Techsew 5100 Problem , Speed Reducer Seizing?

[MadMorbius]

This is a brand new machine. I took delivery on Wednesday of last week. The first attempt to stitch resulted in a lockup and spinning motor belt...I chalked it up to an assembly error and re/re'd the flywheel and belt. After this it stitched ok, but I did note the action was very stiff and the flywheel was difficult to move. Since this is a new machine I had nothing to compare it to...but I now suspect this isn't normal.

Today I recieved some missing parts that were required to progress my work, and after installing these I was working happily when my machine stopped and the v-belt from the servo motor to the speed reducer wheel appeared to slip again. This time, I decided to troubleshoot the problem by removing both belts and checking the rotation of all the pulleys independently to identify where the problem was coming from...this allowed me to move the machine flywheel easily by hand, and the motor pulley. The speed reducer however is very diffucult to move by hand and appears to be seizing.

After several revolutions I was able to loosen it...so I reassembled the belts and tried running the machine (un-threaded). Although it turns, there is a godawful screech coming from the speed reducer and there is obvious friction (handwheel is very difficult to turn by hand). I have ceased using the machine ( ) for fear that I will burn out the motor, my eardrums, my welcome, or all of the above.

I have contacted the vendor (Techsew) but I tend to get responses during the day and I'm looking for any insight while I wait for support. Can anyone point me at next steps? Is the speed reducer just plain bad? My gut tells me theres a bad bearing or something inside. I would have thought a unit like this would have a grease zerk or something, but it doesn't even appear to be field serviceable.

For reference, this is the reducer on the T5100:

[Wizcrafts]

Disassemble the reducer and grease the shaft and bearings with axle grease, or any other decent motor grease, or even Tri-Flow, until you hear from Ronnie.

Check the shaft for nicks or out-of-roundness. If it was just dry, the grease should help.

[Greystone]

Talk with your Dealer/sales rep, but you did buy a new machine,,work with and isolate the problem

my $$.02 is ask for a new reducer to be sent over night,,if you feel/ sure its the issue

First recheck the machine for ease of rotation and motor for running free no load

isolate the problem ,, you should NEVER have to FIX a new part unless its a,

ABSOLUTE need ,,,,,if so make it work,,,,,,,,

but ask for the replacement part be sent as a priority and return the part in question

cost of info.... free but still my $.02

Be fair to your self as your dollars have been spent

but understand some new parts are defective and can be beyond dealer control

David

Edited November 5, 2013 by Greystone

[MadMorbius]

Thanks gents.

Wiz, I see no obvious way to disassemble the reducer unless there is a screw inside accessible from the bolt hole where the brass fitting threads in on the opposite side of the pulley.

Greystone, I have faith in the dealer. Its frustrating for me that I've had this unit almost a week and haven't been able to use it, when it should be humming away paying for itself. I'm sure we'll get it sorted but a piece of idle equipment is dollars slipping away. Hopefully they can send me the lower part of the assembly to swap out so I don't have to mess with alignment.

[Gregg From Keystone Sewing]

Wiz, your assuming the reducer with shaft lock came from the factory with correct, proper tolerances. This may not be the case, and maybe has never worked. No amount of Tri-Flow (man I love that stuff!) will free up parts that were not fitted properly. Even if this is the case, fitting the shaft correctly is not that big of a deal, either.

As for belt slippage...when you put a reducer onto any machine, your fighting against three different cogs; the fixed handwheel on the machine, and the adjustable motor and belt tensioners. These can be sensitive adjustments on small surface area pulleys, and can even shift while in transit, or with drastic changes in climate. If I have, in contrast a 12" handwheel directly attached to a 4" motor pulley, well there is so much surface area (friction) for the v belt to ride on, you can be so far out of whack with the belt tension either lose or tight, and it will still work fine. Not so much with the small pulleys and reducer. That said, once you have the new belts broken in, and your setup settled in, your belt tensions for a reducer should work for years and years.

[MadMorbius]

I got some instructions from the dealer on dissassembling the reducer assembly to clean and grease the axle, which will also permit inspection. I was told there's no bearing in the unit, therefore I believe there's something in there inhibiting a clean rotation...a metal shaving or an imperfection. I'll report back on what I find...thanks all!

[Techsew Ron]

Ok after looking into this with one of our technicians it looks like this is a defective reducer. Sometimes despite all the testing in the world new parts can run into issues like this.

You can put it aside for now, we're sending out a replacement today free of charge.

Apologies for the inconvenience! Call us if there's anything else you need.

Ron

[MadMorbius]

Top notch, Ron. Thank you!

[pcox]

hard to beat the ball bearing speed reduceer

[MadMorbius]

Dissassembled the unit and found some pretty significant scarring on the axle. Also looks like the race surface doesn't go all the way through the piece. Half of the race is rough steel and you can still see the grooves from the drilling process. Regardless, cleaned it out and greased it, reassembled and it's working like a charm. I'll still swap it for the new part when it arrives (thanks Ron) but at least, for now, I can work

Edited November 6, 2013 by MadMorbius

[J Hayes]

hard to beat the ball bearing speed reduceer

Properly bushed units can run for decades as well. Even ball bearings are subject to being faulty and not turn properly. Luck of the draw sometimes on import stuff. If there's junk in where it doesn't belong it causes all kinds of trouble. Just because it had a ball bearing doesn't necessarily mean that it is better.