[serhey778]

Hey CNCbuilders
I am planning to build my own CNC plasma table, is any one from Vancouver area (Canada) who has some experience with this?

[mrain1]

I don't know how close you are to Bothel, Washington, but Dan Mauch is a terrific supplier and has been involved with this DIY CNC movement from the beginning. His address is:

Camtronics, inc.
18230 130th PL NE
Bothell, WA 98011-3118
[email protected]

I am not associated in any way, BTW.

[Shapenfab]

Hi Serhey, I just got mine up and running this past 2 weeks. I started last Feb. but with work and all I didn't get the table done till June I think, then my plasma machine took a crap on me so I couldn't afford a new one till last December. Well with a few interuptions I now finally have it up and running and I am working on learning all the little in's and out's there are to making succesfull burns on all thickness of plate. I purchased a new A-120 from Thermal Dynamics and so far think it will be a good machine. My only limitation will be the fact that it is wired to single phase power so my duty cycles will we affected somewhat on thicker material but shouldn't mean much on thin stuff, ( 3/8" and on down.) Anyway if I can help at all just email me and we can talk. My shop is just outside Snohomish Wa. which is about 2 to 3 hrs from Vancover I think. Good Luck Blake

( [email protected] )

[serhey778]

Thanks guys
I am just getting started, reading posts and trying to learn. Could you advise me parts and electronic suppliers, please? How much and how long does it take to perform this kind of project?
Thank for any information

[millman52]

Thanks guys
I am just getting started, reading posts and trying to learn. Could you advise me parts and electronic suppliers, please? How much and how long does it take to perform this kind of project?
Thank for any information

My build was also strung out over a year from start to table making parts. I started from scratch with no formal plans or kit. I own a machine & fab shop so tools, machine tools & materials for the build was at my disposal at all times. I pretty much worked on evenings & weekends. If I had dedicated full time to the project & had a helper for part of the time probably could have pulled off the build in 2-4 weeks. It is a sizeable first time CNC task with no kit or plans. I spent way more time reading about others builds & pricing & scrounging all the mechanical parts needed than I did actually building.

I didn't keep exact track of all my costs but somewhere around $6000.00 US.
I now use the table daily & is a money maker for my shop. The table paid for itself many times over in a year time frame.

Not knowing anything about electronics I elected to go with www.candcnc.com electronics. I first thought it was a lot of money for the electronics, but it's a good product & it sure made life easier in that department.

After building my table I could probably piece the electronics together & make it work. But I probably wouldn't bother. I'd most likely go with candcnc again. (no affiliation, just a satisfied customer)

At more than one point in the build I wished I had bought at least a gantry kit from some one of the manufacturers out there. I just didn't want their operating system(s) their choice of motors, gearing etc. & still don't.

For a small shop/home plasma table I don't think you can beat Mach3 & Sheetcam.

[serhey778]

At more than one point in the build I wished I had bought at least a gantry kit from some one of the manufacturers out there.

What kind of kit did you mean, simple assemblies like a bearing - screw pair or it's complete kit for whole machine?

[millman52]

At more than one point in the build I wished I had bought at least a gantry kit from some one of the manufacturers out there.

What kind of kit did you mean, simple assemblies like a bearing - screw pair or it's complete kit for whole machine?

If I could have bought just the hardware: Gantry, rack & pinion linear rail for gantry all the brackets,bushings,bearings,motor mounts for what ever NEMA size motor frame you choose. without having to buy their computer interface system software etc. a kit of that nature would really be nice.

It takes loads of time to hand make (or 1 off) if you will all the small parts it takes to bolt/weld one of these tables together.

If you don't have a small lathe & some kind of a milling machine you'll almost for certain have to find a machine shop or friend to do at least a small amount of work for you. Most things you will have to make can be done with a few normal home shop tools. A decent drill press will go a long way in cutting time out of the project.

That way all or at least most of the sourcing of these parts comes in 1 package. When you decide to build from scratch You'll have to find & order or make yourself, everything you need from probably 20-30 different suppliers.

A short list could include:

Socket head cap screws 3MM, 4MM, 5MM 4-40 & 5-40 Then the drill bits & taps if needed from MSC, Enco, Mcmaster Carr etc..
Notched belt pulleys & belts Drive reduction(s)
Rack & pinion or other, belt, sprocket chain etc. (drives)
Echain to house all your wires hoses etc.
Steel/Alum. for the fabrication.
Limit switches
Wire & cable

The list can get long.

[Torchhead]

www.CNCPartsKit.com

TOM C

[Torchhead]

What you will see in the VERY near future is "bare Bones" plasma or plasma/router tables with the mechanics done and ready for the Electronics/motors. The idea is to make it all just a plug together "kit" so you don't have to spend days and dollars trying to come up with all the right stuff.

The market has shifted over the last year and the economy has accelerated the move to lower cost alternatives for CNC cutting without giving up important features and performance.

For those with access to a machine shop the cheapest way is still to build your own BUT you will always be trading time for $$$.

TOM CAUDLE
www.CandCNC.com
Totally Modular CNC Electronics

[millman52]

What you will see in the VERY near future is "bare Bones" plasma or plasma/router tables with the mechanics done and ready for the Electronics/motors. The idea is to make it all just a plug together "kit" so you don't have to spend days and dollars trying to come up with all the right stuff.

The market has shifted over the last year and the economy has accelerated the move to lower cost alternatives for CNC cutting without giving up important features and performance.

For those with access to a machine shop the cheapest way is still to build your own BUT you will always be trading time for $$$.

TOM CAUDLE
www.CandCNC.com
Totally Modular CNC Electronics

Thanks Tom,

That's what I was trying to get across in words.
I always wondered why someone wasn't doing this exact thing. Hopefully their web site will gain more detail as time progresses.

I've scratch built several machines that are job specific to my work. Most of them for metal forming or bending of some sort. I pretty much knew what I was getting in for when I made the decision to build a burning table.

Unless one has done similar projects before, It's pretty hard to imagine the 5 gallon bucket full of small parts that have to be made to build a table.

Lots of the parts & brackets etc were much smaller than I deal with on a day by day basis. Drilling-Tapping holes for instance I do literally 1000s of 3/8" & up threaded holes most of them 3/4"- 1 1/4". It can be a bit hard to transition to the seemingly "easy" small holes. I do 1000s of feet of 1" & up shafting but rarely deal with 3/8" & 1/2" the gear reduction drives for a burning table require.

I do not wish to be discouraging in any way. I just hate to see anyone throw out a fist full of money then realise it's much more of a project than they ever dreamed.

One of my customers finally decided to retire a cantilever ESAB machine they are still using. They are now in the process of building a 8' X 20' gantry machine. I imagine at some point I'll be involved to some degree on that project. They have been quite impressed with the accuracy of parts I have been supplying them off my home built with your electronics.

[rchacich]

Millman52,

I asked myself that exact question after attending the Fabtec show in Chicago a year and a half ago. After looking at all the plasma tables available and what they were charging, I decided to do something about it. A year ago I started a company called Precision Plasma LLC and started building an unpainted 4' x 4' plasma table and gantry. I did not include the electronics, since other companies, like candcnc.com, specialize in that aspect. This allowed me to produce and sell the DIY kit for around $2.5K. Add the electronics, motors, and software, and you can build a 4' x 4' table for $4,000. Pictures can be seen at www.precisionplasmallc.com.

Once I started selling the kit, the first thing I was asked is if I could sell a 4' x 8' kit. One week later, I had the first 4' x 8' unit built. The next day I was asked was if I would sell the 4' x 8' kit without the frame. Now my biggest seller is the 4' x 8' where I provide a print for a welded frame. The cost to build the 4' x 8' machine, including the cost of the frame material, is about $4.5K. (not factoring in shipping costs)

The one thing you will notice about the table is that I direct drive the motors to the gear racks. This is typically not the best way to build a machine, but it works extremely well with the lightweight gantry I designed. I can achieve a rapid traverse of 1000ipm and an acceleration of 50in/sec/sec. This is done with 2.8A 276in-oz automation direct motors. I will be testing the 300in-oz candcnc.com motors shortly which should work even better.

I am also designing a new low cost 5' x 10' gantry and rail kit of a different design which will cost around $5K with the gantry, electronics, and table material. Finally, I am working on an Industrial 8' x 20' kit which has a target price of $10K.(kit + electronics + material)

Best Regards,
Ron Chacich

[serhey778]

Thanks for tips, guys!
I am kind of interested to build the machine by my own. So many frames designed already, I can choose something. But the electronics, is that too difficult to set up the electronics by own? I mean choose proper drives to servomotors, set up the software parameters etc. Do I have to be especially educated for that or it is enough just to read some manuals?

[DanOSB]

get ur electronics from candcnc.com (torchhead from here)

you cant go wrong with this system and from my experience its worth every penny..

everytime i have little problem or something he always reply quickly and solve my problems

A++++ for customer service/tech support

[jimcolt]

I understand the market for low cost entry level (or call them "hobby class") cnc plasma systems......but with the machine mechanics in kit form you also have the opportunity to step up to using the exact same cnc, THC, plasma, drives and software that is used on high end (read expensive!) industrial machines. It would be relatively straighforward to install one of Hypertherms "bundled" packages which includes a Hypertherm Automation PC based cnc control, drive amplifiers and servomotors, a sensor or sensor PHC Torch Height Control system, a Hypertherm plasma and top it off with MTC software (Hypertherm recently aquired MTC, the most popular industrial nesting software for high production industrial use) With all of this equipment mounted on a prefab machine frame....you now have the same equipment that can be found on the shop floor at the Local steel service center, or the local metal fab shop. Here's a link:
http://www.hypertherm.com/en/Product...ages/index.jsp

Jim Colt

[serhey778]

Well, those suppliers sale complete packages. I am kind of a computer guy and would like to learn step by step whole cnc idea. Going thru forum posts I found lots of things I am interested to know about. Can I find any manuals or instructions that would explain to me whole cnc system mechanism starting from simple things like a difference between stepper and servo, driver and controller types and ending with all parameter settings I have to set to build my own cnc system?

[mo_alhawary]

Hi
I need to make a CNC table that can work as plasma cutter and as router I have hypertherm 1000 max plasma and I have 3 motors, the power supply, 3 line filters, and the 6 cables that connect the motors to the drives.

The drives are Emerson, Control Techniques, model number EN-204. They require 240vac, at 8.5a rms, 50/60hz, single phase. The front panel is model FM-3DN.

The motors are made by Control Techniques. One motor is model number MGE-316-CONS-0000. It is rated at 240vac, 4.0amps, 1.01hp, 0.75kw, and 4000rpm. The output shaft is 1/2" in diameter. The other two motors are model NTE-207-CONS-0000. They are rated at 240vac, 1.7amps, 0.4kw, and 5000rpm. The output shafts are 3/8" in diameter.

The power supply is made by Control Techniques, model number ALP-430. It can operate on 120 or 240vac. It has four outputs of 140vdc. There are 3 cords and connectors that plug directly into each drive.

The line filters are made by Emerson, model number 960305-01. The outputs plug into the drives.

Also included the six cables that connect the motors and encoders to the drives. There are connectors at both ends.

that's all I have and I don't know how to make it
Can anyone help me in this project ?

Thank you.

[Torchhead]

That sounds like an engineering project! The first thing you need to get a handle on is the Emerson Drives. You need the manuals. From your description the motors appear to be brushless AC servo. Do they have physical encoders on them with wires? The drives may be matched to the motors based on the voltage specs (if not you are pretty much hosed)

The power supply sounds like it's for DC brushed motors. (140VDC outputs)

IF the drives and motors are made to work together you then need to determine if the drives will take TTL level Step (clock) and Dir (CW/CCW) signals. If the drives have encoder inputs (or the positional feedback from the motors) then the conventional interface electronics we discuss here on the lists and MACH3 can give you the front-end interface and options like torch height control.

TOM Caudle
www.CandCNC.com
Totally Modular CNC Electronics

[serhey778]

Wow!!! Looks like you guys really professionals in electronics. I hope I will have a chance to get some help from you when I buy your product. But how about the mechanics, do you care about slideways, ball screws, gearing etc.?
Could you advice someone who is the best supplier of that stuff, please? I am trying to calculate my budget. Thanks.

[Torchhead]

By choice we don't get into the mechanics of the tables other than to make general suggestions. The electronics and software end of the CNC world keeps us 110% busy! I can give you what most guys are using for the gearing and linear drive components. If you intent is to have a plasma CNC table then you need to rule out using ballscrews. You certainly don't need the accuracy of ballscrews, and in bigger tables you won't be able to spin them fast enough for plasma speeds unless you get really course threads. The problem is not that you don't have enough RPM from the motors but from a condition called "lead whip" that distorts the leadscrew over it's length. The smaller the diameter and the longer the screw the worse it is. Then there is the nasty plasma dust that coats everything and LOVES close tolerance moving parts (:-o

The best supplier will depend partly on where you are, and I see you are in Canada so you will need to deal with suppliers that are willing to ship to Canada (like we do). Some suppliers will not go through the hassle for small orders.

Perhaps some of the other builders on the list will chime in on the mechanicals. You are welcome to join my CandCNCSupport Yahoo Forum and get some help on sources there. I have built enough machines and seen countless more, that we know HOW to do it and use them (and the shortcomings of various designs) but I don't do it often enough to be able to recommend sources for the parts.

If you are looking for sub-assemblies all the way to bare bones tables look at
http://www.CNCPartsKit.com
or www.K2CNC.com
or http://www.precisionplasmallc.com/
That will also give you some rough budget numbers. You can build it yourself for less and buy the electronics package but you need to factor in the fact that unless you have access to free machining, some of the items will have to be designed and built for $$ or bought ready made (i.e. Z axis with floating touch-off)

TOM Caudle
www.CandCNC.com
Totally Modular CNC Electronics

[serhey778]

Thanks Tom,
What's the point of using Torch Height Control system? Is that like for high precision cutting? If I need to keep the part shape within 0.015" do I have to use that? Can I adjust the height manually by the shim and do not move it?