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  • timing problems, i think. please help

    I have recently purchased at used 2004 Amaya. After it ran the test project and another one for fun everything was fine. So in the process of learning the machine, i got a few errors. I turned it off for the day. When turning it on the next day, it started good and then started making this loud popping/snapping sound. So I was unable to do anything else. Tried the headup option,but it gave me an error and said it couldn't to that. A color change settings error came next. I have tried to infor myself as much as possible, but not any success yet. I got brave today and started unscrewing for things. I looks like the thread tention lever is jammed. Any help with this is much appreciated.
    Rachel

  • #2
    Hi Rachel, if you are having color change errors the Z axis will not move on it's own. The easiest solution is to try turning the machine off (10 seconds) and then back on. If it powers up successfully, you'll need to perform the Color Change Index and Color Change Home Cleaning procedures immediatly to prevent it from happening again.
    Melco Certified Amaya Tech

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    • #3
      Hummmmm.......

      With the Big Reds and having been a tech almost since their creation and release to the public...I got one of the really early models.... I feel that turning off the machine and then powering it back up when "color change errors" are present is bad advice.

      Now having said that, before that is attempted some questions should have been asked....you said...." I got brave today and started unscrewing for things. I looks like the thread tention lever is jammed. Any help with this is much appreciated.".....Exactly what did you unscrew???? What have you done???

      Do you have a needlebar down?

      Is the needlebar/needle "LINED UP" exactly with the presser foot?

      Have you tried turning the Z axis shaft by hand to get the machine back to it's headup position?

      The machine cannot or will not allow a headup command to take place if the needlecase is not lined up correctly with the needle being off center of the hole in the needleplate. There is a very small window of tolerance in this lineup for a headup command to take place.

      The color change sensor and color change flag should be cleaned/blown off/out, etc.... "BEFORE" ever attempting to shut the machine down and power up again...the needlecase home sensor should also be cleaned/blown out as well. The XT's do not have these optical sensors, they use an encoder system on the motors instead which is/was a major improvement, in my opinion.

      The problem/danger of just shutting it off, this is for the Big Reds, not the XT's, is that if the needlecase is not lined up with the presser foot and it is not at a very close headup position, when it powers back up, the needlecase will make or try to make a move to it's home position which is needle #9. If the needlebar stud is just hanging on the edge of the reciprocator jaws, it more than likely will cause it to slip out and fall. Now you have just complicated the problem immensly.

      If the E-stop is on or the machine is turned off, the needlecase can be moved back and forth manually but no outward pressure or pull should be applied or you can cause more needle bars to fall. If one has fallen already, you are pretty much done and a tech call is in order...

      The snapping popping sound, sounds kind of like a main thread feed gear not lining up with the threadfeed roller assembly gears. This should also have been inspected "BEFORE" shutting down and powering off the machine, as the needlecase will try to move to #9 for it 's home position and if the gear is jammed or broken, well, nuff said...

      Could be past time to give a Tech familiar with the Big Reds and their quirks a call.....

      Rod Springer
      Amaya Tech & Trainer
      Certified tech & trainer<br />208-898-4117

      Comment


      • #4
        Rachel,
        If you decide you would like to talk with a tech, and Melco isn't available, feel free to give me a call.
        I'm just south of you in Lousisana.
        504-258-6260

        Ed Orantes
        Melco Tech & Trainer
        -The Embroidery Authority-<br /><br />\"Turning your Problems into Production.\"<br />Ed Orantes<br />504-258-6260

        Comment


        • #5
          Rachel;
          I am also a 3rd party tech and I will be in North West Arkansas Tuesday and Wednesday if I can help you. If you are closer to Ed in Louisiana then call him, he comes highly recomended and a good man also.
          Ted Barnhouse II
          573-366-0147

          Comment


          • #6
            Thank you all for your help. i am going to try your suggestions tomorrow and hopefully it will work out allright. Ed and Ted what exactly is a 3rd party tech and what do you cost? thanks
            Rachel

            Comment


            • #7
              Rachel,
              Melco doesn't have any technicians available for hire that are actual employees of the company itself. What Melco, like almost all other embroidery companies, chooses to do is offer technical machine training (for a fee) to those of us who choose to start our own repair/training business and then Melco contracts warranty covered repairs and new customer training out to us after we've been Melco tested, approved and agree to sign an annual contract.

              We are known as 3rd party technicians/trainers.
              Some are just technicians, some are only trainers. Some of us (like myself) are techs, trainers, embroidery business owners, digitizers and consultants all rolled into one.

              If this is your first time in need of a tech, know that most embroiderers choose to go with the tech that lives closest to them to keep the travel expenses down. Other embroiderers who have had an opportunity to work with more than one tech might choose a tech they feel more comfortable with or who might know the machines better, enabling them to troubleshoot the machine faster keeping the repair costs down. Not to mention carrying a wide variety of parts in stock so the customer doesn't have to pay overnight shipping and pay for an overnight's expense for the tech.

              As technicians become better at their trade, they will most probably raise their labor rate to still be able to earn a living. Consider a new technician might take three hours to troubleshoot a problem whereas a seasoned tech might already know what your problem is before even stepping foot in your shop. I've seen technicians around the country charge anywhere from $60 to $125 per hour. And some technicians will even charge a minimum of one or two hours per job to ensure they earn a minimum salary per day. If you're out of warranty, and you call Melco for service, they will find a 3rd party tech for you and charge you a minimum of 3 hours at $115 per hour. If you live farther than 100 miles from the tech, the bill will be higher.

              Because we are all independent business owners, we may have different ways of charging our customers. Therefore it's up to you to keep abreast of your technician's rates and policies. If you're lucky enough to have a choice between two or more techs, get to know them all.

              As for your specific situation, depending on where you live, if Ted Barnhouse is going to be near your part of the state, give him a call. He's been in the industry many years and when it comes to this line of work, only the strong will survive. What I mean by this is I've seen several technicians come and go over the years for various reasons and those of us who have managed to stay afloat, even during this recession, will be a good choice. Also, if Melco chooses not to use a tech for warranty work, maybe you should think twice as well. So watch out for handy men who claim to be able to fix your machine. They might mean well, but may also cause more damage or throw off calibrations on your machine.
              Oh,... I could tell you some stories of the "husband repairs" I have followed behind.

              Do your homework (you've done well finding this group) and feel free to call me at any hour of any day if I can help. ...and don't let the picture of the educated monkey fool you. That's an inside joke between myself and a few other educated monkeys here on the Amaya User's Group.


              Ed Orantes
              Melco Tech & Trainer
              504-258-6260
              -The Embroidery Authority-<br /><br />\"Turning your Problems into Production.\"<br />Ed Orantes<br />504-258-6260

              Comment


              • #8
                Hi Rachel,
                Third party techs are the Melco trained techs who are scattered across the USA. If your machine is under warranty, we are the ones Melco dispatches to fix your machine/s. We also service machines if called by the client rather than Melco. Some are trained on all Melco machines and some are trained only on the Amaya or Amaya XT. It takes very extensive training to become a tech not to mention the expense and testing we go through periodically. Some of us are techs and trainers combined so when you get us (the tech/trainer combination) you get a bonus because we can also tell you if it is a design issue that is causing your thread breaks, etc. Some of the techs are fairly new and haven't had the experience on the older Big Reds.

                I don't know all the techs, but I do know Ed is young, handsome, witty and an incredible tech and trainer. He services all brands of machines and has been a tech since before the Amayas came out. He covers a big area in the deep South and Rob covers the Arizona-New Mexico area...and possibly further than that (what areas do you cover Rob?). Rod & I have been all over the Pacific Northwest and parts of California. These are the techs that have been around for a number of years that I know personally.

                Sharon Springer
                Certified tech & trainer<br />208-898-4117

                Comment


                • #9
                  Ed;
                  Thank you for the kind words. Did we ever learn what part of AR she is from?
                  Ted II

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Thank you for all your help. Got the head head up and the color change open, but not sewing yet. I went to do another head up just to make sure everything was good, and when the needle went down it hit the needle plate. A buzzing sound happened and I tried to stop the machine, but it wouldn't responde to the Estop button. It does nothing now and I smell a funny burning smell I think. How should I proceed from here?
                    Rachel

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      I have no idea how to help but a glass of wine or a margarita might be called for right now.

                      Barb B.
                      Barbara Bunker<br />BMB Custom Embroidery<br />Broomfield, Colorado

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Sometimes a tech early on is the better solution. You may have burned a motor up or worse yet, a motor/motherboard. Afraid Rod or Ed would have to jump in here, but I know the last time we were on site and there was a burned smell, it took both a new motor and motherboard for the client. We will keep our fingers crossed for you and if under warranty, call Melco. If not, call your tech.
                        Sharon
                        Certified tech & trainer<br />208-898-4117

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          I fear that this is a classic case of doing the wrong thing at the wrong time.

                          The machine should have been commanded to do a color change "home" before doing any kind of a head-up command....and....

                          The Z axis shaft should have been turned manually to drop the needle to make sure that the needle was lined up with the needleplate hole and that there was no binding and then turned to place the machine back to a very close head-up position prior to doing a computer command.

                          I know this does not help the situation now and I am not saying anything to chastize anyone....it is hard to spend the money for a tech and sometimes harder to come to grips with the idea that a tech maybe necessary in the first place.....these machines are high tech and timing on them is everything....

                          I really am concerned at this point about the burned smell.....does it appear to be more smell around the or under tabletop area? If so it could be the motherboard. And it could be that it was a motherboard situation from the beginning. It could be that a Z axis motor is the culprit which may have affected the motherboard in other respects....

                          I would advise at this time to give serious consideration to calling on a tech familiar with the Big Red series of Amaya machines.

                          Ed Orantes is very knowledgeable with the Reds and is fairly close to you...you couldn't go wrong with calling on him.

                          Ed Orantes
                          Melco Tech & Trainer
                          504-258-6260

                          Sorry you are having troubles, but I do think it is time for that tech call...

                          Rod Springer
                          Amaya Tech & Trainer
                          Certified tech & trainer<br />208-898-4117

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Hi Rod, As a original owner of an Amaya Turning the machine off and On is NEVER a bad idea. As specially when it comes to the color change sensor. If the Color Change Index sensor becomes blocked while sewing. It is an excellent first step to give the customer the opportunity to fix the issue themselves. The Amaya was designed with enough On Board Diagnostics to re-initialize without damaging the machine.

                            Hi Rachael back to your concern, lift up the black plastic cover and see if the Burning Smell becomes more predominant. If so, there is a potential that a chip on the motherboard has been overloaded and burned up causing the smell. Diagnosing a Burned up Motherboard can be done over the phone until you have the ~$1500 for the repair. A new Motherboard can run in the neighborhood of $1,100. The Z motor will also need to be replaced (approx $400 XT). Make sure your Tech uses the XT Z Motor, Not the BIG RED Z Motor. Your tech will need to modify the Casting, which is NOT difficult and takes about 15 minutes. The Big Red Z Motor is about $200 more expensive than the XT Motor so it is WELL Worth Doing. Cheaper Motor and Newer Design.

                            Good Luck and please keep in touch....
                            Melco Certified Amaya Tech

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Please let me rephrase my last comments:

                              XT Motor is a Newer Design, More Robust, Stronger, and Less Expensive.... Win Win Win Win
                              Melco Certified Amaya Tech

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