CNC Machine Controls are somewhat Generic as they can be Adapted to Different Machines by Changing Stored Parameters & Macro Programs
that tell Control how to run a Particular Machine.

This  Special Parameter  &  Macro Program Information is  Custom Written  by the
Manufacture of Your Machine Tool 
( NOT  the  Control Manufacturer  Fanuc! )
Specificity  for  Each Model  Machine Tool.

If this  Control Information is Ever Lost Your Machine Will NOT Run Until it is Correctly Replaced!

In Early Strippit  HECC80/1 Type Controls this Information was in Non-Volatile  EPROM  Memory that could Store it Correctly for Decades even
with No Power to Control & Machine.

Later Strippit  HECC80/3 Controls and Fanuc GN6 Controls Stored this Data in  Bubble Memory  that also required No Power to hold it for Decades.

Fanuc OP  Control was used by Strippit,  Amada,
and other CNC Machine Tool Companies in Late 1980's and 1990's.   The OP is a Good Control,  but
Stores  Critical Parameters & Macro Programs in Volatile,  but  Battery Backed-Up  RAM  Memory.

Strippit  &  Fanuc  Poorly Document  the Fact that
YOU are Suppose to put  New Batteries in Control
Every Year.    And  let's be Honest ,  if you even
Have Strippit & Fanuc Controls Books,  Nobody at Your Company Has Ever Read the Books Anyway!

So, Sit Down on Floor and Read the Hard-To-Read Printing Molded into Black-Cover in Lower Left Side of your Control,  Like Control in Photos.   It says Change Batteries once a Year  and   Be Sure
Control Power  is  On  when Replacing Batteries.

When Control is On,  Power is Supplied to RAM Memory to keep Data Stored.   When Control Power is Off,  Batteries take over to keep Data Stored.
If you do not change Batteries once every year,
eventually Batteries Wear-Out  and
Data will be Lost  and  Machine will  NOT Run.

Typically,  Machine Manufactures Supplied Disks,
Tapes,  or  Printed Copies of Data so a Good
Technician could Reload Lost Control Data.   But,
You Probably Lost Data when You Lost Manuals.
If you do not have Data Copies and if Machine
Company has Gone Out Of Business  or 
Can't Supply Correct Data, 
Your Machine Tool is Now Scrap Metal.

Typical Symptoms are  100  and  101  Alarm Error Code Messages on Control CRT Display.    There is Sometimes a  "Low Battery"  Message on Display.
So,  Before  this  Happens,    I Advice;

1 -- Change The Control  Batteries!!!

2 -- Download Copies of  ALL  Parameters  and
      Macro  Programs  to a  PC Computer  and
      Store them in a  Couple of Thumpdrives  in
      Safe Places!   You need an  Experienced
      Fanuc Control Technician  to get  All Data!!!

To Change Batteries;
1  --  Turn-On  Control
2  --  Leave  The  Control  On!!!
3  --  Remove the  Black Battery Cover.
4  --  Remove the  3  "D"  Batteries.
5  --  If Battery Holder Contacts are  Dirty  or
        Corroded,  Clean with a Scotch-Bright Pad.
6  --  Put in  3  New  Alkaline Batteries.
        Do  NOT  use Rechargeable Type Batteries!
7  --  Make sure you  Orient  Batteries in Correct
        Direction,  so that  Plus & Minus are Correct!
8  --  Replace Cover.
9  --  Tape a  Paper-Log  to  Control  showing Date
        Batteries were changed so you know when to
        change them again,  like this  Customer
        taped on  Front Right of their Control.





Strippit  &  Fanuc  OP-Control Battery Problems 
and  Repair Resources
Note #1
Be Very Careful Buying a Machine Tool that has Battery Backed-Up Memory that has been Disconnected and Stored in a Warehouse.   These Machines,  Typically Sold By Used Machine Dealers,  often have "Lost"  Books & Manuals,  Lost  Control Data Disks & Print-Outs,  and  Controls have Lost Parameters & Macro Program Data because it may Not have been under Power for Years.    Make Sure you get an  Iron-Clad Warranty  that  Control & Machine will Run,  and make the Seller Supply Books & Manuals & Data Copies,  or  Do Not Buy The Machine!

Note #2
General Electric 1050 CNC Controls from Late 1970's and 1980's also have Battery Backed-Up Memory.   But  G.E. was Clever  and had 2 Sets of Batteries.    1 set of  "D"  batteries in a Holder inside Control.    And a Second Small Lithium or Alkaline Battery Hidden in  Backside of the Cardcage Backplane.   Consult your G.E. Control Books and have an Experienced Technician Change  BOTH  these batteries without Dumping this Critical Data.
This page was last updated: May 16, 2023
Global 20  &  Global 30  Encoder Battery Problems

Starting about 1999,   LVD Strippit  Co.  built  "Global"  ( and Other?)  Machines that used
Battery Backed-Up  Fanuc  Absolute Encoders  on the Machine's  X,  Y,  T,  and  C  Axis.

These  Absolute Encoders are Programmed with Correct Values for 
THIS  Particular  Machine's   Zero  &  Home  Positions.

If  A.C. Power is Maintained to Machine,  there is Power available to the CNC Control to Maintain these Stored Values.    When  A.C. Power is off for a relatively short period of time, 
the Special Fanuc Batteries for each Axis will maintain Stored Encoder Position Values.

However,   when  A.C. Power is off to Machine for an  Extended length of time, 
such as when Machine is  Stored  or  Sold  &  Moved,  
Batteries may go Dead and Stored Position Data in the Absolute Encoders will be Lost.

Machine Will  NOT  Run At All  If This Encoder Position Data is Lost!

At This Point,  
Repair will require replacing Expensive Special Fanuc CNC Control Batteries,
and  a Service Call by a Experienced Serviceman to Determine Proper Values for Each Axis,
and  then  Reloading  &  Adjusting Proper Values  into Encoders  for  All 4  or  5 Axis.

Traditionally,  we Advise Turning-Off  A.C. Power to Machine at Night & Weekends
as this Helps Protect against  Power-Surges  &  Lightning-Strikes.  
But,  Batteries will slowly Drain whenever Power is Off going to the Machine.   
Consult   LVD Strippit Co.   &   Fanuc  Co.  Control Manuals  for the
Best-Practices  on this Matter for  Your  Machine  &  Control.

I would also Change the Special Batteries every year or so.    You Have Been Warned......


Fanuc  Repair Parts  &  Repair Services  on
CNC Controls  and  Servo Drive Systems

I don't particularly like the  Fanuc Company  and some of their business practices.  But with
help of  Neutron Jack Welch  at  General Electric  who Destroyed U.S.  CNC Control Industry,
Fanuc  is now  Biggest CNC Control Manufacture in the World,  and Most Strippit and
Other Machine Tools Now come Standard with Fanuc CNC Controls & Servo Systems.

We,  here at Machine Technologies Co.,  do not provide much Fanuc Parts & Service, 
as there are plenty of other Servicemen & Service Companies that do.

So,  Here are some,  but  certainly not all,
Resources  for  Fanuc  Repairs  &  Repair Parts;

Lakeside CNC Group Inc.   ---   Bensenville, Illinois   Phone 630-616-0039
Specializes in Fanuc CNC Electronics,  Servo Drives & Motor Sales & Repairs.

Repair Zone  ---   Bay City, Michigan   Phone 866-237-3212
Specializes in Servo Drives,  and Servo Motor Sales & Repair Service.

General Servo & Spindle Motors   ---   South Elgin, Illinois   Phone 630-889-9261
Specializes in Servo Motor and Spindle Motor Repair.

CNC Engineering Inc.   ---   Enfield,  CT   Phone  860-749-1780
Specializes in Fanuc Control Retrofits as well as Electronic & Motor repair parts.

Dynamic Displays   ---   Eau Claire,  WI   Phone  715-835-9440
Specializes in Retrofitting LCD-Displays for Old Control CRT-Monitor Displays.

Qualitrol International   ---   Charlotte,  NC   Phone  877-536-0090
Specializes in GE Fanuc CNC Repair Services & Repair Parts.

FANUC America Corporation   ---   Hoffman Estates, Illinois   Phone 888-326-8287
Official Fanuc Parts & Service in the U.S.

Note,  in  1970's & 1980's,  Fanuc  used the More  "American Sounding"  Name of 
"General Numeric"  for it's  U.S. Division.   General Numeric  was & is  Fanuc. 
This  General Numeric Name  has now been dropped as they don't care anymore.

Every Week I get a Couple of Frantic Calls from Shops Saying
"We Lost Our Fanuc Control  Parameters  and  Macro Programs
and  Now  Our Machine Won't Run!"

Well,  No Shit  Sherlock Holmes.....

Next They Tell Me,  ( Pick Your Favorite Whiny Excuse Here )
---   We Can't Find our Back-Ups
---   Someone threw Back-Ups Out
---   We No longer have the Reader to Read Back-Up Tapes
---   We Lost Back-Up Tapes  or  Tapes are Ruined
---   We No Longer have the Disk Reader to Read Floppy Disks
---   We Lost Floppy Disks  or  Disks are Damaged
---   We Lost Instructions  and  Don't know How to  Back-Up  /  Re-Load
---   What's  a  Back-Up?

There are  Many Different Versions of Control Software & Data  and 
The Software is usually  Tailored a Bit  for  Your Specific Machine.
You are now going to Have to Find
one of the Damn Few Experienced Strippit Servicemen Left
who can  Reconstruct this Software  that  You Did Not Bother to Back-Up.
Machine will now be "Down" a Good-While  and  will be Real Expensive to Fix.

And until it's Reconstructed Properly,  Your Machine  is  Non-Running JUNK.

LVD (Ex-Strippit)  if you ask nicely,  will Often Email you Data Files
to Re-Load,  But  can be Difficult to do if you are not Familiar with Procedures,

So,  If Your Machine and Control are Still Running OK,
Don't Be A Stupid Dick,
Call-In a  Good Serviceman  and  Get All Your Control Data Backed-Up NOW!

Because Backing-Up this Data can be Tricky, 
Use a  Experienced Strippit  or  Fanuc Serviceman
Because If you Mess The Data Up,  Machine Won't Run!

There are Also Lots of Companies that Sell Various Data Devises that Plug
Into your Fanuc Control to Store Parameters and Macro Programs.

Data can also be Downloaded to a  P,C. Computer  then to a  Thumbdrive, 
and  Keith Coffee  Sells a Reader for about $500 that plugs into Control
to  Download onto Cheap  $8  SD Memory Cards.
Keith,  Listed on East-Coast Here,   is also  Good at Reconstructing Lost Data.

Find a Way to Just get Back-Up Done  or  Suffer The Consequences.
You Have Been Warned.