Edger Problems

**jmnewell** · 11-07-2008, 09:29 PM

I'm just seeing if anyone has had any experience with an Essilor Triumph edger. I have been running a lab using one for about 2 years and I haven't really had any problems with it untill yesterday. All of a sudden it started acting funny. When it starts grinding the lens it acts like its afraid to let the lens touch the grinding wheel in one spot on the lens. It happens randomly as I cut jobs. It kind of seems like it miscalculates how far down it has to go and backs off. I have replaced what is called the reproducer and it didn't seem to do anything. Now the really weird thing about it is that it only happens with hard lenses (polycarbonate or trivex) but never does with plastic lenses. I have a few ideas on what it could be. I'm thinking it might be either an electrical problem or my grinding wheel might be dull. Kind of stuck because I called the manufacturer and they said it was something that I'm sure it wasnt (the ground sensor for the reproducer). If anyone has any idea what is causing this I would really really really appreciate the input, I am really stumped.

Thanks, Josh

**MarcE** · 11-08-2008, 12:12 PM

It may not be the ground sensor, but that is what I was going to say.
Mainly I would say to clean it with alcohol and check for burn marks just to make sure that it ISN'T the problem.

And now I have exhausted my limited knowledge.:bbg:

**Barry Santini** · 11-08-2008, 12:31 PM

Look for lens slag (from polys) that may be limiting travel of the lens head.
Has anyone opened it up recently?

Barry

**jmnewell** · 11-08-2008, 08:15 PM

Well, I think I found the problem. Put the new ground sensor in and it didn't make a bit of difference. I was able to cut most of the daily jobs by just lifting up the shaft that holds the lens right before it would mess up. It got to the point where it would just keep messing up over and over and not even cut a bit of the lens. I messed with it for awhile seeing what all the other components were doing at the time it was messing up. Noticed that the once the theta motor slowed down is when it messed up. So I got a pencil and while it was spinning really good, I jammed the eraser onto the surface of the sprocket that connects the motor to the belt and guess what it did? the motor stopped and the reproducer pushed the lens upward (what the problem is). Therefore I think the theta motor is seizing up causing the whole dilemna. Unfortunately Gerber isn't open on saturdays or sundays so I am unable to order the motor until monday.

**jmnewell** · 11-12-2008, 10:04 PM

Well, the theta motor was part of the problem. It worked for one day only doing the problem once at the very beginning of grinding a lens and not at all after that. After that day, it went back to the same old thing. Called up Gerber again and they said the rotation shaft bearings didnt have enough grease and were sticking. (Not fun taking off the clamping motor) Not the case, they had plenty of grease on them and spun just fine. Then I curiously cut some CR39 lenses and they cut without a problem. That made me more confused. I ended up trying cutting a polycarbonate lens on the plastic lens setting and turning the water off for the grinding part of the cycle and it cut it without any problems. I know that the CR39 cycle puts alot more pressure on the lens compared to the poly cycle so I came to the conclusion that my first grinding wheel simply needs to be replaced. I was able to counteract the lack of sharpness by upping the downward pressure for the poly cycle. After changing that....not a single problem and the lenses were cutting in half the time as before.