Claw machine axis issue

[johnnyv015]

Hello, 

 

I have a claw machine that when powered it will get 'stuck' when returning to home. The claw will move to the back wall (where the prize shoot and home is but the motor will continue to hum as if it is trying to go further. 

 

The machine will then announce "x axis error" on loop for all eternity. 

 

Occasionally the claw will home on power up and you can get 1 or 2 plays out of it before the mentioned above happens upon returning to the prize shoot. 

 

 

I am no expert at all in these things but am assuming there is an issue with a stop trigger for the x axis. 

 

Can anyone point me in the right direction for diagnosis and repair? 

[brmorr]

Depending on make/model, this sounds like an issue with the home switch on the gantry. You should see a switch that the claw gantry hits on the rail when it gets to the home position. Start there and see if any broken wires, etc.. If not, replace the switch as they can fail.

 

Let us know and take pics of stuff if you don't know what I am talking about.

[johnnyv015]

OK. It appears all triggers are working as intended. I have located the issue as "when gantry is moving left toward the prize shoot it slows and stops as if it is hung up on something." the motor continues to whine and it stops moving. If I push the gantry to the left the trigger clicks and the machine operates as expected. 

 

The gantry needs assistance reaching this location of the machine with every play and start up. As this is home also. 

 

 

I have checked all the rods in the machine and pulleys for warping or defects and everything seems in line. 

 

 

Machine is "the beanbag zone" all motors dated July 2004 in the gantry, no idea if this is of an help. 

 

[gumball guy]

11 hours ago, johnnyv015 said:

OK. It appears all triggers are working as intended. I have located the issue as "when gantry is moving left toward the prize shoot it slows and stops as if it is hung up on something." the motor continues to whine and it stops moving. If I push the gantry to the left the trigger clicks and the machine operates as expected. 

 

The gantry needs assistance reaching this location of the machine with every play and start up. As this is home also. 

 

 

I have checked all the rods in the machine and pulleys for warping or defects and everything seems in line. 

 

 

Machine is "the beanbag zone" all motors dated July 2004 in the gantry, no idea if this is of an help. 

 

The fact that the motor is still turning indicates that the wheels are not getting traction on the rail. Check the wheels that travel on the gantry and make sure they all move freely. Smart used to put a grease on those wheels and it would become sticky over the years causing the problem you are describing. I had the same problem with the up/down pulley wheel on the claw. If they are indeed sticky you will need to remove them and clean them with isopropyl  alcohol. I use one drop of 3 and 1 oil (or nothing) and replace.  If it is not that then it may be a stripped gear (highly unlikely with that Smart crane) and honestly a stripped gear wouldn't stop at the same place every time. If the motor is turning then it rules out a short and pretty much points to something physically stopping the trolley.

[johnnyv015]

ok, It seems the rails are slightly bowed and this is causing the wheels to stick when the gantry is moving to the left. 

 

Any tips or tricks for getting these in the right place/straightened out? I don't want to start blindly bending things as they are welded in. 

 

[gumball guy]

11 hours ago, johnnyv015 said:

ok, It seems the rails are slightly bowed and this is causing the wheels to stick when the gantry is moving to the left. 

 

Any tips or tricks for getting these in the right place/straightened out? I don't want to start blindly bending things as they are welded in. 

 

I just squeeze them with my hands to straighten them out. The bars are somewhat flexible and it doesn't take much pressure to squeeze them back into place. Squeeze a little bit then test it. You should see immediate improvement.