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Troubleshooting chart
Note: if your problem is not listed below, please use our online form to post your question.
Cutting issues
- Length inaccuracy - General
- Length inaccuracy - All members are averaging either slightly short or long.
- Length Inaccuracy - Members with angle cuts are incorrect.
- Length Inaccuracy - Varies with the length of the member.
- Length Inaccuracy - Members with bevel cuts are inaccurate.
- Bevel cuts intersect at the wrong location on the member.
- Saw seems to be running slowly.
- Position of the first cut on a piece of timber is incorrect.
- Saw blade misses the trailing end of the timber.
- Material slippage faults
- Saw suddenly stops, operator lights flash and buzzer beeps.
- Diagnostics window shows system errors that do not exist.
- Operator unable to move saw in manual mode.
- There is a delay between each cut on the saw or saw is running slowly.
- Saw pauses after a cut (no error in the Diagnostics window).
- Short pieces are being shot around the chamber.
- Saw blade hits the timber as it comes out of a bevel cut.
- Material slippage error will not clear.
- Timber is not securely clamped.
- Saw pauses as soon as a member starts to come out of the outfeed feeder.
Length inaccuracy - General3, 16 & 86 | |
A build-up of material on the drive rollers is causing slippage. | Clean the drive rollers with a wire brush. A flat head screwdriver or something similar may be used to scrape out build-up in the teeth of the drive rollers. |
A build-up of material on the feeder encoder wheels is causing inaccurate measurement of timber. | Clean the feeder encoder wheels with a wire brush. |
A feeder encoder is failing. | Try to isolate the problem by turning off one encoder at a time. The right encoder |
The follower is not maintaining contact with the timber. | Watch the follower during operation and make sure there is never a gap between the paddle and the back of the timber. If there is, contact Vekta Automation for further assistance. |
Poor surface finish of timber, such as knots, sap and bark, is causing inaccurate measurement of timber. | Try to recut the member(s) with a different piece of timber. |
The blade thickness is incorrect. | Try to put a new saw blade on in case the blade is bent (i.e. the cut thickness is too big). The actual blade thickness variable is P622. If the setting needs to be adjusted, shut down Simple and re‑open an unoptimised file for the change to take effect. |
Air pressure is low. | The main air pressure regulator at the back of the saw should be set to between 70‑80 psi. Make sure the pressure is being maintained during normal operation (i.e. the pressure is not dipping when someone else in the factory is blowing down a piece of equipment, etc.). |
Length inaccuracy - All members are averaging either slightly short or long, regardless of the length of the member. | |
A fixed offset may need to be applied to centre the error distribution. | Adjust the "Tail Cut X Shift" (P509) setup variable to make all members either shorter (negative value) or longer (positive value). |
Length Inaccuracy - Members with angle cuts are incorrect. | |
Bow in timber. | Timber bow will affect any saw's accuracy, particularly when cutting members with a relatively steep cut that comes to a point. Use straighter timber or consider putting a step cut on the member if possible. |
The angle of the blade is not correct. | Use manual mode to square the blade and then adjust the zero offset as appropriate. Contact Vekta Automation for further assistance. |
The angle offset is incorrect. | Adjust the Y‑axis offsets (P510 and P514) as appropriate. Contact Vekta Automation for further assistance. |
The Blade‑To‑C distance is set incorrectly. | Adjust the Blade‑To‑C distance via cut calibration. Contact Vekta Automation for further assistance. |
The actual timber width does not match the width of the member in the job file. | Particularly if the long edge of the member is away from the fenceline, the width of the actual timber will have an effect on the length accuracy. Try to flip the member in the member list so that the long edge is near the fenceline. |
Length Inaccuracy - Varies with the length of the member. | |
Length calibration settings may need to be adjusted. | For minor changes, the length scale factors (P721 and P722) can be adjusted. These values should usually be made the same as one another. The units are in mm per meter of adjustment. For example setting them to "0.5" will result in a member that is 2 m long coming out 1 mm longer.If necessary, a full calibration should be performed using the calibration wizard. Contact Vekta Automation for further assistance. |
Length Inaccuracy - Members with bevel cuts are inaccurate. | |
The angle of the blade is not correct. | Use manual mode to square the blade and then adjust the zero offset as appropriate. Contact Vekta Automation for further assistance. |
Bow in timber. | Timber bow will affect any saw's accuracy, particularly when cutting members with a single bevel cut. Use straighter timber. |
The vertical position of the cut is incorrect. | Adjust the Z‑axis zero offsets (P511 and P515) as appropriate. Contact Vekta Automation for further assistance. |
Length calibration settings that are out of adjustment will cause the level of inaccuracy to be highly effected by the length of the member. | Perform a new length calibration using the Calibration Wizard in manual mode. Contact Vekta Automation for further assistance. |
The actual timber thickness does not match the thickness of the member in the job file. | Try to flip the member in the member list so that the long edge is on the bottom. Alternatively, try to use a piece of timber from a different pack that is closer to the nominal thickness. |
Bevel cuts intersect at the wrong location on the member. | |
The Z‑axis zero offset is incorrectly set. | Re-adjust the Z‑axis zero offset (P515) to shift the cuts up or down. |
Bow in timber. | Bow in timber can affect the position of the cuts. Use straighter timber. |
Saw seems to be running slowly. | |
Saw blade speed is too low. (The blade speed should be at approximately 4000 RPM when the saw is idling between cuts and approximately 5000 RPM when the saw is actually cutting into the timber.) | Hydraulic oil is cold. Allow the saw to warm up by running it at 80% in manual mode for a couple of minutes.If the hydraulic oil is warm, an electrical adjustment may be required. Contact Vekta Automation for assistance. |
The cutting and/or moving speeds are set too low. | Make sure the speed sliders at the bottom of the screen are set correctly. Try to click on them and move them to a new speed. |
Position of the first cut on a piece of timber is incorrect. | |
Infeed feeder zero offset is incorrect. | Adjust the |
Slippage on drive rollers during the loading cycle. | Timber bow may take pressure off the drive rollers. Try to flip the board over or use straighter timber.Make sure the AIT (rollers and fixed chute) are set correctly so that they are not actively holding the board off of the drive rollers. |
Saw dust blocking feeder sensors. | Use air gun to blow saw dust and swarf out of feeders. If necessary, use your finger nail to scrape off any build‑up on either the emitter or the receiver sensor lenses. |
Follower hitting back of timber hard. | Check if the problem only occurs when the follower hits the back of the timber hard. If this is the case, contact Vekta Automation for further assistance. |
Possible faulty PMAC input. | Contact Vekta Automation for assistance. |
The top rollers may not be coming down fast enough to fully secure the board before the leading end is detected. | Increase the clamp time (P664) slightly to force the board to be "re-defined" more often.Decrease the speed at which the timber is fed into the saw. |
Saw blade misses the trailing end of the timber. | |
Incorrect length of timber was loaded. | Make sure the correct length was loaded into the saw. Try to recut the stick again. |
The Long Lead feature is enabled - cutting extra material off the leading end of the timber. | Disable the Long Lead feature on the toolbar. |
Material slippage faults3, 16 & 86 | |
A build-up of material on the drive rollers is causing slippage. | Clean the drive rollers with a wire brush. A flat head screwdriver or something similar may be used to scrape out build-up in the teeth of the drive rollers. |
A build-up of material on the feeder encoder wheels is causing inaccurate measurement of timber. | Clean the feeder encoder wheels with a wire brush. |
A feeder encoder is failing. | Try to isolate the problem by turning off one encoder at a time. The right encoder |
Excessive slippage at drive rollers. | Timber bow may take pressure off the drive rollers. Try to flip the board over or use straighter timber.Make sure the AIT (rollers and fixed chute) are set correctly so that they are not actively holding the board off of the drive rollers. |
The follower is not maintaining contact with the timber. | Watch the follower during operation and make sure there is never a gap between the paddle and the back of the timber. If there is, contact Vekta Automation for further assistance. |
A knot in the board is getting stuck on a clamp roller. | Check the timber and make sure there are no large knots that may cause the problem. |
The timber is excessively wet or frozen. | Try to recut with a drier and unfrozen piece of timber. |
If the problem happens just after a repair job, the direction on the outfeed encoder (used by the follower) may be incorrect. | Check the direction in the Diagnostics window. As a board is fed from right to left, the position should increase. |
The trailing end of the board is hitting something when the timber is reversed. | Look at where the trailing end of the timber is located when this occurs. Make sure there is nothing that could have obstructed the movement of the timber. |
A top or side roller came in early. | Look at where the leading end of the timber is located when this occurs. Make sure the top rollers and/or side rollers are not obstructing the movement of the timber.Make sure the feeder sensors are clean and there is no timber swarf in the feeders that may have caused a false trigger on a sensor. This could cause the top and side rollers to come in at the wrong time. |
Air pressure is low. | The main air pressure regulator at the back of the saw should be set to between 70‑80 psi. Make sure the pressure is being maintained during normal operation (i.e. the pressure is not dipping when someone else in the factory is blowing down a piece of equipment, etc.). |
Saw suddenly stops, operator lights flash and buzzer beeps.85 | |
Air pressure has dropped while the saw is still online. | Fix air supply to the saw. |
Diagnostics window shows system errors that do not exist. | |
No communication between the PC and the PMAC controller ("Communications Tick" in column 32 of Machine Status does not toggle from "0" to "1" to "0" in the Diagnostics window). | Inside the right-hand electrical cabinet, check the serial connection at the back of the PC. |
Control power is not engaged. | Release the E‑stop button and press the green CONTROL button on the operator console. |
Operator unable to move saw in manual mode. | |
No communication between the PC and the PMAC controller ("Communications Tick" in column 32 of Machine Status does not toggle from "0" to "1" to "0" in the Diagnostics window). | Inside the right-hand electrical cabinet, check the serial connection at the back of the PC. |
Saw is offline. | Check all safety devices are safe and press the green CONTROL button on the operator console. You should here a slight "clunk" sound as the system comes online. |
Saw has not been homed yet. | Press the green START button on the operator console to start a homing sequence. |
There is a delay between each cut on the saw or saw is running slowly. | |
The cutting and/or moving speeds are not set to 100%. | Check the speed sliders at the bottom of the screen. |
Multiple instances of Simple are running. | Check the task manager for multiple instances of Simple. Multiple instances would likely put an excessive communication load on the PMAC. |
Excessive Simple logs have accumulated. | Check Simple log files in C:\Simple\Logs\. If they are 100 MB+ in size, writing to them would be time consuming and may introduce a delay. |
PEWIN32PRO is running. | If PEWIN32PRO is open, the saw will run slow if there are too many watch windows. Try to close PEWIN32PRO. |
Hardware problem with either the PMAC or the PC. | Contact Vekta Automation for assistance. |
Saw pauses after a cut (no error in the Diagnostics window). |
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A feeder sensor is blocked. | Look for a block of wood blocking a sensor in the feeders. Try to clean out the feeders and check all six feeder sensors are working correctly. |
The outfeed kickoff arm is not detected as being fully retracted. | Refer to Saw pauses as soon as a member starts to come out of the outfeed feeder in the OFK section. |
The saw is waiting for the printer to move to position. | Check "Waiting for printer" in column 22 of Machine Status is set to "0" in the Diagnostics window.Check if the letter "d" is flashing on the display of the SMC LEC controller in the right-hand electrical cabinet. If so, there is an issue with the actuator. To solve the problem, E‑stop the saw, push the printer carriage down and rehome the saw. |
The saw is waiting for the follower to come in. | Check if the follower has come up to the timber. If not, try to stop and restart the cutting on the stick. |
The saw is waiting for a reed switch. | Look for something preventing the Z‑axis from moving up and down freely (e.g. a build‑up of saw dust, a block of wood, etc.).Try to move the saw up and down in manual mode and note which reed switch is not changing correctly (with the red and green indicators next to the buttons). Make sure the reed switches have not come lose. |
Short pieces are being shot around the chamber. | |
The length of the member is causing it to just catch on the frame of the saw. | Contact Vekta Automation for assistance. It is likely that Vekta Automation can change the settings so that the member is cut in a different position. |
If the member has two cuts on the trailing end, the member length may be too short to hold onto correctly. | Compare the member length to the "Short Member Half Cut Length" (P615). If necessary, try to increase P615 to just longer than the member's overall length. |
Saw blade hits the timber as it comes out of a bevel cut. | |
The saw blade is not moving far enough to clear the timber. | Contact Vekta Automation for assistance. |
Material slippage error will not clear. | |
The latched value of the slippage error exceeds the maximum value. | Force P850 to "0" and save. Contact Vekta Automation to update the firmware. |
Timber is not securely clamped.7 | |
The top and side clamp rollers were unable to hold onto the member properly. | Try to flip the member in the member list. If this does not help, contact Vekta Automation for further assistance. |
Saw pauses as soon as a member starts to come out of the outfeed feeder.48 | |
The outfeed kickoff arm is not detected as being fully retracted. | Refer to Saw pauses as soon as a member starts to come out of the outfeed feeder in the OFK section. |
If this did not help, please submit a ticket for further assistance.
Optimising
- Member sometimes gets assigned to a long stock length when there are shorter ones available.
- Member gets assigned to a different material type.
- Offcuts are not getting added to the end of a stick.
Member sometimes gets assigned to a long stock length when there are shorter ones available. | |
The stock lengths in the materials database may have different priorities which give a bias to using longer ones. | Review the material priority settings in the Materials tab of the Options window as well as the other optimising settings. Contact Vekta Automation for further assistance. |
The short stock lengths are disabled in the materials database (priority set to "0"). | Set the priority of the shorter stock lengths to a number greater than "0" in the Materials tab of the Options window. |
Member gets assigned to a different material type. | |
The Ignore timber description while optimising option is enabled. | Uncheck this option in the Materials tab of the Options window. |
Offcuts are not getting added to the end of a stick. | |
The offcut feature is disabled. | Enable this feature in the Offcuts tab of the Options window. |
None of the offcuts defined in the offcuts database match the stick's material or dimensions (width and thickness). | Review the properties of the offcuts listed in the Offcuts tab of the Options window. Make sure the material description in the offcuts database exactly matches the material description of the stick in the materials database. If it is only necessary to match timber of the same dimensions, delete the material description from the offcuts database entirely. This will prevent Simple from trying to match the material description at all and only the width and thickness information will be used. |
The intended offcuts are disabled in the offcuts database. | Place a tick in front of each offcut you want to enable in the Offcuts tab of the Options window. |
The actual waste length is longer than the maximum allowed for adding offcuts. | Increase the Maximum waste length to include offcuts value in the Offcuts tab of the Options window. |
The number of offcuts added would exceed the maximum allowed. | Increase the Maximum offcut blocks / wedge pairs / custom offcuts per length of timber value in the Offcuts tab of the Options window. |
All the members in the stick are less than the minimum handover length (i.e. minimum length a member can be to accurately be handed from the infeed to the outfeed side of the saw). | Try to optimise in more members of a longer length. If problems persist, contact Vekta Automation for further assistance. |
If this did not help, please submit a ticket for further assistance.
Printer
- Poor print quality
- Simple is not able to communicate with the printer (the printer is unresponsive).
- Printer does not print on timber at all.
- Printer does not print on the very trailing end of the member and then stops printing on all subsequent members.
- Saw pauses after the first cut.
- Printer status on one of the modules reads "OFFLINE: Standby" or "OFFLINE: Init."
- Printer cover is always reported as open ("Case open" for both modules).
- The Enable Print Module checkboxes are greyed out and cannot be ticked.
- "Printer Out of Sequence" error appears repeatedly.
- Nail plate markings are not being printed.
- Printed nail plates are not the correct size.
- Printing is coming out mirror-imaged.
Poor print quality | |
The ink level is low. | Replace the print head. |
Nozzles are clogged. | Using water, dampen a rag and wipe the print head. If necessary, hold the damp rag on the print head nozzles for 5‑10 seconds until two solid ink lines appear on the rag. If necessary, replace the print head entirely. |
The print head is too far from the timber. | For optimal printing, the nozzles of the print head should be within about 5 mm of the timber. |
Non-genuine HP ink is being used. | The ink that Vekta supplies is a genuine HP product and has been specifically selected based on considerable testing. Even compared to other HP inks, the specific formula of the ink we use was found to perform the best in this application. All black ink is not created equal. While generic or refilled ink is unlikely to damage the printer, most customers find that they have to sacrifice print quality and often have to replace the print heads pre-maturely. |
Simple is not able to communicate with the printer (the printer is unresponsive). | |
The printer control system has frozen. | Press the Hard Reset Printer button in the plate marking control panel and wait for a few minutes. |
Simple is not functioning correctly. | Restart Simple. |
There is a poor data connection between the PC and the printer. | Make sure the Ethernet cable connections into the printer, the PC (in the right-hand electrical cabinet) and the data switch (next to the PC) are secure. Make sure there are lights on the switch. If not, make sure the switch is plugged in. If work was recently performed, make sure the Ethernet cable is plugged into the correct port at the back of the PC (motherboard). Try to swap the plugs around if necessary.Make sure the "P3 Printer" network adaptor IPv4 settings are set to 10.1.1.99 / 255.255.255.0. |
A fuse has blown on the printer expansion board. | Check the 3.3V, 5V and 30V LED indicator lights on the printer expansion boards. |
The BeagleBone processor board is not functioning properly. | Check for lights on the BeagleBone processor boards. There should be a light that is always ON (Power Light) and another light that flashes like a heartbeat. If the Power Light is ON but there is no heartbeat, change the SD card (the IP address in the plate marking control panel will also need to be changed to match the new SD card). |
The IP address of the print module is incorrect. | The SD card inserted into the BeagleBone processor board will have either one (10.1.1.101), two (10.1.1.102) or three (10.1.1.103) dashes on it to represent the IP address for that SD card. Make sure the IP address set in the plate marking control panel matches the correct IP address for the intended SD card. |
Simple is not communicating properly. | Try to ping the printer. To do this, type "cmd" in the Windows start menu and open the Command Prompt. Then type "ping 10.1.1.101" to ping module 1 (10.1.1.102 for module 2 or 10.1.1.103 for a spare SD card). If the response is that communication was possible, the issue lies with Simple. Contact Vekta Automation for further assistance. |
Printer does not print on timber at all. | |
The print module(s) are not enabled. | Go to the plate marking control panel and make sure the appropriate Enable Print Module checkboxes have been ticked. |
The printer cover is open. |
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The print module(s) are offline. | Make sure the status of the print module(s) at the top of the plate marking control panel read "Online". |
Printer is not tracking the timber properly. | Check the operation of the printer encoder. |
There is nothing to print on the member. | Right-click on the member in either the Member List or Optimised tab and select either Preview Image... or View 3D Model.... Make sure there should have been data printed on the member. |
Printer does not print on the very trailing end of the member and then stops printing on all subsequent members. | |
The printer encoder wheel is not contacting the timber. | Make sure the printer encoder wheel is spinning and making good contact on the top of the timber as the member is coming out under the printer. Also make sure the printer encoder wheel is still able to make solid contact with the timber when the member is sitting on the outfeed conveyor belt only (i.e. the timber is no longer in the feeders at all). |
The printer is not tracking the timber properly. | Check the operation of the printer encoder.Set the Offset to Free Wheeling Encoder in the top right corner of the plate marking control panel to "0" to temporarily disable the printer encoder (this should only be a temporary measure as the printing accuracy at the trailing end of a member may be sacrificed to some extent). |
The printer encoder cable is damaged. | Inspect the encoder cable for damage, particularly at the gland where the cable goes into the encoder. |
Saw pauses after the first cut.43 | |
The printer has not moved into the correct position for this member. | Make sure there is nothing jamming the printer and preventing it from going up or down (e.g. a block of wood).The actuator that moves the printer up and down has tripped out on an error. Try to E‑stop the saw and rehome. |
The saw is trying to cut a timber thickness that is not normal. | Change the material of the member to a standard size and re-optimise. |
Printer status on one of the modules reads "OFFLINE: Standby" or "OFFLINE: Init." | |
There is a poor connection with a print head. | Remove any print head showing a red or yellow status indicator in the plate marking control panel. Inspect both the electrical connection points on the print head and in the slot, looking for ink or saw dust that may be preventing a good electrical connection, then reseat the print head in the slot. If the problem persists, try to swap the print head with another slot and see if the problem follows the print head or remains in the same slot. If the problem follows the print head, replace it. If the problem remains in the same slot, replace the circuit board of that slot. Contact Vekta Automation for further assistance. |
Printer cover is always reported as open ("Case open" for both modules). | |
The E‑stop button is pressed. | Release the E‑stop button on the operator console. |
The reed switch and the magnet on the printer cover are misaligned. | Make sure the reed switch (blue plastic) on the side frame is properly aligned with the magnet on the clear perspex cover. |
The reed switch has been unplugged. | Follow the wires from the reed switch to the electrical printer boards. Make sure they are plugged in and have not been damaged. |
The reed switch is faulty. | E‑stop the saw. Follow the wires from the reed switch until you get to two crimp connectors. Unplug the reed switch from these connectors and plug the two connectors (the ones not attached to the reed switch) into one another to bypass the reed switch. Put the control back on and see if the cover is now reported as closed. Replace the reed switch if necessary. CAUTIONIn the bypassed state, severe and permanent damage can occur to the printer if a print head is removed without E‑stopping the saw. Avoid leaving the printer in the bypassed state for extended periods of time. |
The Enable Print Module checkboxes are greyed out and cannot be ticked. | |
A severe error has occurred either within Simple or the printer. | Press the Hard Reset Printer button in the plate marking control panel and wait for a few minutes, then restart Simple. |
"Printer Out of Sequence" error appears repeatedly.88 |
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The print module(s) are offline. | Make sure the status of the print module(s) at the top of the plate marking control panel read "Online". |
The middle sensor on the outfeed feeder is not detecting the timber correctly. | Make sure there is no piece of wood or swarf blocking the sensor. Wipe the face of both the emitter and the receiver with a damp cloth (ink overspray can partially block the sensor signal). If a mask is fitted to the face of the emitter, clear any piece of wood that may be blocking the 0.5‑mm hole in the mask. Make sure the emitter and receiver are aligned with one another by checking that a red dot is hitting the receiver roughly in the middle of the face. |
The timber is not being tracked properly. | Refer to Printer does not print on the very trailing end of the member and then stops printing on all subsequent members. |
Nail plate guides are not being printed. | |
Nail plate guides printing is disabled. | Make sure Print Nail Plate Guides is ticked in the Truss |
Truss layout information is missing. | Make sure there is a Layout tab to the right of the Optimised tab in Simple. In the Member List or Optimised tab, click on a member that is not printing correctly, then click on the Layout tab (if present). If layout information is available, the same member should be automatically selected in the Layout tab. |
Printed nail plates are not the correct size. | |
Nail plate scaling is active. | Make sure the Nail Plate Scale is set to 100% in the Truss |
Printing is coming out mirror-imaged. | |
The print direction is incorrect. | Make sure the Timber Flow Past Head setting in the plate marking control panel is set correctly. This setting represents the direction that the timber passes across the side print heads when viewed from behind the print heads. |
The Invert head settings are incorrect. | Use a previous backup to make sure these settings have not been changed. |
If this did not help, please submit a ticket for further assistance.
AIT (Automatic Infeed Table)
- AIT is not loading the board into the saw.
- AIT conveyor is not dropping to load a new piece of timber.
- AIT conveyor is spinning but there is no board on it.
- Side transfer legs are not bringing the boards up to the AIT conveyor.
- Side transfer legs do not stop when the boards reach the AIT conveyor.
- Board gets stuck or double stack is knocked over when the AIT conveyor comes up.
- Stacked boards properly aligned when loaded end up misaligned when they get into the saw chamber.
- Saw stops cutting and infeed sensor is blocked by the new board causing the saw to detect a blockage.
AIT is not loading the board into the saw. | |
The AIT is not enabled. | Make sure the AIT is enabled on the toolbar. |
A sensor is blocked in the infeed feeder. | A blocked sensor in the infeed feeder will cause the infeed to try and eject the timber towards the infeed, moving the drive rollers towards the AIT until the sensor is clear. Make sure all sensors are clear and the drive rollers are not moving in reverse (towards the AIT). |
Nothing has been selected for cutting in Simple. | Make sure one of the following buttons on the toolbar is used to select members for cutting: , , or |
The AIT control logic has gotten out of sequence. | Reset the AIT control logic by holding down the STOP button on the operator console for at least 5 seconds. |
The AIT conveyor UP reed switch is not ON.49 | Check the AIT Conveyor UP reed switch located on the air cylinder closest to the saw (that moves the conveyor up and down). When the conveyor is in the up position, the light on the reed switch should be on. If necessary, make sure the conveyor is truly in the full up position (not jammed) and re-adjust the position of the reed switch with a small screwdriver until the light comes on. A possible cause for this sensor to apparently go out of position is a loose locknut on the cylinder rod(s) that allows the rod(s) to thread in or out of the AIT arm, therefore preventing the cylinder from reaching the fully extended position. |
AIT conveyor is not dropping to load a new piece of timber.49 | |
The AIT conveyor UP reed switch is not ON. | Check the AIT Conveyor UP reed switch located on the air cylinder closest to the saw (that moves the conveyor up and down). When the conveyor is in the up position, the light on the reed switch should be on. If necessary, make sure the conveyor is truly in the full up position (not jammed) and re-adjust the position of the reed switch with a small screwdriver until the light comes on. A possible cause for this sensor to apparently go out of position is a loose locknut on the cylinder rod(s) that allows the rod(s) to thread in or out of the AIT arm, therefore preventing the cylinder from reaching the fully extended position. |
The AIT thinks there is a board on the conveyor. | The sensors along the conveyor are used to detect whether a board is located on the conveyor. Check the alignment and functionality of each of these sensors. If this is the problem, the conveyor may also be spinning, trying to load the non-existing piece of timber into the saw. |
AIT conveyor is spinning but there is no board on it. | |
The AIT thinks there is a board on the conveyor. | The sensors along the conveyor are used to detect whether a board is located on the conveyor. Check the alignment and functionality of each of these sensors. |
Side transfer legs are not bringing the boards up to the AIT conveyor. | |
The AIT is not enabled. | Make sure the AIT is enabled on the toolbar. |
One or both of the gap sensors located on the side transfer legs are blocked or not functioning properly. | Check the operation of the two sensors located near the conveyor on the second side transfer leg from the saw chamber. The light on both gap sensors should turn on when you place your hand over them and off when they are clear. |
Side transfer legs do not stop when the boards reach the AIT conveyor. | |
One or both of the gap sensors located on the side transfer legs are blocked or not functioning properly. | Check the operation of the two sensors located near the conveyor on the second side transfer leg from the saw chamber. The light on both gap sensors should turn on when you place your hand over them and off when they are clear. |
Board gets stuck or double stack is knocked over when the AIT conveyor comes up. | |
The boards were not loaded onto the side transfer legs straight enough. | Try to square the boards a little more with the side transfer legs. |
The time delay before the AIT conveyor comes up is too short. | Contact Vekta Automation to increase the gap time setting so that the boards are loaded further onto the AIT conveyor. |
Stacked boards properly aligned when loaded end up misaligned when they get into the saw chamber. | |
The leading ends of the boards are getting knocked as they go into the saw. | Make sure the fixed chute that is bolted onto the infeed side of the saw is positioned and angled properly. The infeed chute should be angled considerably towards the operator so as to act as a gradual lead-in for the timber as it enters the infeed feeder. The side-to-side position of the chute should be such that when the timber is clamped by the infeed feeder, there is a small gap (≈3‑5 mm) between the board and the edge of the chute closest to the fenceline rollers.Contact Vekta Automation to increase the gap time setting so that the boards are loaded further onto the AIT conveyor.Try to square the boards a little more with the side transfer legs. |
The saw is not expecting stacked boards. | The AIT conveyor acceleration changes based on whether the saw is expecting stacked boards or a single board. Make sure Simple is asking for a stacked pair of boards to be loaded. |
The AIT conveyor is accelerating too quickly, causing the top board to slip behind the bottom board. | If this is the case, the top board will slide back before the boards reach the saw. Contact Vekta Automation for assistance in adjusting the speed and acceleration of the conveyor. |
Saw stops cutting and infeed sensor is blocked by the new board causing the saw to detect a blockage. | |
The advance time setting is set too high. | Contact Vekta Automation to decrease the advance time setting. |
If this did not help, please submit a ticket for further assistance.
OFK (Outfeed Kickoff Table)
- The outfeed conveyor belt runs continuously and the kickoff arm does not extend.
- When the kickoff arm extends, it does not retract automatically.
- Saw pauses as soon as a member starts to come out of the outfeed feeder.
- The kickoff arm comes out too early or too late, consequently not positioning the members on the outfeed kickoff table correctly.
The outfeed conveyor belt runs continuously and the kickoff arm does not extend.91 | |
The feeder sensor closest to the OFK is still blocked. | Make sure the sensor is clear and functioning correctly by looking at the light on the sensor or the "eye" feeder indicator in the monitoring panel. |
When the kickoff arm extends, it does not retract automatically.48 | |
The outfeed kickoff arm was not able to fully extend. | Make sure a build-up of timber on the outfeed kickoff table is not preventing the kickoff arm from fully extending.Make sure the air pressure for the saw is set correctly (between 70-80 psi). This is the main regulator located just after the pneumatic isolation switch. |
The fully extended reed switch on the kickoff cylinder is not set correctly. | In the Material Handling window, click to extend the kickoff arm and make sure the reed switch closest to the OFK conveyor lights up in red when the arm is fully extended. Make sure the reed switch is secure and not likely to be moving during operation. |
Saw pauses as soon as a member starts to come out of the outfeed feeder.48 | |
The outfeed kickoff arm is not fully retracted. | Make sure an obstruction, such as a small block of wood, is not preventing the kickoff arm from fully retracting. |
The fully retracted reed switch on the kickoff cylinder is not set correctly. | In the Material Handling window, click to retract the kickoff arm and make sure the reed switch farthest from the OFK conveyor lights up in red when the arm is fully retracted. Make sure the reed switch is secure and not likely to be moving during operation. |
The kickoff arm comes out too early or too late, consequently not positioning the members on the outfeed kickoff table correctly. | |
The kickoff time setting needs to be adjusted. | Contact Vekta Automation to adjust the kickoff time setting. |
If this did not help, please submit a ticket for further assistance.