Guide to troubleshooting and replacing chassis pistons in your PhyzBatch 9000
The pistons in your PhyzBatch 9000 are what hold cards in the bays once sorted, until they are emptied. The platform should slowly lower as cards are added to the bin, reaching a maximum depth at 500 cards, which is the capacity of the bin.
A mechanical failure in a piston will typically be a failure in the base connection to the chassis. When this happens, the black plastic top of the piston base will be raised up relative to the other pistons.
Removing a Piston
To check and/or replace a piston, follow these steps:
Prop the base of the PhyzBatch up on a box or other stable object. The objective is to be able to reach the underside of the PhyzBatch without tipping it over (you can tip it over, but the following steps will be easier if the machine is upright).
There is a single screw on the underside of the chassis for each piston. Remove the screw for the piston(s) you wish to investigate.
Remember that you're (likely) upside-down relative to the screw. If the scanner is upright, from your perspective the screw should be turned clockwise to loosen it.
The base piston screws take a 4mm Allen key. Due to the infrequency of piston failures, 4mm Allen keys were not provided as part of the standard repair kit.
With the screw removed, depress the piston with one hand. With your other hand, put pressure on the edge of the top of the piston base. Wiggle the shaft, top and base back and forth until you can get under the edge of the black plastic cover. You can also use a thin knife or screwdriver.
Lift the entire piston assembly while keeping the piston depressed. There is a screw on the side of the piston head that goes in the slot on the side wall. Flex the wall away from the piston to release the screw, and then tilt the head of the piston towards yourself. Pull the piston up and out of the chassis.
In the instances we've see of piston failure, the base of the piston holding the screw mount (the orange plastic piece, shown below) can crack. If damaged, this part can be replaced. If experiencing a different piston-related problem, the entire piston can be replaced. In either event, contact Support for a replacement.
Installing a Piston
To install a piston, follow these steps. Before starting, make sure that the piston head is in the correct orientation, as it should be angled towards the back of the chassis. The angle is what keeps cards in the bin. Turned the wrong way, cards will spill on to the floor! The middle piston below is backwards.
Depress the head of the piston, and then angle it into the bay. Note that there is a screw on the side of the piston head. This screw fits into a slot on the side walls of the bay. Feed the base of the piston into the hole, and then with your other hand, pull the chassis wall away from the piston so that the screw may be reinserted as the piston goes back into the hole.
Once the base of the pulley is in the hole and the screw is in place in the slot, allow the pulley to expand and lower itself into the opening. You may need to move the base back and forth to get the screws at the top of the piston base into the hole. The black plastic top of the piston base should be nearly flush with the chassis, similar to the other pistons.
Reach underneath and partially thread the screw back into the base of the piston. It is easiest to thread the screw in by hand to start. You may need to angle the base (move the piston base by holding and angling the shaft) so that it lines up with the screw hold in the base of the chassis.
Remember that you're (likely) upside-down relative to the screw. If the scanner is upright, from your perspective the screw should be turned counter-clockwise to tighten it.
The base piston screws take a 4mm Allen key. Due to the infrequency of piston failures, 4mm Allen keys were not provided as part of the standard repair kit.
Depress the head of the piston up and down. It should move up and down with minimal resistance from the sides of the bay. Compare it to other pistons. If there is heavier resistance than other pistons, move the base of the piston (with the screw in, but loosely) back and forth slightly to adjust the angle until the resistance is similar to the other pistons. Once satisfied, tighten the screw. Retest the piston's resistance after tightening.