Product

• Trendsetter Autoloader
• Trendsetter NEWS

Machines affected

Devices with Picker 3—especially those that have not had FCO CA00567 (wrist cylinder upgrade) or FCO D388 (wrist sensor installation) applied.

Component

Wrist or picker head in/out cylinders

Error

• Picker vacuum timeout errors where the wrist did not move all the way in to the plate stack when first trying to grab a plate:
  • (MCE) 40404: MDH: Picker vacuum timeout: Failed to achieve vacuum threshold (<Threshold>) within <Timeout> ms (only reached <ActualValue>). [<I/O name>]
  • (MPE) 15177: ALE: picker vacuum below threshold
• Errors due to double-picking may include:
  • Plate fly-off errors (if one or both plates are not successfully loaded)
  • Focus errors

Symptoms

• Error messages and operator suspend conditions
• Image artifacts (if both plates successfully loaded and top plate is imaged; this should be extremely rare, but has been known to happen)
• Plate fly-off
• One or both plates have damaged leading edges (from hitting LEC clamps or registration pins, and/or being dropped)

Cause

Cause 1: Wrist sensor upgrade not yet installed

When the wrist sensor upgrade (FCO D388, ECO/100 label #24) is installed with the appropriate supporting firmware, the sensor can detect when the wristing motion is completed, and ensure that the picker head does not move out from the load table before this happens. In addition, this sensor can detect whether the wrist cylinder is leaking at points during the picking cycle (when the internal piston seal is broken due to low air flow), and make corrections to reseal it.

Cause 2: Leaking wrist cylinder or picker head cylinder

FCO CA00567 (ECO/100 label #1 (MCE), #34 (MPE)). The cause can be either a leaking cylinder or a leaking fitting or tube.

Cause 3: Leaking fitting or tube

If a fitting or tube is leaking, this may result in insufficient flow going past the internal seals of the piston in the cylinders. This can break the seals and cause the cylinders to leak.

Solution

Solution 1: Install wrist sensor FCO (if not yet done)

Install wrist sensor upgrade FCO (D388, ECO/100 label #24).

Solution 2: Leaking cylinders

To check for leaking cylinders:

1. Plug the four exhaust ports on the ends of the autoloader manifold with your fingers.
2. If you feel a build up of pressure over about 15 seconds, then you have a leaking cylinder somewhere.
3. To determine which cylinder is leaking (wrist or picker head in/out):
   1. Unplug the exhaust side of the cylinder at the manifold. (This is the side that has no pressure from the manifold; instead the air is restricted through speed controls to control the speed that the cylinder moves.)
   2. If you hear a pop and the cylinder moves under full power, then you've just found/fixed the leaking cylinder by allowing a large amount of flow to go through the cylinder.
      Note: On some Kiel-built machines, the speed controls have been moved from the manifold to under the black crossbar on the picker (near the Vac generator). Disconnect the tubing before the speed controls to get the cylinder to reseal.
   3. Plug the tubing back into the manifold and hold the tube up to your lips to see if you can feel a small amount of air blowing. If not, the cylinder could continue to work for some time. If so, replace the leaking cylinder as described below.

To fix the leaking cylinder:

1. Check to see whether FCO D388, wrist sensor upgrade (ECO/100 label #24) and FCO CA00567, wrist cylinder upgrade (ECO/100 label #1 (MCE), #34 (MPE))

the cylinder could work for some time. If so, replace the bad cylinder and install FCO D388.

Remote diagnostics from Response Center:

Try exercising the picker to see if you can get the cylinder to reseal itself (at least temporarily). Move the wrist cylinder in and out several times with the following commands:

picker up
picker in
picker wrist in
picker wrist out
picker wrist in
picker wrist out
picker out
picker in
picker out
picker in
picker wrist in
picker wrist out
...and so on

Note: When the wrist is moved in or out, there is up to a 30 second delay before you can move it back the other way.

If you determine that a cylinder is leaking, then send the kit for FCO D388 "wrist sensor" to the site and call for field service to install it when convenient. The customer will probably run fine for a day or two.

Solution 2: Leaking fitting or tube

A leaking fitting or tube can give similar symptoms as a leaking cylinder. Check all fittings by using a 3/8" tube as a stethoscope. Put one end to your ear and the other to the fitting in question. It is amazing how well this works. Much better than trying to feel for a leak with your fingers.

Even if the problem was found to be a leaking fitting, if the machine does not have the wrist sensor installed then order FCO D388 and install it on your next site visit. It should take 2 to 3 hours to complete.

See also

• Eliminating external (to device) causes of plate double-picking
• Plate double-picking on Picker 3
• (MPE) Vacuum below threshold error (#15177)

Technical contact(s)

Doug Jeffery

Submitted by

Jack Miro

Date submitted

15 Jun 2000