DRO X Axis failure,

Hi all,

the X axis on my mill has failed, it just shows/flashes between 0 and 5 very rapidly on the right hand digit. I changed over the X/Y axis on the back of the DRO and the problem moved to the Y axis display. So looks like the X axis glass scale. I have checked the glass and its not broken The unit is a Sino SDS6-2V DRO with Sino KA-300 570mm glass scale.

I have tried the usual suspects to no avail. Machine-DRO have something that would suit but I don't want to pay that much for it. They are on EBay at $90.00 from the States, but I'd rather have someone local even if they are a little more expensive, but not £180 expensive.

Does anyone know where I can get a new optical scale with a TTL output that would suit? Or has anyone had a similar problem who has managed to solve it/repair the reader?

TIA,

Daedalus

Have you tried checking / cleaning the reading head? Nothing to lose.

As it happens, I've just had the same thing happen to my mill's Z-axis glass scale and not for the first time! I bought a new Dasqua scale (400mm) from RDG for a tad over £80 delivered by DPD, using my loyalty card discount. It was the cheapest named scale that I could find without a long wait for delivery from China. The only difficulty is that the mounting holes are about 15mm further apart on the new one, so I will have to drill and tap a new top mounting. I am beginning to think that my installation method may be causing the fault, so I'll pay particular attention this time.

John

I had to replace the reading head on a glass scale DRO after it failed so it could be the problem you have is similar. I got the replacement from the same company that supplied the original system.

Martin C

Vevor have them currently (although certain sizes are already out of stock), extremely reasonable prices (I paid £50 for a 1000mm scale), and they work fine with Sino DRO's.

I have recently bought a set of Scales and DRO (which is a badge engineered Sino) from them, perfectly good stuff.

They seem to have operate on a "when it's gone it's gone" stocking policy and minimal support, but offer prices which are competitive with buying on AliExpress and importing yourself, oy with a much shorter delivery time.

Ah, vevor.

Cheap but not necessarily the highest quality. My thoughts (and experience) of them is not exactly complimentary.

I put them with ban good, amongst a couple others, who sell anything - good, bad or ugly.

I have bought two items this last year, knowing full well the potential risk.

The first came incomplete and I had to source the missing part. The machine operated OK, but was out of its technical specification - it could not deliver its full output and temperature control was way off that set on its controller. These were not important for my application.

The second purchase failed utterly, in that the minimum output was only a little over 50% of its specified value and the full output was also far below the spec. Useless customer service to provide any directions to possibly rectify the fault and the operational instructions were miserably incomplete. I will, I am sure, be able to adjust the item to get nearer the advertising hype. Further, a seal (unseen, unless inspected carefully)) within the item was not seated as it should be. A proper repair would entail re-machining the hole in the correct position on the metal casting.

There are numerous accounts, on the internet, of the shortcomings of this type of machine - whether from vevor or other sellers - so I was not unduly surprised with the quality I encountered. I bought cheap - the RR versions can cost ten times the amount the chinese machines are sold for. I can fix it if/when it breaks. Some items are simply not fixable, so beware!

Cleaning is a good first step, plenty of videos on you tube.

If that doesn't fix it, the read head is worth a gamble, they are about half the cost of a complete bar. I got mine from CBR electronics who were very helpful.

Martin

This is very much my take, they're effectively a curated version of AliExpress/Alibaba with a UK warehouse...

Whilst you often get more than what you paid for (in a good way) that is balanced out by getting rather less than what you paid for at times as well, but rarely so much less that it's irretrievable, just deeply irritating for the most part.

I've had some positive experiences (10T Toe Jack, Welding Extractor) and some less positive experiences (5T machine skates which needed quite a lot of fettling to work as smoothly as required)...

I bought the DRO & scales from them as they were very obviously Sino units just badge engineered with Vevor's name on them, and I trusted the "non-brand" behind the branding to be of reasonable quality.

All,

thanks for your various suggestions and observations. I picked one up from RGD yesterday for £85.00 and its fitted and working well. Its a bit longer than the original at 600mm not 570mm, but it fits the machine fine.

I'll check up on some of the other ideas such as CBR and Amadeal, for future reference.