The VF-2 trips an overtravel alarm and locks the axis when a slide reaches a limit, and the control will not resume until the condition is cleared in the correct order.
An overtravel can come from three different places — a software limit, a physical limit switch, or a mechanical block — and the safe response differs for each. The table separates them.
| Cause | Likelihood | First Check |
|---|---|---|
| Soft limit tripped by an off-home or wrong work offset | High | Check the axis position versus the set soft limits and whether the machine was homed after a power loss |
| Hard limit switch engaged at travel end | Medium | Confirm the slide is physically at the limit and which axis/switch the alarm names |
| Way cover or debris physically jamming the axis | Medium | Look for a buckled way cover, swarf, or a part in the travel; this is the one case we will not clear remotely |
| Limit parameter changed or lost | Low–Medium | Compare the current limit parameters to the last known good backup |
Work through these in order. Most steps read from the control; the one physical check is called out as a stop condition.
The alarm names the axis and whether it is a soft or hard limit. That single line decides if we are in parameters or at a physical stop.
If the machine lost home after a power cut, a normal move can cross a soft limit. We confirm the home state and the active offset before any jog.
If the slide will not move by hand or the way cover is buckled, stop. A physical block is not a remote fix and forcing it risks the axis. We flag this and hand off to on-site.
Compare the current soft-limit and travel parameters to the last known good backup. A changed or zeroed parameter explains a repeat trip with no physical cause.
With the cause confirmed and no physical block, hold the reset and jog off the limit per the control's sequence. We walk the exact button order so the axis re-enables cleanly.
An overtravel alarm is the VF-2 protecting the axis, so the right move depends entirely on the cause. A soft-limit trip after a lost home is a parameter and offset issue we resolve from the control; a hard-limit trip means the slide is at the end and must be jogged back; a jammed way cover is the one case that is genuinely physical and must not be forced. The alarm text tells us which before anyone touches the machine.
For the broader frame, see Axis limit & alarm faults and CNC axis & servo limits. On the same control, Haas VF-2 — Alarm 123 Axis Servo is the servo-side alarm that can follow an overtravel, and Haas VF-2 — Not Communicating covers when the alarm is really a link loss. A software-side case on different hardware is OMTech CO2 — LightBurn Not Connecting.
Send the alarm text and we confirm soft, hard, or physical. We only hand a physical jam to on-site help; everything else we address from the control with you.
Send the alarm text and axis. We tell soft limit, hard limit, or jammed cover apart and walk the clear sequence — and tell you plainly when to stop and call on-site.
Submit Your Case Connect With SpecialistsWe do not perform hardware repair, we do not replace parts, and we cannot promise a 100% resolution. Our role is limited to remote diagnostic and step-by-step guidance based on the information, photos and logs you share. If the axis is physically jammed, do not force it.
It trips when a slide reaches a soft or hard limit, often after a power loss that dropped home or a work offset that pushed a move past the limit. The alarm names the axis and limit type.
A soft limit is a parameter set inside the travel; a hard limit is the physical switch at the end. The alarm text says which, and we read it with you before any jog.
Yes, and it is the one case we will not clear remotely. If the slide will not move by hand or the cover is buckled, stop and get on-site help rather than forcing the axis.
Almost never. Overtravel is usually a home, offset, or parameter issue we resolve from the control. We only suspect a switch after the parameter and home checks are clean, and we confirm that with you.
The servo-side alarm that can follow an overtravel.
When the alarm is really a control link loss.
A software-side fault on different CNC hardware.