I have to say, although I have read other people’s raves about Onefinity support, I didn’t think much of it.
I finally got around to unpacking my X50 Journeyman I received several weeks ago. The Xrail had shifted in the packaging and crushed the coiled cable running to the Z motor. I sent an email to support tonight (Sunday night @ 6:30 and a holiday weekend to boot) and they responded within a minute indicating that they would send out a new cable tomorrow.
It doesn’t get any better!
BTW, I am very impressed by the build quality of this machine, compared to the Nextwave Shark I am using now.
I was previously impressed with Onefinity’s quality etc but this recent exchange with “Support” was extremely disappointing:
Re: Spindle free falls on eStop
me:
We recently purchased an Elite Foreman Onefinity and found that the spindle free falls in the Z axis when eStop is pressed. There is much discussion on this and the safety risk it represents on the Onefinity forum. What do you suggest to resolve this problem?
“Support”:
Our suggestion is not to use the estop unless it is an emergency. If you are pushing the estop, (emergency stop) you are preventing an “oh crap” moment where the drop is the least of your worries.
Also, we only technically support the makita router. We suggest removing the unsupported spindle and returning to the router configuration.
me:
I have to say I’m very disappointed with this answer. First, the eStop needs to be used each time the system is powered up, to clear a fault condition (a safety mechanism of the Masso set up). Second, technically you DO support spindles – you sell a Z-80 slider which is made for a 80 mm spindle, and this is a choice during purchase, not a third party add on.
“Support”:
Spindles are not supported, so using an unsupported, aftermarket spindle is a use at your own risk situation.
Now that it’s public knowledge as of today’s release, your issue will be solved with the upcoming brake. Glad you found the press release. We’ve developed this to help solve your very concern! You’re welcome!
Onefinity clearly states all through the forum and on their website and documentation that spindles are not supported. put a spindle on your machine, your responsibility.
from the 80mm slider
does it send a mixed message by providing said 80mm slider? maybe, but thank the cnc gods onefinity allows us the option. i am also hoping for a fully supported spindle from Onefinity… just not hear yet, but looks like we get one step closer with the new braking motor.
My beef is not with Onefinity the product but the support desk. There was zero effort to address my needs and the answers were in my opinion defensive and flippant. I found much better help in the forum.
I think they adequately covered themselves for the use of outside spindles but my request for help was with regard to the Z-80 assembly, not the spindle.
[edit: I see the title of this forum post has been changed to “Onefinity Support is great”. Nice. Sarcastically?
Apart from what @RockingMallet correctly pointed out, and understanding the safety concern myself as someone who has been using a Masso G3 and upgraded Z20 assembly, I have a few thoughts (in no particular order):
You were correct in pointing out the Masso controller’s need to activate Estop in several common/required ‘non-emergency’ situations. I have a very heavy ATC spindle, however the real problem only occurred on shutdown or ‘real’ Estop - the daily on/off Estop to activate the controller was too short a duration to cause the slow drop to be an issue.
You received an answer that provided a solution, and from my experience Onefinity was staying on message with it.
The two solutions that would have been acceptable to you - from reading your text - to me seem unrealistic. You can have your own ball screw made, but that presents new costs, risks, and challenges. Onefinity does not offer a lower pitch version for the Z20 - most likely because they wanted it to help address slow 3D carving. Your second solution I do not think will ever happen and understandably so - products are announced officially and when the company decides. You are not alone in this reaction as the forum was/is full of such comments in response to the Elite announcements.
Spindle drop is common - you can read about it in other CNC router forums (Carbide 3D) - but Onefinity has responded to a need by proving a solution for their customers who need it. I would add that not everyone with a spindle experiences this issue, so it would have taken time, and enough feedback, for it to make sense for them to invest time and money to make this solution available. I added my own brake to my build, but in an effort to help others I had yet to find a closed loop integrated stepper that had an electronic brake. My guess is that they needed to have this made specifically for them - who knows, maybe we will see it on the Masso web shop next.
It is good that you speak positively of the support found on the forum, I am a frequent visitor and contributor and I agree with you. I would add that the ‘better’ support you get on the forum may sometimes be a function of the fact that members are not owners of the business, so what they do and say will at times be different, and for good reason.
You are not alone in your reaction to the ‘tone and language’ received by support’s responses - we read about it from time to time - and I am sure it added to your displeasure with the response to your concern. We all have bad days for many reasons, and without making excuses, you may just have been the one to get your email answered by a staff member who was tired, or stressed from other email exchanges, or someone who likes to use overly positive (=sarcastic?) responses. Not right or wrong, but it happens.
I think one of the announcements this week will be that Onefinity will finally acknowledge that they officially support spindles
Going forward, and with an ever expanding line of machines and accessories, I can see Onefinity providing even more opportunities for customization. For example:
Z20 assembly with 1) choice of high and low pitch ball screws, 2) closed loop stepper with a brake or no break, 3) 2Nm vs 3Nm torque, etc…
