Hi 308 - As far as a machine goes you cannot make many things adjustable. Adjustability is a two edge sword. What you are aiming at and talking about requires machined fits, adjustability will work against you in the long term.

Fusion 360 has FEA especially for students. Being engineering students I imagine they and you have studied structures and am familiar with manual beam calculations. I spent the early part of my career pre FEA so did all of this by hand, I've even calculated FE meshes by hand pre auto meshing. Building something is one thing but also designing something the way you will do it as a professional is important. Every part in a mill should have a calculation behind it, even the nuts and bolts and oil. Its ambitious, keep us posted and aim high gravity sucks. Peter

Hi 308 - As an aside. I suggest you work on your language as well. If you used words and expressions as you have done at management levels you will never get the funds approved for your project. Words like "hope" and "adjustability (as a solution)" send shivers up management spines!! You have to have clear objectives, non conflicting ideas and reasonable solutions in the pitch. Publish some images here we'd like to see them... Good luck

and tell me briefly why the twin gantry is a good idea?