Troubleshooting Charts

Troubleshooting Motor

SYMPTOM PROBABLE CAUSE POSSIBLE SOLUTION
Excessive humming. Motor miswired. Verify motor wired correctly.
Motor fails to start. Fuse or circuit breaker tripped. Replace.
Starter shorted or at ground. Contact manufacturer.
Motor overloaded or load jammed. Inspect to see load is free. Verify amp draw of motor vs. nameplate rating.
Motor runs but dies down. Voltage drop or too low. If voltage less than 10% of rating, contact power company or check if other equipment is drawing power from motor.
Increased load. Verify load has not changed, equipment is not tighter, and fan airflow has not changed.
Bad bearings. Replace.
Motor runs in wrong direction. Incorrect wiring. Disconnect from power source & interchange any two of three line leads.
Vibration. Rubbing between rotating & stationary parts. Isolate & eliminate cause.
Resonance. Tune system or contact manufacturer.
Motor overload protector continually trips. Load too high. Verify motor not jammed. If replaced motor, verify rating is correct. Remove load from motor & inspect amp draw - should be less that nameplate rating.
Ambient temperature too high. Verify motor is getting enough air for proper cooling.
Winding shorted or grounded. Inspect stator for defects or loose, cut wires that cause go to ground condition.

Troubleshooting Pneumatic Cylinders

SYMPTOM PROBABLE CAUSE POSSIBLE SOLUTION
Rod seal leak. Check seals for wear and/or damage. Replace seals.
Examine piston rod for dents, gouges, or scoring marks. Replace piston rod.
Rough surface on piston rod. Replace piston rod.
Gland bearing wear. If clearance is excessive, replace rod gland and seal.
Hardened seals or loss of elasticity due to exposure to excessive temperatures. Investigate cause of excessive temperature. Correct, and replace seals.
Cylinder body seal leakage. Loose tie rods. Torque tie rods to correct bore size.
Pinched or extruding cylinder body seals. Replace seals and retorque tie rods.
Radial squeeze in the form of flat spots or wear on the O.D. or I.D. Replace the cylinder.
Hardened seals or loss of elasticity due to exposure to excessive temperatures. Investigate cause of excessive temperature. Correct, and replace seals.
Internal leakage. Piston seal wear. Replace seal.
Excessive backpressure due to over-adjustment of the speed control valves. Re-adjust pressure, lowering the backpressure.
Cylinder fails to move the load. Cylinder pressure is incorrect. Check the pressure and adjust accordingly.
Check specifications. Cylinder may be undersized for the load. If so, replace the cylinder.
Broken piston rod at piston end. Replace the piston rod.
Erratic or chatter while operating. Load misalignment, causing friction at gland or piston bearing. Re-align load.
Check specifications. Cylinder may be undersized for the load. If so, replace the cylinder.
Check speed control valves. Check and reset speed control valves and provide backpressure to control the stroke.

Troubleshooting Pneumatic System

SYMPTOM PROBABLE CAUSE POSSIBLE SOLUTION
Air leak(s). Dirt or foreign matter in valve. Clean or replace valve.
Broken line and/or loose fittings. Replace lines and tighten fittings as required.
No air to system. No air supply. Ensure that plant air system is supplying air to the machine.
Air lockout closed. Open air lock-out and ball valve shut-off.
Check air line for restrictions.
Air line restriction. Check for crimped lines or other obstructions. Replace as required.
Manual lockout valve is in the OFF position. Position valve to the ON position.
Faulty system air valve. Repair or replace as necessary.
Faulty pressure switch. Repair or replace as necessary.
Improper pressure regulator setting. Check and compare to diagram.
Dirty filter(s). Clean or replace as necessary.
Ball valve not fully open. Open valve completely.
Dirt or foreign matter in valve. Clean or replace valve.
Valve failure. Repair or replace as necessary.
Low air pressure. Low or no pressure. Check for broken lines, obstructions, faulty valves, or correct position of valves.

Troubleshooting Sensors & Switches

SYMPTOM POSSIBLE SOLUTION
Alignment indicator never comes on and output never switches the load. Reset sensitivity control.
Check for broken or obstructed sensor lenses.
Inspect power supply for loose connection, wrong sensor voltage or faulty power.
Check receiver for saturation from intense ambient light.
Inspect alignment.
Adjust sensor's field of view.
Alignment indicator never comes on, but output does switch load correctly. Broken alignment indicator LED (sensor will continue to otherwise function normally).
Alignment indicator is always on, and output never switches load. Inspect for cross talk from adjacent sensors.
Check for sensor failure (or amplifier module failure).
Inspect overloaded output to see of short circuit protection is activated.
Check for correct sensor supply voltage or faulty power supply.
Check component systems for false response of component amplifier to electrical cross talk (i.e.-cross coupling of emitter signal to receiver along remote sensor lead wires).
Check for optical cross talk from broken lens.
Check for optical cross talk from moisture on lens.
Alignment indicator and/or output operate erratically: one may/ may not follow the action of the other. Inspect DC sensors for faulty power supply.
Check for false return of emitted signals.
Alignment indicator follows sensing action normally, but output either never energizes load or only sometimes energizes load. Inspect for sensor failure or component amplifier module.
Inspect for loose wiring connections.
Inspect response time of sensor or component amplifier.
Sensing system works only when sensor or amplifier is set at very high sensitivity. Inspect for marginal alignment.

Troubleshooting Electrical Panel

SYMPTOM PROBABLE CAUSE POSSIBLE SOLUTION
Power will not come on. Disconnect is OFF. Turn disconnect on.
Blown fuse(s). Check/replace fuses.
Transformer bad. Check for voltage present on terminal 1 and 2.
Circuit breaker tripped. Check circuit breakers.
E-Stop string active. Check/reset E-Stops.
Master power will not come on. Blown fuse(s). Check/replace fuse.
Buss fuse. Check/replace fuse.
Open circuit breaker. Check Wiring.
Transfer interlock. Check AB PLC signal.
E-Stop circuit active. Check E-Stop buttons.