Need Machine Recommendation

Hello all,

I'm new here, please be gentle :)

The company I am working for is building a gluing robot that will put polyurethane glue down on foam.

I am tasked with sourcing the components and don't really know where to begin.

I need to find a moderately priced ($2-3K) 3-axis machine with a 500 mm x 1000 mm surface.

The plan is to mount a gluing apparatus and computer vision system.

Most of the 3-Axis machines I am finding are for milling or routing. Can one of these be retrofitted with our equipment? Can anyone recommend a manufacturer or specific machine?

Because you are not going to be cutting anything, just about any machine with the needed work envelope will work. Most likely the glue dispensing equipment and vision system will have less mass than the normal cutting spindle. The mechanics of the system while important to a degree, the more important hardware will be the electronics.

One of the considerations is how it is going to be controlled. With machine vision and a dispensing system, this would imply a controller that is substantially different than a normal hobby class CNC router, where the machine frame can be an inexpensive hobby class system. As long as your controller can run stepper motors then again just about anything will work. I don't think you are going to run the system an off-the-shelf hobby class controller.

I mention hobby class a number of times, this is based on your budget numbers. And I assume these numbers is only for the mechanical and motor hardware.

Correct assumption - the numbers are just for mechanical and motor hardware... The current plan for the vision system is to have it export a file in G Code that can then be imported into the controller.

I believe G code is a common format?

Thanks for your help!

These are three contenders. One is 5x our budget, but I really like the machine. Does anyone have experience with any of these?

- https://www.inventables.com/technologies/x-carve
- https://www.shopbottools.com/products/max
- https://www.langmuirsystems.com/pro

Quote:

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Originally Posted by jimsmits

Correct assumption - the numbers are just for mechanical and motor hardware... The current plan for the vision system is to have it export a file in G Code that can then be imported into the controller.

I believe G code is a common format?

Thanks for your help!

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If the vision system has the capability of exporting G code, then any controller should work. You would only need to send the ''dispense'' signal to the head. This could be done with a M3 (spindle run) command in the G code. Any CNC controller would accept this as long as the G code is formatted properly for the controller. All G code is not exactly the same, there are small differences in format depending on the controller, but the basic commands are all the same.

Looking at the machines that you linked to, any of them would work fine.

A pick-n-pay like this except an American supplier (and I don't know if that exists) Looks more durable than a shapeoko or x-carve.
https://shopuk.3dtek.xyz/product/heavy-mill/

I'm not sure what "computer vision system" means in this context but there are pick&place machines running G-code and they need vision to find components.

doh! Forgot about Avidcnc, by reputation he's easy to work with and may have something to offer.

Thanks! I'll check those out. The boss is leaning towards the ShopBot fwiw. Thanks all.

jimsmits, I do think that there are nothing complicated, and you should do everything step by step like in predictions of the basic astrology and articles about 555 angel number, hah. Really, if you know all the steps, it would be simple enough. Much easier it would be if you will have a practical video where someone already completed it.

I am using X-carve for similar task. Practical accuracy of positioning under light loads is plus-minus 0.2mm.
Just take care - largest 1000mm table option have actual work area of 810x810mm. Also, the limit switches of x-carve are garbage.

I still cannot understand, what machines you are talking about.