Geared Machine Troubleshooting Guide

Symptom Possible Causes Solution
Brake pick is loud 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 drop is loud Brake gap is excessive Check gap, adjust as needed. See brake adjustment section of the manual.
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, 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 scrubbing one side only Brake gap is incorrectly set Check, adjust brake gap. See manual. Check clearance between pad/surface.
Ensure brake is properly floating on pins & both sides clear the braking surface.
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 center of the sight glass.
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.
There is a poor ground connection Inspect/retighten ground connections at the machine and the controller.
The encoder cable is bad Inspect encoder cable for signs of being crushed, snagged, cut, or damaged from severe bending.
There is a bad encoder connection Inspect the encoder cable connector for debris, contaminants, or corrosion.
Verify all pins on the d-sub connector are straight and clean. Visually inspect all other encoder wiring connections.
For individual wire connections, check for loose connection or insulation clamping.
Verify that each individual wire is properly connected to its terminal and is clamped on the bare wire strands and not the insulation.
For any wiring that was cut/stripped, check each wire for signs of too few strands due to improper wire stripping.
There is an incorrect drive adjustment or setup Check the drive to ensure the parameters are correct.
Perform autotune or autolearn procedure. Refer to the drive manual or manufacturer.
Encoder fault is consistently occurring and preventing the elevator from running The encoder is bad Change the encoder.
The encoder cable is bad Inspect the encoder cable for any signs of being crushed, snagged, cut, or damaged from severe bending.
If cable is damaged, order the correct cable. DO NOT CUT THE CABLE.
There is severe noise interference causing consistent faults Ensure encoder cable is separated from motor leads 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.
Poor ground connection Tighten all ground connections at the machine and at the controller.
Bad encoder connection Inspect encoder cable connector for debris, contaminants, or corrosion.
Verify all pins on the d-sub connector are straight and clean. Inspect all other encoder wiring connections.
If there are any individual wire connections made, check for loose connection or insulation clamping.
Verify each individual wire is properly connected to its terminal & clamped on the bare wire strands, not insulation.
For any wiring that was cut/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/autolearn procedure. Refer to drive manual/manufacturer.
No encoder communication to the drive or the encoder 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 A, A\, B, and B\ phases for possible miswiring.