Strip-Sensor
Problems,  Fixes,  and  New  Retrofit Sensors
for  Strippit  HECC80 Turret-Machines
Shown Above is  Original Microswitch  #17623-000  Strip-Sensor  and 
#17624-000  Strip-Amplifier  (Blue-Box)  and   #17609-000  Strip-Relay  Assembly.
All 3  Parts  were Needed to make a Complete  Strip-Detection System.
These Parts were used on almost all  NC & CNC Strippit Turret Punch-Press Machines
built from 1975  to 1987 for Punch-Tool Strip-Detection Circuit.

The Classic Symptom,
If your Machine will Not  "Contour-Nibble",   your Strip-Circuit is Not Working!
If you have a Constant  "No-Strip"  or  "Slow-Strip"  Message  and  Punch-Tool is Up (Stripped),
your Strip-Circuit is Not Working!

These Microswitch Parts are  No-Longer Manufactured  and are
No-Longer Available Anywhere  as they were  Discontinued in 1994.
These Parts have been  Replaced  by  Machine Technologies Co.
#17623-300 (Discontinued)   and  Current #17623-500  Strip-Sensor Retrofit Kit  as Shown Below.
This is  Machine Technologies Co.  Simple  #17623-300  Strip-Sensor Retrofit Kit
that Replaces All the Old  Strip-Sensor  &  Blue-Box Amplifier  &  Relay  Assembly Parts.

Just Order  Machine Technologies  Part  #17623-300.
Installation is Not Hard,  and Detailed Instructions are Included.
Old Sensor and Blue-Box & Relay Assembly are Removed,
New Strip-Sensor Installed,  and  then you hook-up Sensor's  2 Wires.

As Before,  The Gap Between Strip-Sensor and Your  20 or  33 Turret Tool-Station Strip-Targets
should be  Carefully Maintained at  .110"  to  .125"  or  you Risk Crashing and Destroying Sensor!

This Strip-Sensor Kit is for  All Strippit Houdaille built Controls  from 
the  Early  NC   "A-Control"  Types,   All  CNC  HECC80/1   and   HECC80/3  Types.
Kit is also used on  CAP1000  and  CAP1250 Machines  With the Addition of a Small-Relay.

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This Kit was Not Designed for Fanuc Control  CAP1000 and  CAP1250  Machines
which also used the Old Strip & Amplifier Assembly.    However,  It Will Work on
CAP-Machines  if a Small-Relay is Wired-In to Invert the Strip-Signal going to Fanuc Control.

Strippit's Service Dept. uses Our  #17623-300  Strip-Sensor Kit
and their  #8312088-000  Relay on  CAP-Machines for  CAP's Strip-Circuit.

We Stock a Small Relay Kit with Installation Instructions,  that is used with
Our  #17623-300  Sensor Kit that will Work on  CAP1000  &  CAP1250 Machines.
Installation on CAP-Machines is Tricky and is Best Done by an Experienced Serviceman
because  Cap-Machines were  Wired Many Different Ways
and the  Documentation  and  Electrical Prints  were  Very Poorly Done!

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Problems  and  Fixes

Assuming that you have  No  Mechanical-Problems   or  You have Already Fixed Mechanical Problems with  Tool-Lifters,  Strip-Targets,  Lifter-Springs,  Lifter-Studs,  Tool & Die Problems,  Etc.,

In General,
Electronic Problems  with the  Strip-Circuits will be Caused By;

1  ---  Smashed  or  Burned-Out  Strip-Sensor

2  ---  Misadjusted  Strip-Sensor,  Maintain Gap of  .110"  to  .125"  on  ALL  20  or  33  Strip-Targets!

3  ---  Smashed   or  Burned-Out   or  Misadjusted   #18122-000  Ram-Up  Sensor.
         It is Little-Known that a  Bad  Ram-Up Sensor  Will Also Cause  "Bad-Strip"  Problems!
         This is Because when Punching, 
         Control is Suppose to  "See"  Strip-Signal  Before  it  "Sees"  the  Ram-Up Signal.
         If you have a Damaged  "Shorted-Out"  Ram-Up Sensor,  you will get a  "Slow-Strip" 
         because  Control will always  "See"  Ram-Up  Signal  Before  Strip-Signal,  Not After.

4  ---  Mis-Wiring of Strip-Circuit  when Replacing a Part,  if  Installed or Wired Wrong, 
        You Can  Instantly Burn-Out Sensor!      We Test  ALL Sensors Good Before Shipping,
        If you Burn-It-Out you will Need to Buy another Sensor.

5  ---  Bad  Machine Switch Isolator Circuit Board  (Slot #9)  in  HECC80/1  Type Controls.
         Machine Technologies  Can  Test & Repair  this Circuit Board.

6  ---  Bad  TB240  I/O Isolator Board  or  G.P.  I/O Board  (Slot #13)  or 
         Ribbon-Cable  Between  Boards  in  HECC80/3  Type Controls.
         Machine Technologies  Can  Test & Repair  these Circuit Boards.

7  ---  No  1.2K  Load-Resistor   Added to Strip-Sensor Signal Output on  HECC80 Controls.
        This is a Fairly Recent Change!  Most HECC80 Control Machines do Not have this Resistor yet.
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A Known Strip-Retrofit Problem and Fix

Machine Technologies Co.  has  Sold Hundreds & Hundreds of  #17623-300 
Strip-Sensor Retrofit Kits Directly to Shops and to Strippit Company over the last 25 Years.  
In almost all case,  #17623-300  Retrofit Kit  has Worked Perfectly.  

However,  we have found a few Cases were it will not work.
Our Investigation has found that on some  HECC80/1  Type Controls,  usually when we have Rebuilt
Machine Switch Isolator Board  (Slot #9) and Installed New Opto-Isolator I.C. Chips,  that
Machine Switch Isolator Board is now Too-Sensitive and will not work 100 percent of the time.

An Easy Fix to this Problem is to Simply Add a
1.2K  1-Watt  Load-Resistor  to Strip-Signal coming out of Strip-Sensor going to HECC80 Control.
In Every Case  This has Fixed the Problem.

I have Only seen this Problem in  HECC80/1 Controls,  Not in  HECC80/3 Controls,
but  I would  Add this Resistor-Fix to Both Types of  HECC80 Controls!

Go to our   Strippit Control Type   Web-Page if you are Not Sure of Your Control Type!

We started  Adding this Resistor to our  Machine Technologies  #17623-300  Strip Retrofit Kit 
with  Installation Instructions a Couple of Years ago.

Typically,  on  FC1000/2  or  20-Station  FC1250/30/1500 Machines,  we Add Resistor in Big Electrical Disconnect Box on Side of Machine between Terminal 2TB-42 Strip-Signal  & Terminal LVR (Ground).
This Wiring Will Vary from Machine to Machine,  so  Consult your Machines Electrical Prints!

If your HECC80 Control Machine Does Not have Resistor Installedit Should be Added!
We Include this 1.2K Resistor in  All Strip-Sensor Retrofit Kits!
Resistor Only needs to be installed  1 Time,   as in Diagram Below.
This page was last updated: February 8, 2023
For Example, 
here is the  1.2K Resistor
added to my  FC1000/2  Machine.

Blue-Wire from Strip-Sensor
comes into  Terminal TB-42
inside  Electrical Disconnect-Box.

I Soldered a 
Red-Wire to End of Resistor
to Lengthen it so that it could reach a
LVR  (Ground) Terminal.

Resistor Simply goes between
TB-42  Strip-Signal Terminal
and  Any Convenient
LVR (Ground)  Terminal.

That's it,  End of Fix!

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So,  To Recap, 
When Using  #17623-300  Strip-Sensor Retrofit;

---  Add  Resistor to All Machines using  HECC80/1 Type Control

---  Add  Resistor to All Machines using  HECC80/3 Type Control

---  Do Not  add Resistor to Machines using  "A-Controls",  as  Resistor is Not Needed

---  Do Not  add Resistor to  CAP1000  and  CAP1250  Machines where
     Strip-Sensor is Driving the small Inverting-Relay,  as  Resistor is Not Needed

---  Note!   Resistor is NOT  Needed with  Newer Type #2   #17623-500  Strip-Sensor Retrofit!

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The Original Strip Sensor;
Mircoswitch  Strip-Sensor  #17623-000  &  Amplifier Electronic Assembly  (Blue-Box)  #17624-000 were used on most Strippit Turret Punch Machines built 1975 to 1987 for Punch-Tool
Strip-Detection.  The Original Sensor and Amplifier are NO longer made or available anywhere
Sensor can be Identified by Dimensions  57mm (2.25") Long  x  24mm (.932")  Body with Gray-Tip.
Type 1 Retrofit  Sensor:  
In the late 1990's Machine Technologies came up with a Simple Retrofit Sensor to solve Old
Sensor  Non-availability Problem.   Functions of Old Sensor & Amplifier Blue-Box were
Combined into a Special  2-Wire  #17623-300  Retrofit Sensor.   This Sensor can be
Identified by Dimensions  37mm (1.45") Long  x  18mm (.700")  Body  with Black-Tip.  

Note!    In 2014 this Type #1  #17623-300   Sensor was Discontinued and is No Longer Available.
It has been Replaced with Machine Technologies  Type #2   #17623-500  Retrofit Sensor.
Type #2  The Current  &  In-Stock  #17623-500  Retrofit  Strip Sensor:  
Starting in 2014  Machine Technologies Co.  introduced  Type #2  3-Wire  #17623-500  Retrofit Strip Sensor  that  Replaces Both the  Original  #17623-300  &  Type #1  #17623-300  Retrofit Sensor.
Sensor can be Identified by Dimensions  57mm (2.25") Long  x  18mm (.700") Body with Black-Tip.

Installation is not complicated,  but it does take time,  probably several hours,  to  Set-up All
Turret-Stations  Strip-Targets Gaps Correctly.    Improper Maintenance of  Turret-Station
Strip-Target Gap is what caused Your Smashed Strip Sensor Problems to begin with!

Remove Old Strip-Sensor & Strip-Amplifier (Blue-Box) Assembly if still on Machine!   Mount New  #17623-500  Strip-Sensor in place of Old Sensor,  then Connect it's 3-Wires to proper terminals.  
The following 5 Pages are Instructions that come with  New  #17623-500  Retrofit  Strip-Sensor.