which is used to protect computers from mains noise and voltage spikes: it may help.
All sorts of other things can disturb the mains electricity supply: fridges, freezers central heating boilers turning off. Just listen to the crackles and pops which come through the radio from time to time.
So, don't blame your lathe or your software. Just be sure you feed them good, clean, filtered energy from the electricity mains.
April 2000