How to fix jams with flappers, or cards going to the wrong bin (mechanical error).
Flappers are what we call the arms that move up and down, directing cards to fall into the correct bins. Being a mechanical component, they can become stuck. This can cause cards to jam, or to be sorted into incorrect bins, even when the software allocates a card correctly.
To troubleshoot flapper problems, follow these steps:
- Remove the Conveyor Cover by removing the cover's thumbscrew and sliding the cover off the machine, away from the scanner.
- Check each flapper is at the same height when at rest. They should all be identical. Most importantly, they should be below the height of a card going through the conveyor.
- If a flapper is raised higher than the others it can be bent downwards slightly by pressing on the U-bar firmly from above.
If a flapper is not moving up or down there are 3 likely possibilities as to the cause:
The solenoid control board has failed
The Flapper is Stuck
- Ensure the flapper is not touching both sides of the conveyor wall. There should be enough space that it can rest without touching either, but both is too wide.
- Empty the card bay below the flapper in question.
- Unscrew the solenoid from the conveyor, adjacent to the flapper. Let it hang loose.
- Unscrew the black bolt holding the flapper in place.
- Press down firmly on the shaft the flapper rotates on, it should drop down into the card bay.
- Check that there are no burrs on the side of the conveyor wall with your hand (something the flapper could be catching on).
- If there are any, they can be sanded off with 1000-grit sandpaper.
- If the flapper was too wide, pinch the ends of the U-bar and narrow the flapper slightly. After this, make sure the flapper can still spin freely on its shaft.
- Reinstall the flapper and solenoid in reverse order of the above. The black bolt should be snug, but not tightened to the limit. Make sure the long arm of the flapper fits into the black plastic ring on the solenoid, if that is present.
- Check the flapper for full range of motion again after reinstallation. If necessary, loosen the black bolt slightly.
- Run ~200 low-value cards through to test the machine.
The Solenoid has Failed
The solenoid is the piston that moves the flapper up. Gravity moves it down. The best way to check the solenoid is to watch it during operation to see if it is firing (moving up). For ease of testing, create a custom sort directing all cards to that particular bin (ex. Value >= 0.01). You can also move the piston with your hand to see if there's any resistance.
If you think the solenoid may be the problem but are unsure, the next step is to swap two solenoids and see if the problem moves with the solenoid in question.
- Unscrew the solenoid from the conveyor, adjacent to the flapper. Let it hang loose.
- Unscrew the black bolt holding the flapper in place.
- Press down firmly on the shaft the flapper rotates on, it should drop down into the card bay.
- Unplug the solenoid from the control board.
- Note: Do not pull from the cables, the wires going into the connector may pull out (they can be reinstalled, but it's a pain). Pull the white connector out from the socket instead.
- Note: Do not pull from the cables, the wires going into the connector may pull out (they can be reinstalled, but it's a pain). Pull the white connector out from the socket instead.
- The solenoid should now be free and can be replaced or moved.
- Reverse the process to reinstall the solenoid and flapper.
If you require a replacement solenoid, contact support.
The Solenoid Control Board has Failed
The control board handles the current going to each solenoid. The chances of this board failing are very low. If the board has failed, the most likely symptom is that all 3 solenoids attached to that board are inoperable or stuck open at all times. As with above, the easiest method to test is to swap solenoids around and see if they work on a different board, as shown above.
If you require a replacement solenoid board, contact support.