The Mereen-Johnson Rip Navigator Tracker is the automatic infeed system that feeds boards from a hopper through a board dealer, stops, and pinch rolls onto the chain that carries them into the rip saw. When the Tracker stops feeding cleanly — whether it’s double-feeding, feeding unevenly, or dragging boards on the chain — the root cause is almost always in the board dealer alignment, the grippers, the board stops, or the pinch roll carriage height. This guide walks through the most common operational issues on the Tracker and the specific field adjustments that resolve them.
Board Dealer Feeds Unevenly
Uneven feeding from the board dealer typically traces back to one of three mechanical issues: a misaligned pivot arm, worn grippers, or board stops that have drifted out of position. Work through the checks below before adjusting the pinch roll carriage or other downstream components.
Probable Cause: Board Dealer Arm Is Out of Line
Determine which arms require adjustment by placing a straight edge or string line at the bottom of the hopper arms and in contact with the board dealer pivot arms. To adjust the board dealer pivot arms, loosen both jam nuts on the board dealer turnbuckle. Turn the turnbuckle in the proper direction until the correct alignment is achieved. Re-tighten the jam nuts.
Probable Cause: Board Dealer Arm Grippers Are Worn
Replace the grippers. Worn grippers can’t maintain consistent hold on the board and will release at inconsistent points in the feed cycle.
Probable Cause: Board Stops Are Out of Alignment
Determine which stop requires adjustment by placing a straight edge or stringing a line across the stops. Loosen the back clamp collar on the stop and adjust the stop to the desired location. Retighten the set collar.
Probable Cause: Pinch Roll Lower Rollers Don’t Jump High Enough
Adjust the pinch roll lower roller carriage by moving the lower cylinder mounting bracket up. The rolls should be set at 1/4″ above the chain when in the “up” position.
Board Dealer Double Feeds
When the board dealer picks up and releases two boards at once instead of one, the issue is almost always either worn grippers (which can’t hold a single board tightly enough and catch the next one) or misaligned stops (which don’t reliably separate individual boards from the stack). Apply the same corrections outlined above for grippers and board stops.
Board Dealer Releases Unevenly From Stops
Uneven release from the board stops is a direct symptom of stop alignment drift. Use a straight edge or string line across all stops to identify which ones are out of position, then adjust using the back clamp collar procedure above. If release is still uneven after stops are aligned, check the pivot arm turnbuckle adjustment next.
Boards Drag on Feed Chain When Moving to Rip Saw
Boards that drag on the feed chain rather than riding cleanly on it almost always indicate that the pinch roll lower rollers aren’t lifting high enough in the “up” position. The rollers need to sit 1/4″ above the chain to clear the board cleanly; anything less and the board will catch on the chain surface as the pinch rolls try to release.
Adjust the pinch roll lower roller carriage by moving the lower cylinder mounting bracket up until the 1/4″ clearance is achieved.
Where the Tracker Fits in Your Infeed System
The Tracker is a core component of the Rip Navigator automatic infeed conveyor system, working in coordination with the rip optimization software to deliver consistent, high-throughput feeding into your rip saw. When the Tracker is properly adjusted and maintained, it can significantly reduce labor demand on the rip line while improving yield and throughput consistency.
For related setup, controls, and maintenance procedures, see:
- Rip Navigator installation guide
- Rip Navigator controls guide
- Tracker lubrication guide
- Scout Deck troubleshooting
- Scout Deck maintenance
Still Can’t Resolve the Issue?
If you’ve worked through the adjustments above and your Tracker still isn’t feeding cleanly, our factory service team can help. Mereen-Johnson technicians have deep experience with the full Rip Navigator system — Tracker, Scout Deck, controls, and software — and can diagnose issues that span multiple components of the infeed line.
Contact Mereen-Johnson service or call (612) 529-7791 to speak with a factory technician about your Rip Navigator Tracker.