What happens if things go wrong?
Spectrum Technologies operates a layered support service. In the unlikely event of your machine malfunctioning and you are unable to resolve the problem without help, please contact your nearest Spectrum support office. We provide worldwide telephone support - most failures are resolved over the telephone quite quickly. However, should a service visit be necessary a team of Service Engineers operates worldwide from Spectrum Technologies’ operations in the UK and the USA and through our distributors and agents.
My system will not power up correctly, why?
Safety is the most important factor on all CAPRIS systems. A system of interlocks ensures that the machine cannot be used unless all covers and panels are fitted correctly. Check that none of the emergency stop buttons have been activated.
The mark on the wire is light, why?
The UV laser produces a mark that is not pure black on white, it is typically a dark blue/black or brown/black colour, but should be quite legible. Some manufacturers and end users have defined requirements for the contrast or darkness of the mark, often about 60%. If you need to measure the mark contrast, this can be done using the CAPRIS CMS2 test system. If you do have a light mark, check for the following:
Firstly, ensure that the wire is laser markable. Most aerospace wire and cable is now manufactured and supplied as laser markable, particularly the main commercial types used by Airbus and Boeing, as well as many MIL spec’ and other military wire types; these include white and pastel coloured insulations. There are still some wire types in use that are not suitable. Please see Spectrum Technologies’ technical report, No. ST0007 issue 3, "High Performance Aerospace Wire And Cable For Use With Spectrum Technologies CAPRISÒ UV Laser Marking Systems", for an overview of laser markable constructions suitable for use with UV laser wire markers.
The CAPRIS range of laser wire markers is designed to place a precise amount of laser energy on the wire. Sometimes the available laser energy can fall. It may be that the laser requires some adjustment or the laser requires servicing. The machine will still attempt to mark the wire but the mark will be lighter than normal.
I keep getting knot and splice errors on certain wire types, why is this?
The sensitivity of the knot and splice detector can be adjusted on a wire by wire basis. This is done via the "Edit Wire Parameters" menu. Select the wire type and adjust the sensitivity level between 0 and 100% (a higher level lowers the sensitivity, which is necessary for multi core cables).
Why do I get slip errors?
Some wires, notably those with PTFE/Teflon insulations, are very slippery. CAPRIS systems accurately monitor the wire as it is being processed to ensure length accuracy and that good print quality is maintained along the length of the wire. If a wire were to slip during the marking process the job will be halted and an on-screen warning displayed to the operator. The detection system can be individually software set for each wire type.
I am trying to download data from our company network. Why do I receive a message saying that the path is not valid (the path is set to C:)?
In most cases, this message appears if the network connection has failed. Check that the network drive can be accessed via Windows Explorer. Make sure that the network cable has not been removed. Reboot the PC and repeat the login procedure.
Why am I getting misload problems with my CAPRIS ASL (Auto Select & Load) system (picker missed the cable)?
Ensure that the correct length of cable is fed into the indexer. If the cable end is too long/short then there is more chance of the picker missing the cable. Also ensure that the end of the cable is as straight as possible.
I am experiencing problems with the dereeler during automatic cable loads (ASL). I have switched the dereeler ON but this does not solve the problem.
The dereeler should always be switched OFF after manually loading new cable drums on systems equipped with an ASL. This is because the dereeler is switched on via the software.