Ok, I’ve done my first afternoons worth of projects on my new Redline Gen2 Elite Foreman - and run into what feel like bugs I can’t find much on when I dig around. These may be things I’m missing .. wondering if this mirrors others experiences?
1 - the joypad (bought direct from OF) needs to have it’s dongle reinserted on every power up. Works fine once done, but thats annoying.
2 - I created folders for my files through the web portal - but they don’t appear on the HMI. Also - I can’t bulk delete files / upload files from the web portal.
3 - Twice now, the HMI has flashed black, then recovered - but lost touch screen responsiveness, and the mouse cursor, while responding to my fingers movements, feels like it’s inverted (ie: I swipe move up/down - it moves left/right) - both times forcing me to power off.
This is more a “how do I” question - is there a way to adjust the Z height after I probe for Z on the block? It doesn’t raise up high enough to put my dust collector under it, which is a little annoying and would be an easy fix.
If you mean manually, that’s not my question - of course you can manually move it up. I’m looking for a way to tell it to settle at a higher Z value after probe, so I don’t have to navigate to the probe menu, or power up the joypad every time.
Isn’t that for the Z height once a toolpath finishes? I’m asking about the Z height once it’s done probing for Z on the built in wizard. I’ve already set this for clamp clearance - it carried over from my last OF CNC.
So Z Gap above material is the gap that the machine uses to clear clamps etc during rapid movements. I set mine at 0.8 inches.
Z clearance is the amount the bottom of the tool clears the top of the material while moving from one section to another. I set mine at 0.2 inches
Once you initiate a program the Z axis moves up to the Z gap position then rapids to X,Y job orgin. When finished the machine returns to Z gap position. This also helps to remove and install the dust shoe.
All of these are known bugs (or features depending on who is answering the questions).
You can find multiple reports of each of these on the forum because you’re not alone.
RL & OF claim the HMI issue is due to EMI and can be solved by various grounding methods. Reports of the success of those efforts are mixed (I still have the problem so am unable to run any kind of dust collection). If you dig into their posts on the topic be aware that they changed some of their instructions (putting a ground wire between the HMI & the machine) but did not make a post or broad announcement - they did it through email to someone they were working through the issue at the time & he posted the email here a month ago I believe.
I always take a photo of the home position settings when I start the job. Then when the HMI goes wonky in the middle of a project I shut it down (power switch since the screen is badly or nonresponsive) and restart it and use the photo to get my project home positions reset. Then I reload and start the project again. It’s a PITA but at least I’m not throwing out hundreds of dollars of wood on every project anymore.
Since EMI is a difficult problem to resolve onsite, I don’t expect them to be able to resolve it remotely. I try every new recommendation they post but they’re not always proactive about posting updates (see their reccommendation concerning grounding the HMI to the machine). I just watch the forum for other posts and if something new comes up from someone else, I check to see if it fixes my issue. Better shielding of the components during design & manufacture would be the correct solution but it’s too late now and they’re designing these machines for lowest cost so it’s been an issue for users since the original BB machines. Most people don’t have the problems so if you do, it’s the (bad) luck of the draw.
Manual workarounds allow me to keep working but they do get tedious. I figure it’s just the cosmos teaching me patience.
I had just found someone in the FB group posting about the HMI issue.
It’s funny - I spent 4 years with a OF Journeyman in the same spot, connected up the same way - and it felt like every single issue I ever ran into got blamed on EMI at some point - either by Support or by a forum - and at no point was it ever EMI - there was always another reason eventually found. I find “It’s EMI” is frequently the “get out of jail free” card of troubleshooting in these parts.
Not that I’m saying this particular issue is EMI - but my VFD is on it’s own dedicated 220v circuit. My HMI and controller are on a dedicated 110v circuit - they do share a box and a conduit, but goodness me - does everyone setup their shop power from scratch around their CNC? Is it that sensitive by design? My dust collector on a totally different 110v circuit. The dust hose suspended from a boom, the spindle cable goes the opposite direction, although I will grant sometimes touches the rails. It didn’t do it once yesterday after several hours running … so maybe it’s magically solved itself? who knows.
Thanks - totally understand those two, and have had them set for four years (not new to OF and CNCs) - neither affect the height the gantry raises after it does a Z touch on the probe though, which was the question I originally asked. My old buildbotics had plenty of clearance after a Z touch to install the dust boot, the new Redline doesn’t.
I’ve been curious about this myself. I end up jogging Z up to get the dust boot back on.
As far as I can tell all of the moves in the probing sequences are canned moves hidden in the background and are not accessible through any configuration settings. This would be a good candidate for a RealTime feature request.
I’ve had a handful of CNC’s and 3d printers…some cobbled together with Arduino controllers running GRBL before it was a thing…I have NEVER had an issue because of EMI…bad ground maybe…but not EMI…it’s the boogyman of CNC.
I had a Buildbotics WoodWorker in the same spot, same circuits (other than the 220) same dust collection - and was told many times things I experienced were EMI - and at no point were any of them EMI …
As far as setting Z height after probing, maybe try emailing @Redlinecnc directly? I haven’t tried to dig in that far to the software, but I would think that could be set under the “TOOL” maybe?
I wouldn’t disagree. My JMan w/BB controller was rock solid. My Redline Foreman is wired similarly to yours except every single electrical component is wired to a different dedicated circuit. I had just built the house so there was plenty of ability to spec out the workshop for electrical and I went overboard on electrical because it’s cheap to do when you’re building and harder later Separate circuits also mean you don’t have to play machine roulette when you’re working trying to make sure you’re not running two machines at once that might overload a circuit. With a CNC it’s more likely you’ll be running more than one thing because the CNC can be doing its thing while I’m off using the bandsaw or sanders.
I’m on whatever the latest is (I forget, and not in the shop right now) - but it is updated. Fingers crossed its solved soon!
I found out that with folders - you can create them - on the HMI and web portal - but to get to them you need to go to the Root link at the top of the HMI - then you find folders. I also found you still can’t upload folders with files in - you still have to upload each file, one by one by one - but you CAN delete a folder and it’s contents - so thats a little less painful
Separate circuits also mean you don’t have to play machine roulette when you’re working trying to make sure you’re not running two machines at once that might overload a circuit. With a CNC it’s more likely you’ll be running more than one thing because the CNC can be doing its thing while I’m off using the bandsaw or sanders.
Have a great day!