Bend-Tech DRAGON A150 Operating instructions

A150
Part 1 of 1
Maintenance & Troubleshooting
Revision 1 | English ©2020 Bend-Tech LLC

ii Bend-Tech Dragon A150
Troubleshooting Guide
©2020 Bend-Tech LLC
All rights reserved. The information in this manual is subject to change without notice.
Bend-Tech LLC strives to produce the most complete and accurate information regarding
its products. We are constantly working to improve and advance our products to increase
performance, user satisfaction and experience. Bend-Tech LLC assumes no responsibility for
errors or omissions regarding this manual. Bend-Tech LLC assumes no liability for damages
resulting from the use of the information contained in this publication.

iiiBend-Tech Dragon A150 Troubleshooting Guide
Dragon A150
Maintenance & Troubleshooting
Revision 1
English
Original Instructions
September 2020
Bend-Tech, LLC
729 Prospect Ave.
Osceola, WI 54020 USA
[phone]
www.bend-tech.com
[email protected]

iv Bend-Tech Dragon A150
Troubleshooting Guide
Dragon software is covered by a 2-year maintenance plan from the purchase date of the
Dragon A150 machine. After the 2-year maintenance plan is expired, the Customer can
purchase a maintenance plan. A maintenance plan will ensure the customer always has
the newest version of Dragon software. The maintenance plan is critical to keeping Dragon
software updated with the newest capabilities possible, and is critical to the servicing of the
machine. Bend-Tech, LLC will contact the Customer regarding updates to the maintenance
plan within 1-month of expiration. Contact Bend-Tech Support to ensure software is up to date:
[email protected]
Limited Warranty

vBend-Tech Dragon A150 Troubleshooting Guide
Any questions or concerns regarding this manual can be directed to Bend-Tech, LLC
representatives via the Dragon website, www.bend-tech.com. Click Contact in the menu bar for
communication options and send your comments to the Dragon Customer Service department.
Online Resources
• https://www.youtube.com/user/bendtech2020
• http://www.bend-tech.com/wiki7
• http://www.bend-tech.com
• https://www.facebook.com/2020ssi
• https://www.instagram.com/bend_tech
Customer Service
Congratulations on your purchase of the world’s best CNC plasma tube and pipe cutting
machine, the Dragon A150. Bend-Tech, LLC places great pride in customer satisfaction and it
󰀨
our support is a key factor in your success.
Contact Us
You can contact Bend-Tech, LLC customer service at 651-257-8715. Our support hours are
Monday-Friday, 8:30-5:00 CST. E-mail Bend-Tech, LLC sales at: [email protected]. Our
mailing address is: Bend-Tech LLC, 729 Prospect Ave., Osceola, WI 54020, U.S.A..
Customer Satisfaction Commitment

vi Bend-Tech Dragon A150
Troubleshooting Guide
This manual contains important statements that are called out from the regular text with an
associated signal word: “Danger,” “Warning,” “Caution,” or “Note.” Each of these signal words
is accompanied by its own icon. These signal words and icons indicate the severity of the

warnings and read the statements before operating the machine.
Denitions & Examples
Danger
Danger indicates a serious condition that could cause severe injury or death to the operator or
bystanders if the instructions are not followed.
Warning
A Warning indicates there is a possibility for minor injury if the instructions are not followed
correctly.
! Danger !
Exceeding the material weight limit of the Dragon A400 can result in serious injury
to the operator and/or bystanders.
! Warning !
Due to the extreme temperatures that result from the plasma cutting process, parts
cooled in water in the parts catcher can still be extremely hot. Always use caution
when handling newly-cut parts.
Warnings
Example
Example

viiBend-Tech Dragon A150 Troubleshooting Guide
Caution
Caution warns the operator that minor injury or machine damage could occur if instructions are
󰀨
being performed.
Note

! Caution !
󰀨
the Dragon A400.
Water Cooling system greatly reduces smoke and vapor emitted by the machine.
Bend-Tech recommends use of the Water Cooling system whenever possible.
Example
Example

viii Bend-Tech Dragon A150
Troubleshooting Guide
Glossary
Glossary
A150
Indicates machine with 150-lb weight limit.
Axis

by the Dragon A150.
Bend-Tech 7X
Machine design software - CAD.
BOB
Breakout Board.
Material Support Lifter
The Material Support Lifter supports
material to reduce sag.
Chuck
Located on the Trolley, the Chuck
holds the material so it can be moved
forward, backward and rotated.
Control Box
Connects Dragon Software
Suite to the Dragon A150.
Coolant Tray
Cools cut parts as they are produced.
Drive Belt
The X Motor uses the Drive Belt to
power the Trolley along the Rail.
The Drive Belt is mounted stationary
along the length of the machine.
Drive Belt Pulley
Located on the X Motor, it works in
conjunction with the Drive Belt to
power the Trolley along the Rail.
E-Stop
Emergency stop.
ESS
Ethernet Smooth Stepper (Control Board).
Ethernet
System for connecting multiple
computers via a Local Area Network.
Front Gate
The Gate supports the material at the
front of the machine. It consists of two
sets of self-centering roller jaws.
Gate Lead Screw
Controls operation and
adjustment of the Gate.
Interface
Any particular screen display
generated by Bend-Tech software.
Mach3
Machine driver software.
Parts Catcher
The parts catcher is placed at the front of
the machine to catch parts as they are cut.
Rail
The Rail is the main structure of the Dragon
A400. The Trolley rides on the Rail.
Tail
The Tail is located at the opposite end of
the Head of the machine. The Tail arrives
pre-assembled. The X Axis homing sensor,
Drive Belt Adjustment Block and E-Stop
are located at the Tail of the machine.
Toolhead
Operates the Marker, Engraver and Torch.
Trolley
The Trolley rides on the Rail, and carries
the Chuck forward and backward along
the length of the Rail Support Beam.

ixBend-Tech Dragon A150 Troubleshooting Guide
Contents
Contents
Limited Warranty .....................iv
Customer Service.................... v
Customer Satisfaction
Commitment............................. v
Warnings ..................................vi
Glossary ..................................viii
Contents...................................ix
01
Introduction............................. 13
Introduction ...................... 13
󰀨 13
How To Send A Support Session ...... 14
02
Cutting Issues......................... 15
Cutting Issues .................... 15
Cut Rotation and Backlash Correction.. 16
Set Screw and Chain Maintenance . 17
Reversing Cut Direction .......... 20
Editing Polyline Resolution ........ 21
Adjusting Torch Position .......... 22
03
Toolhead.................................. 23
Toolhead. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Adjusting the Toolhead Trolley ..... 24
Remove the Toolhead............ 24
Toolhead Rail ..................... 25
Leveling The Toolhead Rail ....... 25
Toolhead A Axis Mounting ........... 26
Method 1...................... 26
Method 2...................... 26
A Axis Drive Motor Set Screws. . . . . . . . 27
04
Torch........................................ 29
Torch ........................... 29
Mounting the Torch .............. 30
Routing the Torch Lead .......... 30
Grounding The Torch ............ 31
Setting Torch Dwell Time ............ 32
Torch Relay ...................... 32
05
Engraver.................................. 35
Engraver. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
06
Marker...................................... 37
Marker .......................... 37
07
Laser........................................ 39
Laser ........................... 39
Control Box Laser Connection ..... 39
Laser Replacement. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

xBend-Tech Dragon A150
Troubleshooting Guide
Contents
08
Gate ......................................... 41
Gate ........................... 41
Gate Wear .................... 42
Gate Maintenance .............. 42
Gate Removal.................. 42
09
Trolley...................................... 45
Trolley .......................... 45
Trolley Adjustment ................. 45
Adjusting the Trolley ............. 46
Removing the Trolley Cover ....... 47
X Limit Switch. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Replacing the X Limit Switch ...... 47
10
Chuck ...................................... 49
Chuck Overview................... 49
Removing and Cleaning
Chuck Jaws ................... 49
Removing The Chuck ............ 50
Cleaning The Chuck ............. 50
11
X and Y Axis Maintenance .... 51
X and Y Axis Maintenance and
Adjustment ....................... 51
Set Screw and Chain Maintenance .... 52
X Gear and Chain Adjustment ..... 52
Backlash Correction................ 53
Additional Trolley Set Screws. . . . . . . . . 54
Chuck Alignment .................. 54
Aligning the Chuck .............. 54
12
Center Support Lift................. 57
Center Support Lift................. 57
Center Support Lift Air Cylinder ....... 58
Center Support Lift Air
Pressure Setting ................ 58
Center Support Lift Actuation Switch 58
13
Control Box............................. 59
Control Box ...................... 59
Accessing The Control Box ....... 59
Main Power Fuse ............... 60
Accessing Control Box Internals.... 60
Gecko Drive LED Lights .......... 60
Gecko Drive Issues. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Gecko Drive Fault Code .......... 60
Adjusting the Gecko Drive ........ 61
Replacing the Gecko Drive........ 61
14
Operator Control Panel.......... 63
Operator Control Panel ............. 63
Reading ESS LED Status Codes...... 63
Ethernet Jack LED Lights ......... 64
Ethernet Cable and Connections ...... 65
Ribbon Cable .................. 65
ESS Failure To Connect .......... 65
Connection Lost While Machine Is
Running ...................... 66