Trouble Shooting

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I am getting set up errors, what do I do to correct this?

The set up circuits on Disco and K&S saws are similar in that they apply a voltage to the chuck table and ground the spindle so that when they touch the voltage is detected by the machine. If the chuck is grounded or the spindle brushes are open, the machine cannot work properly.

To check to see if the chuck is grounded abnormally, turn the machine off and follow the instructions relative to your machine type:

Disco 300 and 600 Series

The chuck table is normally grounded; the machine only removes ground during a set up. With the machine off and the bellows off, use a Multi-meter in the resistance setting and check to see if the chuck is grounded (it should be). For test points, use the top of the chuck and the spindle nose (Make sure you have the air on to the spindle). Any place on the frame will be grounded, as long as it is below the white ceramic insulation plate. If it is NOT grounded, then there is a disconnected wire between the chuck and EMSURAM board. Look for it starting at the top chuck table and trace the wires back to the card cage. Repair or replace the broken wire(s). Please call GTS and let us know what you need.

Assuming that the chuck is grounded properly in the first step, turn off the power and open the card cage. Find the 8 position connector labeled "SUIN" located on the EMSURAM board. Disconnect it and then using the same procedure from step one, check to see if the chuck is grounded. It should not be grounded. If it IS grounded, the most likely cause is water.

If there is any evidence of water (water, rust, residue, etc.) then clean the Theta and X-axis off with paper towels, use compressed air to blow of all of the nooks and crannies of the area. Be sure to remove any rust or residue as well as this can be conductive. You can also (and might have to) wait over night for things to dry out on they're own. You will also need to try and determine where the water is coming from, and repair or replace the parts needed. Please contact GTS and let us know what you need.

If everything checks out good and you are still getting errors, you will need to check the spindle carbon brushes. With the machine off and the air flowing to the spindle use a multi-meter on the resistance setting to check the brushes on the back of the spindle. There are the 2 metal tabs held by screws in the center of the spindle. Place your test leads on each of the screws they should be shorted together with no more resistance than about 10 ohms. Carefully rotate the spindle nose with your fingers to see if the resistance changes a lot. If you see the resistance is open, changes (by more that 20 ohms), or jumps then you will need to replace the brushes. Also be sure to check the wires that come from the brushes, make sure they are not damaged or broken. Call GTS for further assistance and parts.

NCS Setups:

If your machine is equipped with a Non Contact Setup option, follow this procedure to check it out. The first thing to do is refer to your Maintenance Manual; there is a section that refers to cleaning and adjusting the NCS prism and amp. Follow these procedures and if you still are having issues, check to make sure the prism is not damaged as well as the fiber cables and wiring. Repair or replace parts as necessary. Please call GTS if you need further assistance.

Disco 2H/6 Series

Refer to the instructions in the 300/600 series section as it is pretty much the same concept. The biggest different being the set up board is next to the X-axis on the right hand side of the saw. It is the "touch sensor board" and you will need to unplug the 5 position connector, it's the smaller of the 2. So, with the machine off, test to see if the chuck is grounded, it should be otherwise look for a broken wire. Then unplug the connector and check for ground again, it should not be grounded, if it is, look for water leaks or another path to ground. Then check the spindle brushes and wires. Call GTS for further assistance and parts.

K&S 780 and 980

For the K&S saws, the easiest way to check for proper ground is to first turn off the machine, leave the air on. Use a multi-meter on the resistance setting to check ground between the chuck and spindle nose. It should be a near short. If it is NOT grounded, check for broken wires from the theta to the card cage and from the spindle brushes to the card cage. Repair or replace as needed, call GTS for further assistance.

Next remove the Main Logic Card from the machine and check the same test points from above to see if the chuck is grounded. It should NOT be. If it is, look for water leaks or damaged wires and repair or replace parts as needed. Call GTS for further help.

If there is any evidence of water (water, rust, residue, etc.) then clean the Theta and X-axis off with paper towels, use compressed air to blow of all of the nooks and crannies of the area. Be sure to remove any rust or residue as well as this can be conductive. You can also (and might have to) wait over night for things to dry out on they're own. You will also need to try and determine where the water is coming from, and repair or replace the parts needed. Please contact GTS and let us know what you need.

If everything checks out good and you are still getting errors, you will need to check the spindle carbon brushes. With the machine off and the air flowing to the spindle use a multi-meter on the resistance setting to check the brushes on the back of the spindle. There are the 2 metal screws in the center of the spindle. Place your test leads on each of the screws they should be shorted together with no more resistance than about 10 ohms. Carefully rotate the spindle nose with your fingers to see if the resistance changes a lot. If you see the resistance is open, changes (by more than 20 ohms), or jumps then you will need to replace the brushes. Also be sure to check the wires that come from the brushes, make sure they are not damaged or broken. Call GTS for further assistance and parts.

For off chuck setups:

If your machine is equipped with an off chuck height button, check to see if there is continuity between the button and the chuck, if there is not, check the wiring between the button and the theta electrical box. Repair it or replace as need, let GTS know if you need parts. You may also need to replace or readjust the height button. If you are not familiar with this procedure, please call GTS and we can help you with this.

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How do I determine blade exposure?

Besides which type of blade to use for your application, choosing a blade with the correct exposure is probably the most important consideration during selection. The exposure must be long enough to:

A) Cut through the material you are dicing
B) Cut partially into your mounting substrate
C) Accommodate the safety margin that you have programmed into your saw

Things to bear in mind are that you want enough exposure to accommodate these three points, but you also want to keep it as small as possible to avoid poor cut quality. If a user slaps a thin blade onto a saw and commences to cut a relatively thick material, chances are extremely good that they will end up with a wavy cut, or worse, broken blades. There is a universal ratio (again…not always applicable) that we use to figure our exposure in relation to the thickness. The ratio is 30:1. Basically, if your blade is .001" thick, the longest exposure you want to use would be .030". Conversely to that…if you choose a blade that does not have a long enough exposure, you can run the risk of crashing the flange into the top of the material that you are dicing. This is where the safety margin comes into play. Most saws will have a screen in their menus that will allow you to set a value at which point the saw will error out as the blade wears. This value lets the saw know how close the flange can come to the top of the part before it forces you to change the blade.

But how do I determine how deep I want to cut into my mounting film? Good question! The universal rule is that however wide your blade is, you want to cut at least half that deep into the tape. So…if you have that same .001" thick blade, you will want to be cutting at least .0005" into your mounting tape. Believe it or not, this actually DOES serve a purpose. Refer to Figure 2.

In an ideal world, the profile of your blade will stay sharp and square during the dicing process. Unfortunately, the corners on the edge of the blade tend to wear faster than the bottom causing what we call the "Bull-Nose" profile. If this bull-nose profile is not well below the bottom-side of your wafer, the increased cutting forces of this profile can cause bottom-side chipping.

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Spindle Removal for DAD 2H/6 and DAD 2H/6T

Removal of the Spindle

  1. Move Y axis all the way to the front.
  2. Move X axis all the way to the Right.
  3. Power down machine and cut the power to the machine.
  4. Turn off all water coming into the machine.
  5. Turn off all air to the machine.
  6. Remove Wheel Cover ,Wheel Mount and Blade Water Nozzle from the spindle
  7. Take off the Splash Plate, Guide Plate, and Seal from around the spindle
  8. Remove all air and water tubing going to the spindle and if equipped from the Spindle Cover.
    • Make sure to label the water/air tubing so you will know were they go when you reinstall the spindle.
  1. Note: on the 2/H6 you will need to remove the black plastic Spindle Cover.
  2. Unplug the Nylon Connector from spindle inverter (Note: this connector can be a blue Nylon or round Steel Connector.)
  3. Make sure to take wires off from Carbon Brushes but keep the brushes in the spindle.
  4. Before loosening the bolts on the Rocker Case, make sure that you measure the distance from the back of the spindle motor to the Rocker Case. You will need this value for when you reinstall the spindle.
  5. Take out the two Soc HD screws out of the Rocker Case.
  6. With a screw driver carefully wedge it into the Rocker Case were the screws were in step 13 and pull the spindle towards the back of the machine. (You DO NOT have to pry open very much to remove spindle).

(Bold words are from the Disco Parts Description in the exploded view page)

Putting Spindle Back In

  1. Reverse all steps from "removal of spindle" to reinstall the spindle.
  2. Once the Spindle has been reinstalled and power, air and water is hooked up. You will need to make sure the spindles 90 degree right angle and spindle pitch is with in OEM Spec. If the spindle is not in the correct angle, blade breakage, chipping, poor cut quality and trapezoidal parts maybe a result.
  3. Tools needed to perform above tasks.
    • Mounting Plate
    • Right angle square
    • Small magnetic stand with a 1um dial indicator
    • Spindle right angle jig

* If you do not have the tools needed to perform the above tasks, give GTS a call to set up a service call with one of our Service Technicians to come out to realign the spindle for you.

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Spindle Removal for Disco 320, 321, 350, 351, 360, 361

Removal of the Spindle

  1. Move X axis all the way to the right.
  2. Turn off all power, air and water to the Machine.
  3. Remove Blade Cover, Blade Water Nozzle and Flange from the spindle
  4. Remove Ring(Splash), Plate(Splash), Plate(Guide), and Rubber ( Splash)
  5. Remove all water/air tubing from the back of the spindle. (Note: make sure to label them so you will know were they go when you reinstall the spindle).
  6. Remove wires from the Carbon Brushes on the back of the spindle. Make sure to screw the Carbon Brushes back in.
  7. Unplug Power Connector (Round) from the spindle inverter.(Note on some models there may be no connector but there is a cable with four wires going to a relay.)
    • Make sure to label these four wires for position in relation to the relay.
    • Unplug the Hall Sensor cable.
  1. Unplug the Thermistor Unit from the top of the Z axis unit (Just above the spindle).
  2. Measure the distance of the back of spindle to the Spindle Casting. You will need this value for when you reinstall the spindle.
  3. Loosen Hex bolts on the left side of the Spindle Casting. When loosened, slowly tighten down the special bolts that are around the Hex Bolts just enough to be able to move the spindle backwards. (Note: do not over tighten the special bolts or damage will occur to the Spindle Casting.

(Bold words are from the Disco Parts Description in the exploded view page)

Putting Spindle Back In

  1. Reverse all steps from removal of spindle
  2. Once Spindle has been reinstalled and power, sensor cable, air and water is hooked up, you will need make sure the spindles 90 degree right angle and spindle pitch are within OEM Spec. If the spindle is not in correct angle blade breakage, chipping, poor cut quality and trapezoidal parts may be a result.
  3. Tools need to perform above tasks.
    • Mounting Plate
    • Right angle square
    • Small magnetic stand with a dial indicator
    • Spindle right angle jig

* If you do not have the tools needed to perform the above tasks. Give GTS a call to set up a service call with one of our Service Technicians to come out to realign the spindle for you.

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Spindle Removal for Disco 340, 341, 381, 641, 651

Removal of the Spindle

  1. Move X axis all the way to the right.
  2. Turn off all power, air and water to the Machine.
  3. Remove Blade Cover, Blade Water Nozzle and Flange from the spindle
  4. Remove Ring(Splash), Plate(Splash), Plate(Guide), and Rubber ( Splash)
  5. Remove all water and air tubing going to the spindle.
    • Be sure to label the water/air tubing so you will know where they go when you reinstall the spindle
  1. Remove wires from the Carbon Brushes on the back of the spindle. Make sure to screw the Carbon Brushes back in place.
  2. Unplug Power Connector (Round) from the power inverter.
    • Unplug the Hall Sensor cable if equipped
  1. Next is the removal of the spindle from the casting. It is recommended that a second person be present to support the spindle while the four M6 socket head screws are removed from the flange of the spindle.
    • For 681, 691, and 340's & 341's with 2.2Kw spindles, the process is the same, but there are four M8 socket head screws on the side face of the spindle instead of four M6 socket head screws on the front face.
  1. Once the spindle is free from the casting, move it forward to pull the cables through. The spindle may then need to be angled backwards to remove it from the machine.

(Bold words are from the Disco Parts Description in the exploded view page.)

Putting Spindle Back In

  1. Reverse all steps from removal of spindle
  2. Once Spindle has been reinstalled and power, sensor cable, air and water is hooked up, you will need to make sure the spindle's 90 degree right angle and pitch are within OEM Spec. If the spindle is not in correct angle, blade breakage, chipping, poor cut quality, and trapezoidal parts may be a result.
  3. Tools needed to perform above tasks.
    • Mounting Plate
    • Right angle square
    • Small magnetic stand with a dial indicator
    • Spindle right angle jig

* If you do not have the tools needed to perform the above tasks, give GTS a call to set up a service call with one of our Service Technicians to come out to realign the spindle for you.

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Spindle Removal for K&S 780 & 980

Removal of the Spindle

  1. Turn off all power, water and air to the machine.
  2. Remove Wheel cover and Blade Water Nozzle along with all tubing going to the wheel cover.
  3. Remove all air/water tubing going to the spindle.
    • Note: make sure to label the water/air tubing so you will know were they go when you reinstall the spindle
  1. Make sure to take wires off from Carbon Brushes but keep the brushes in the spindle.
  2. Remove the Nylon Connector from Power Inverter.
  3. Remove the 4 wires from the Nylon connector (Make sure to label Nylon connector so you will know what wire goes back in the right slot.)
  4. Remove the cover on the back right side of the machine.
  5. Pull power cable up through the machine until it comes out the back.
  6. Make sure that you measure the depth of the spindle. You will need this value for when you reinstall the spindle.
  7. Remove the two Hex Bolts from the left side of the Clam Shell ( Be careful there is a spacer in between the Clam Shell.
  8. Take one of the Hex Bolts and Spacer and screw it into the middle hole with a spacer between it and the Clam Shell. Tighten the Hex Bolt just enough to get the spindle loose. If you over tighten the Hex Bolt the Clam Shell will break.
  9. Pull the spindle out of the Clam Shell.

(Bold words are from K&S Description in the exploded view page.)

Putting Spindle Back In

  1. Reverse all steps from removal of spindle
  2. Once Spindle has been reinstalled and power, sensor cable, air and water is hooked up, you will need to make sure the spindle's 90 degree right angle and spindle pitch are within OEM Spec. If the spindle is not in correct angle, blade breakage, chipping, poor cut quality and trapezoidal parts may be a result.
  3. Tools needed to perform above tasks.
    • Mounting Plate
    • Right angle square
    • Small magnetic stand with a dial indicator
    • Spindle right angle jig

* If you do not have the tools needed to perform the above tasks. Give GTS a call to set up a service call with one of our Service Technicians to come out to realign the spindle for you.

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ADT 7100 2" Spindle Removal and Spindle Install

Removal of the Spindle

  1. Disconnect the Blade and Wheel Mount.
  2. Move the X and Y Axes to their Home (zeroed) positions, as Follows:
    1. Click in the toolbar to display the Setup & Diagnostics workbook
    2. From the Setup & Diagnostics tree, select saw>Dicer>Stations>Home.
    3. In the upper right pane, click the row for the X Axis.
    4. Click Move. The X Axis moves to the Home position.
    5. In the upper right pane, click the row for the Y Axis.
    6. Click Move. The Y Axis moves to the Home position.
  3. Power down the system.
  4. Turn off the Water and Air Supplies.
  5. Remove the Rear Side Upper Left Panel.
  6. Open the Cable Carrier Bars.
  7. Disconnect all Plugs and Air and Water Tubes from the rear of the Spindle.
  8. Disconnect the three transparent Water tubes from the Cooling block.
  9. Remove the Broken Blade Detector (if there is One installed) from the Cooling Block and set it to the side or in a safe place.
  10. Remove the two screws securing the Cooling Block to the Spindle and remove the Cooling Block.
  11. Release the Spindle from the Spindle Bracket by removing the five screws from the spindle Flange, and carefully remove the Spindle.

Caution: Have some thing placed under spindle or someone holding the spindle from underneath before performing Step 11 to prevent the Spindle, from falling and damaging the system when released.

Putting Spindle Back In

  1. Position the new 2" Spindle in the system and secure it to the Spindle Bracket by replacing the five screws in the Spindle Flange
  2. Secure the Wheel Mount to the Spindle Shaft by rotating the Knob of the Removing tool clockwise.
  3. Rotate the Knob on the removing tool counterclockwise to release it from the wheel mount.
  4. Replace the wheel mount nut by turning the wheel mount spanner tool clockwise while holding the torque wrench
  5. Remove the wheel mount spanner tool from the torque wrench
  6. Attach the cooling Block to the spindle using the two securing screws.
  7. Reconnect the three transparent water tubes to the cooling block
  8. Manually move the Y axis to the rear of the system (Home position).
  9. Reconnect the plugs and Air and water tubes to the rear of the spindle.
  10. Close the cable carrier bars.
  11. Check all tube connections.
  12. Replace the rear side upper left panel.
  13. Turn on the air and water supplies to the system. Verify that there are no leaks in the tube connections.
  14. Power up system.

Once Spindle has been reinstalled and power, air and water is hooked up, you will need to make sure the spindle's 90 degree right angle and spindle pitch are within OEM Spec. If the spindle is not in correct angle, blade breakage, chipping, poor cut quality and trapezoidal parts may be a result.

Tools needed to perform above tasks.

  • Mounting Plate
  • Right angle square
  • Small magnetic stand with a dial indicator
  • Spindle right angle jig

* If you do not have the tools needed to perform the above tasks. Give GTS a call to set up a service call with one of our Service Technicians to come out to realign the spindle for you.

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ADT 7100 4" Spindle Removal and Spindle Install

Removal of the Spindle

  1. Open the hinged portion of the Cooling block and remove the blade using the blade holder.
  2. Move the X and Y axes to their home (zeroed) positions as follows:
    1. Click in the toolbar to display the Setup & Diagnostics
    2. From the setup & diagnostics tree, select saw>Dicer>Stations>Home.
    3. In the upper right pane, click the row for the X axis
    4. Click Move The X axis moves to the home position.
    5. In the upper right pane, click the row for the Y axis
    6. Click Move. The Y axis moves to the Home position.
  3. Power down the system.
  4. Turn off the air and Water supplies to the system.
  5. Remove the rear side upper left panel.
  6. Open the cable carrier bars.
  7. Disconnect all plugs and air and water tubes from the rear of the spindle.
  8. Remove the maintenance panel on the left side of the spindle cover.
  9. Remove the eight screws securing the Z casting cover to the Z casting.
  10. Manually move the Y axis all the way to the front of the system.
  11. Cut the plastic ties securing the Vision system cables to the spindle.
  12. Disconnect the cable on top of the camera.
  13. Disconnect the Illumination cables from the microscope (the cabling may vary according to the illumination type used)
  14. Disconnect the cleaning air tube from the microscope.
  15. Disconnect the transparent water tubes from the cooling block.

Caution: The 4" spindle is heavy! Have someone hold or put something under the spindle before performing the next step to prevent the spindle, when released, from falling down and damaging the system.

  1. Cover the chuck to protect it from possible mechanical contact.
  2. Remove the four screws securing the cooling block to the spindle.
  3. Remove the cooling block from the spindle.
  4. Remove the chain front mount bracket holding the cables and tubes from the spindle housing.
  5. Remove the eight screws that secure the Z casting cover to the Z casting
  6. Remove the two screws securing the spindle bracket to the Z Casting. The spindle, together with the spindle bracket, Z cover, Z bellows and microscope is released.
  7. Remove the four screws securing the spindle to the spindle bracket, there will be two on one side and two on the opposite side of spindle bracket, and then remove the spindle.

Putting Spindle Back In

  1. Secure the spindle to the spindle bracket using the four screws that were removed earlier.
  2. Secure the spindle bracket to the Z casting using the two screws removed earlier.
  3. Connect the Z casting cover with the bellows.
  4. Reconnect the chain front mount.
  5. Secure the Cooling block to the spindle using the four screws that was removed earlier.
  6. Reconnect the clear water tube to the cooling block
  7. Reconnect the yellow Air tube to the left side of the microscope.
  8. Reconnect the Illumination cables (the cabling may vary according to the illumination type used) to the microscope.
  9. Reconnect the cable to the top of the camera.
  10. Secure the vision system cables to the spindle using plastic ties.
  11. Manually move the Y axis all the way to the back of the system (the home position).
  12. Reconnect all plugs and air and water tubes to the rear of the spindle.
  13. Turn on the air and water supplies to the system. Check that there is no leakage from the tubes.
  14. Power up the system.

Once Spindle has been reinstalled and power, air and water is hooked up, you will need to make sure the spindle's 90 degree right angle and spindle pitch are within OEM Spec. If the spindle is not in correct angle, blade breakage, chipping, poor cut quality and trapezoidal parts may be a result.

Tools needed to perform above tasks.

  • Mounting Plate
  • Right angle square
  • Small magnetic stand with a dial indicator
  • Spindle right angle jig

* If you do not have the tools needed to perform the above tasks. Give GTS a call to set up a service call with one of our Service Technicians to come out to realign the spindle for you.

Note: Replace the Maintenance Panel and rear side upper left panel only after trying out the spindle, and performing the spindle positioning test.

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