Geared Machine Troubleshooting Guide
Symptom | Possible Causes | Solution |
Brake opening is creating a loud noise. | Brake gap is excessive | Check gap, adjust as needed. See brake adjustment section of the manual. |
Noise absorber is out of adjustment or worn out | See brake adjustment section of the manual for proper adjustment. | |
Brake closing is creating a loud noise. | Brake gap is excessive | Check gap, adjust as needed. See brake adjustment section of the manual. |
Normal brake is not holding | Normal brake gap is not set properly | Check gap, adjust as needed. See brake adjustment section of the manual. |
Counterweight balance is not correct for the system | Check that the counterweight is balanced at the proper percentage. | |
Car net travel distance is too long, not enough rope compensation | Rope compensation is recommended for car travel of 110 ft or more. | |
Normal brake torque is not high enough | Check gap, adjust as needed. See brake adjustment section of the manual. | |
Normal brake lining is worn | Check brake lining wear. See lining check/replacement section of manual. | |
Brake is rubbing on one side only | Brake gap is incorrectly set | Check, adjust brake gap. See manual. Check clearance between pad/surface. |
Ensure brake is properly opening on both sides and clear the braking surface. | ||
Brake won’t open. | Voltage and/or current from controller is not adequate or correct/ Wiring to be checked. | Check Pick and Hold volts. See manual for proper settings. Confirm DC voltage is supplied to brake. |
Coil is open or shorted | Check coil with Ohm meter. See manual to verify correct reading. Replace brake coil if reading is bad. | |
Machine is equipped with a TDI emergency sheave brake and the car is not stopping in the correct distance for unintended movement | Sheave brake gap is incorrectly set | Check and adjust as needed. See manual for proper adjustment. |
Sheave brake torque setting is incorrect | Check and adjust as needed. See manual for proper adjustment. | |
Sheave brake pad is not properly aligned with the braking surface | Check and adjust as needed. See manual for proper adjustment. | |
Counterweight balance is not correct for the system | Check and adjust counterweight percentage. | |
Brake won’t pick | Voltage and/or current from controller is not adequate or correct | Check Pick and Hold volts. See manual for proper settings. Confirm DC voltage is supplied to brake. |
Coil is open or shorted | Check coil with Ohm meter. See manual to verify correct reading. Replace brake coil if reading is bad. | |
Controller indicates a brake switch fault | Switch needs to be adjusted | Check and adjust as needed. See manual for proper adjustment. |
Switch is bad | Replace switch and adjust the switch. See manual for proper adjustment. | |
Gearbox is leaking oil | Oil level is over full | Drain oil to the centre of the oil indicator. |
Oil seal is worn | Contact Torin Drive for the correct seal and procedures for replacement. | |
Gearbox is noisy | Oil level is too low | With the proper oil, fill to center of the gearbox sight glass. |
Oil is dirty | Change oil and check backlash. See the manual for proper adjustment. | |
Backlash is out of tolerance | Check and adjust as needed. | |
Noticeable noise coming from the bearing | Oil is dirty | Change oil and check backlash. See the manual for proper adjustment. |
Grease level is low in the bearing | Grease bearing and follow maintenance schedule. | |
Bearing is worn | Replace bearing and grease bearing. | |
Grinding noise coming from the motor | Bearing has been worn or damaged | Check and replace bearing. |
High pitched noise coming from the motor | Noise is likely being electrically induced by the drive | Verify correct motor parameters were entered in the drive. Use application data table provided by Torin for each job. |
Check drive parameters are set for an induction motor. Refer to drive manual. | ||
Perform autotune/autolearn procedure. Refer to drive manual or manufacturer. | ||
Ensure encoder cable is separate from motor leads to reduce noise interference. | ||
Check/adjust the proportional and/or integral speed gain settings of the drive. | ||
Consult controller or drive manufacturer for assistance w/advanced drive adjustments. | ||
Motion related fault occurs when changing direction | Backlash may be out of tolerance | Check and adjust the backlash. See manual for proper adjustment. |
Motor is overheating or operating at a noticeably higher temperature than normal | Duty cycle on the machine is too high due to passenger traffic | Decrease the top speed. |
Use thermistor as motor protection signal to controller (R1,R2 connections in motor box). | ||
Bearing is worn causing higher amperage | Change the bearing. | |
Wrong voltage is being applied to the machine | Check voltage against the machine data tag to be sure the voltage is correct. | |
Encoder related fault is occurring intermittently | There is possible noise being induced onto the encoder wiring causing intermittent faults | Ensure the encoder cable is separated from motor leads at the machine and controller to reduce noise interference. |
Eliminate/isolate excess encoder cable. Don’t coil excess cable inside controller. Coiling can cause noise interference. | ||
If a noise problem is suspected & the cable cannot be shortened, store excess cable in a separate enclosure outside the controller. |
Gearless Machine Troubleshooting Guide
Symptom | Possible Causes | Solution |
Normal brake is not holding 125 load | Normal brake gap is not set properly | Check gap, adjust as needed. See brake adjustment section of the manual. |
Counterweight balance is not correct for the system | Check that the counterweight is balanced at the proper percentage. | |
Car net travel distance is too long and there is not enough rope compensation | Rope compensation is recommended for car travel of 110 ft or more. | |
After the emergency brake drops, the car is not stopping in the correct distance for the unintended movement test | Brake gap is incorrectly set | Check gap, adjust as needed. See brake adjustment section of the manual. |
Brake pads may be worn | Check and change as needed to maintain proper adjustment. | |
Counterweight balance is not correct for the system | Check and adjust counterweight percentage. | |
Normal or emergency brake is not picking | Voltage from the controller is not adequate or correct | Check pick/hold voltages, see manual. Ensure voltage to brake coils is DC. |
Coil is open or shorted | Check coil with Ohm meter. See manual for reading. Replace coil if the coil is bad. | |
Controller indicates a brake switch fault | Switch needs to be adjusted | Check and adjust as needed. See manual for proper adjustment. |
Switch is bad | Replace the switch and adjust the switch. See manual for proper adjustment. | |
Brake pick is loud | Brake gap is excessive | Check gap,adjust as needed. See brake adjustment section of the manual. |
Noise absorber out of adjustment/worn out | See brake adjustment section of the manual for proper adjustment. | |
Brake drop is loud | Brake gap is excessive | Check gap, adjust as needed. See brake adjustment section of the manual. |
Brake is scrubbing against one side only | Brake gap is incorrectly set | Check gap, adjust as needed. See manual for proper adjustment. Check clearance between pad and surface. |
Ensure brake is properly floating on pins and both sides clear the braking surface. | ||
Encoder related fault is occurring intermittently | Possible noise being induced onto the encoder wiring causing intermittent faults | Ensure encoder cable is separate from motor leads at the machine and controller to reduce noise interference. |
Eliminate/isolate excess encoder cable. Don’t coil excess cable inside controller. Coiling can cause noise interference. | ||
For noise problems where cable cannot be shortened, store excess cable in a separate space outside the controller. | ||
Poor ground connection | Inspect/retighten all ground connections at the machine and the controller. | |
Encoder cable is bad | Inspect encoder cable for signs of being crushed or damaged from severe bending. Check for cuts in the cable. | |
Bad encoder connection | View encoder wiring connections. Check 15-pin cable connector for debris or corrosion, ensure pins are straight/clean. | |
Check any individual wire connections at the terminal for loose connection or insulation clamping. | ||
For any wiring that was cut and stripped, check each wire for signs of too few strands due to improper wire stripping. | ||
Incorrect drive adjustment or setup | Check the drive to ensure the parameters are correct. | |
Perform autotune or autolearn procedure. Refer to drive manual or manufacturer. | ||
Encoder fault is consistently occurring and preventing the elevator from running | Encoder is bad | Change the encoder. |
Encoder cable is bad | Inspect encoder cable for signs of damage: cuts, bends, snags, etc. | |
If cable is damaged, order the correct cable. DO NOT CUT THE CABLE. | ||
Severe noise interference causing consistent faults | Ensure encoder cable is separate from motor leads to reduce noise interference. | |
Eliminate/isolate excess encoder cable. Don’t coil excess cable inside controller. Coiling can cause noise interference. | ||
For noise problems where cable cannot be shortened, store excess cable in a separate space outside the controller. | ||
There is a poor ground connection | Tighten all ground connections at the machine and at the controller. | |
Bad encoder connection | View encoder wiring connections. Check 15-pin cable connector for debris or corrosion, ensure pins are straight/clean. | |
Check any individual wire connections at the terminal for loose connection or clamping on the insulation. | ||
For any wiring that was cut and stripped, check each wire for signs of too few strands due to improper wire stripping. | ||
Incorrect drive adjustment or setup | Check the drive to ensure the parameters are correct. | |
Perform an encoder alignment. | ||
Perform autotune or autolearn procedure. Refer to drive manual or manufacturer. | ||
No encoder communication to the drive or communication is faulty due to noise or wiring problem | Perform encoder communication test at the drive to verify communication with the drive. Feature may not be available on all drives. Consult drive manual/manufacturer. | |
Encoder phasing miswire | If individually wired, check wiring of A, A\, B, & B\ phases for possible miswiring. | |
High pitched noise coming from the motor | Noise is likely being electrically induced by the drive | Ensure motor parameters entered into the drive are correct. Use application data sheet provided by Torin for each job. |
Check that the default drive parameters are set up for a permanent magnet motor. | ||
Perform autotune/autolearn procedure. Refer to drive manual or manufacturer. | ||
Ensure encoder cable is separate from motor leads to reduce noise interference. | ||
Perform an encoder alignment. | ||
Check and adjust proportional and/or integral speed gain settings of the drive. Consult controller or drive manufacturer for advanced drive adjustments. | ||
Grinding noise coming from the motor | A bearing is worn or damaged | Check and replace the bearings. |
Machine guards are rubbing | Check and adjust the guards. | |
Machine vibrates during high speed, acceleration, or deceleration | Drive parameters are not properly set | Ensure drive settings match application data sheet provided by Torin for each job. Verify drive is setup for a PM machine. |
Drive autotune (or autolearn) procedure needs to be performed | Perform autotune procedure after the correct drive parameters and drive setup are confirmed. | |
Motor is overheating or operating at a noticeably higher temperature than normal | Duty cycle is too high due to passenger traffic | Lower the top speed. |
Use thermistor as motor protection signal to the elevator controller (R1,R2 connections in the motor box). | ||
Bearing is worn | Change the faulty bearing. | |
Wrong voltage is being applied to the machine | Check building voltage and drive output voltage against machine data tag to ensure correct voltage is supplied to machine. |