As of writing this post, I have officially broken the fourth (fifth?) limit switch in the Smart Clamp on my Carvey. What makes this one special, however, is the fact that the failure occurred with ZERO hours on the ENTIRE MACHINE. First carve, and the measured first cut depth is 0.06 inches, instead of the specified 0.03 inches. No, the materiel was not bowed and it was properly held down, the problem is the limit switch.
This new machine is a replacement for my first (dead main board), which I am very thankful for Inventables replacing when they really had no obligation to do so. However, I have always had issues with the Smart Clamp homing switch failing. After having one in failure mode immediately after opening up the box, I will never use the integrated Smart Clamp switch again. I will be going back to and refining my touch plate I previously jury-rigged, and it has not yet let me down.
Inventables, while I appreciate the hard work that you have put into this wonderful product, PLEASE find a new switch to put into the Smart Clamp. The limit switches on the X and Y axis have never given me trouble, why not utilize one of those? Perhaps an electrical touch plate solution, or simply make the Smart Clamp with a switch that is readily available and easy to replace? I would not be bothered by the failure rate if the switches were two dollars each and I could have a stock of five sitting on the shelf, but having to go through customer service each time one breaks is tiresome, and can take up to a week to get back into action.
TL;DR: The limit switches on the Smart Clamp suck, plz buff, need better respawn and troop reserves.