Actually Building the Machine!

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Almost Done! Tomorrow ill start with the Z axis! Its getting shape!!!

Machine_Nice.jpg
 
Almost Done with the Z axis, also made a test with the Z-axis Harmonic Drive if it can hold over the 60kg and it stays at his place, i still dont need to worry if the Y is comming down to ground when the power is switched off :D Its a monster :D Hope i can let the plates milled!

Machine_Axis.jpg

Machine_Axis2.jpg

Machine_Axis3.jpg
 
Hehehe wow?! Expected something else? :D Almost done!!! If some one has an solution for the leaning forward of the machine :D still need to do some plates... but im getting there!

Machine_Almost.jpg
 
Damn Christian, that is going to be a heavy beast when the head and y-slide is on the top of the z-axis. Shouldnt you have some diagonal bars going backwards and to the sides too from the z-slides to make it more robust? The machine will be longer and wider but with the weight of the head and y-slide it will probably be needed.
 
I know, i need to find a nice simple construction that can hold the Y axis. I made the most simple solution but its also the most expensive one. So ill change the 'first' concept of the frame :D I need to, these extrusions are verry expensive!

Machine_Complete.jpg


Maybe i can solve this by using other extrusions... mayby 80x40?? ill see what i or others come up with :D
 
Because of the weight of the head and y-slide there will probably not be any cheap solutions, unless you use steel instead of aluminum. You have the most simple solution drawn up. I would go with that, even if the price is a bit high. Better to have it robust.

Is there any reason you have the z-axis motor on the bottom? The risk of getting dust and water in the motor from the faceting is less if you have it on the top.
Are you planning to have an aluminum plate that covers the bottom of the machine? I know you planned to have a slide for the lap, but how are you going to protect it from dust and water?
 
I like the simpel setup, it can be closed completely and i could make it sound proof but these extrusions cost me about 60 the meter, so this setup is almost 1000 euro's including the corner mountings. First it should be handy to get my parts milled... Im still looking for a other solution but this simple solution is still the best. Mayby i should use 40x80 or 80x80x40 extrusions. I dont know it yet.

The motor is upside down becourse if im turning the spindle, the head will hang on just 6 m6 bolts and also the bearing wil hang on just 4 bolts. If i do it this way so the motor upside down the complete weight is upon the spindle head and the bearing and the bolts are then only for fastning not for holding the weigth. Hope you understand what im saying :D

I also like the idear of a closed cabinet for cutting stones :D
 
Have you checked on how much the smaller extrusions can take? Does the price differ a lot between the bigger and smaller extrusions?
I understand why you want to have the motor on the bottom now, but will it be safe there?

Closed cabinet sounds great, but how will you get rid of the dust and water that will whirl around in the cabinet and affecting rails, bearings and motors? You need to have a clean area, the dust will contaminate the laps and you will get scratches on the stones.
 
The laps need to be cleaned off after every cut. Im not that scared about the dust. It should run as a normal lap so there isnt that mutch differents in the setup. If the setup gives problems with the dus or the coolant i will take action, but im shure it wont traffle far. It always stays a semi(almost)-automatic system. Some of the things need to be done with hand.... For now i need to complete the build and make shure if its going to run as hoped :D

The extrusions are calculated in 40's so 80x80 is 4 times more expensive as a 40x40.
 
I'd rendered the machine (image). I also send the images for to be milled :D The base is there but not all of it... still need to do some of the plates. I also have a solution for the aluminium. The extrusions that are on the image wil be 80x80 and 120x80 but the rest will be 80x40. Still need to draw the complete thing. Its a start. Also driving the motors is still a little problem. I have tried Raspberry Pi 3b but the card is unstable, also the output from the lpt port is unstable. So the next step is to try Arduino. The problem is the 200Khz to get the motors up to 3000rpm. But it should work with Arduino and make a simple driver for it, so it should work driving all steppers on a single Arduino.

render.jpg


I hope to draw the complete basic machine and build the thing first and then draw the lap base and the rest for some sensors.
 
Have you considered installing 45 degree support brackets on all pieces to give the frame more sturdiness.rigidity. Just a thought.
 
thegoldman24: Shure, but first the aluminium plates.

Im redrawing the complete design, the mill costs were to high :- ) But its good to redo your things becourse i did find some flaws in the design! Im already drawing again for a week or so and hope to complete the design again within a few days. Its the same setup but with some changes.
 
Almost done! Still need to do some litle importand things, as like drawing the plates for the last sensor... for the rest? almost done... Made some new rendering images!!! Im also going to try to controll the complete machine under Linux... Mayby a better platform and more stable!

bijnaklaar.jpg

sensor.jpg


Greets,

Christian
 
Christian, firstly I'd like to say WOW what an incredible project, I have been watching it since the start, well done.

I have made an X Y table that is computer controlled and know some of the dificulties you have and will face. My project ran on DOS as an operating system and the program was written in "C" and assembler.

Just thought i'd throw in a thought. With regards to the Z axis, is there a reason the motor is at the bottom as it would be more likely to be water/coolant/dust damaged. Ken.
 
Instead of using laps you could use tools like on a concave faceting machine. Be a lot easier to setup and automate swapping between tools. I've been thinking of building a cnc mill myself though not as big as yours. Nice project :)
 
MakkyBrown:

I Know, there is space to build a concave system for it to, then im going to use a 2.2Kw spindle motor for it. It is all possible. But it is important to get the basic correct. There are so manny idears for the machine, but i want to let it work first ;-)

ken2m:

Thanks for watching! The motor is upside down becourse it can hold more weight this way, otherwise i need to turn the ball screw nut the other way and i dont want to take the risk of putting over the 100 steel balls back into the nut becourse the ball screw has 4 ball slides. if im turning the ballscrew the weight will be on the bolts not on the ball screw nut. This way all the weigth is on the nut.

What was your max rpm under DOS with your software?! And the pulse speed?!

All the 34 aluminium plates will be milled now, costing around the 875 euro's +/- $1000 AUD. Hopefully i can start soon with building the machine :D Also the software.
 
Just thought i'd put it out there as sometime any designer can have a pre concieved idea that may not be the best idea. Good job on thinking reguarding the loading.

From memory (it was about 20 years ago) I was using 4 phase stepper motors 200steps/rotation and could get 120rpm but with limited torque driving 2 phases at the same time (in effect microstepping but missing the main steps). Maximum driving one phase at a time was about 60 rpm. These were done through the parrallel port. Using a dedicated processor would have been the way to go, but 20 years ago it would have been a costly project with limited capability. Ken.
 

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