What To Do When Your Display Unit Won’t Power Up

Heidenhain won't power upWON’T POWER UP 🙁

Ugh! Have you had this happen to your formerly reliable display equipment? It’s a frustrating, but not uncommon problem. From metalworkers to fabricators to scientists – work can come to a sudden stop when your display unit won’t power up.

Why Won’t Your Display Unit Power Up?

There are more reasons than you can shake a stick at for failure to power up. But some reasons are more common than others. DRO display units often get hard use in harsh environments. And because they are sturdy yet familiar, operators tend to hang on to them for a very long time. Eventually problems will develop and most of the causes boil down to one thing: aged components.

The most common problem areas are:

  • Bad power supply overall (this means most likely several bad components)
  • Bad or very weak capacitors
  • Bad PWM IC chips
  • Bad connections and solder joints

Case Study: Heidenhain Operator Display Unit p/n PGM246271-07 Repairs

Heidenhain display unit repairs

These Heidenhain DRO display units are perfect examples of excellent quality display units that last a long time but may develop intermittent problems. Eventually, they may fail to power up at all. In most cases the display unit’s power supply has gone bad. Bad capacitors and bad PWM IC chips are the main cause, although there can be others. Often the units are also covered in dirt and grease. They typically need a good cleaning, in addition to repairs, for optimum performance.

Virtually all of the many Heidenhain display units p/n PGM246271-07 that our technicians have received for repairs have been successfully repaired. These units can be repaired for less than the cost of purchasing a new one. They are sturdy units that will go back to work after repairs for many more years of good service.

What Can You Do?

If you have some experience with electronics AND you are absolutely certain that the electrical power is OFF to your display unit, you can do a visual inspection.  Check to see if the capacitors are bulging or leaking (please don’t touch them!).  Look for burn marks or cracked solder on the circuit board.  These are obvious problems and can usually be repaired. However, problems with these components are not always visible to the naked eye and good quality test equipment will be needed. For your safety and to minimize any self-inflicted additional repair costs, testing is best completed by trained technicians.

If you think you need your display unit and/or its related power supply needs repairs check first to see if your equipment is still under warranty. If so, contact the OEM about repairs. If it is out of warranty, send it to your go-to industrial electronic repair center.

If you do not have a reliable repair center, contact an independent industrial electronic repair center to find out if they are a good fit for your company and your particular repair needs. They should offer free evaluations for your damaged display units or other equipment, and a free quote for repairs (no bench fees!). They should also provide repair reports if requested and a good warranty of at least one year that covers both parts and labor.  If you want to know more about whether your industrial power supply can be repaired here’s more on that!

About the Author: ACS Industrial Services is an independent industrial electronic repair center providing power supply repairs for all types and manufacturers, DRO display unit repairs, circuit board repairs, power supply repairs, repairs for drives, servo motors, CNC equipment, encoders, monitors and touchscreens, PLCs, HMIs, test equipment, and much more. RUSH SERVICE is available on request and Two Year Warranties cover most repairs. The very helpful customer service team is available live to answer your questions and help you solve your toughest industrial electronic repair problems. You can reach them by calling 800-605-6419 or going to www.acsindustrial.com.