[toneV8]

Does it possible to build 5 axis milling machine made from steel plates or steel tubes similar on the picture with main spindle motor 3-5KW.My question is how much cost to weld, precision milling and surface grinding all necessary surface on machine.
Machin specifications:
working travel
x axis 3000 or 6000mm,
y axis 3000mm,
z axis 1800 or 2000mm.
With machine I plan to make molds for car parts: bumpers,hoods, doors
molds material - wood, aluminium and grey iron

[Chris Welton]

Building the 5 Axis machine you are specifying would be VERY difficult. Mold surfacing with a 5 Axis gantry not only requires a very tight machine, but an extremely advanced control, also. It has to have a feedback system that can limit axis travel to make clean transitions when all 5 axes are moving at the same time. We do a lot of surfacing in Ren composite with a 5 axis Thermwood router. It is one of the cheapest true 5 axis mills you can buy. In order to keep it in tollerance it has to be trammed every day. That said, they cost between 75K and 100K American used. There is ine on EBay for 89.5K right now. Even with that level of investment, you will not be able to cut billet aluminum or iron. The head can't handle it. Wood and composite only. I'm not trying to sound mean, but if you're serious about doing this it will be very expensive and could take years to complete.

[Splint]

Tone,
it can be done but at a price. Have a look at http://www.rainnea.com/cnc.htm for a smaller home made 5 axis controlled by Mach 2. Its hard to put a price on such a project without getting a better idea of how good you want it to be (accuracy/rigidity) and how much of the labor you can cover yourself and what equipment and facilities you have. A wild guess would be perhaps around $50,000 if you want a fairly "profesional" machine but you could easily spend more than that. Also keep in mind 5 axis cam software which can be fairly expensive.

Splint

[cadman]

Tone,

If you want to cut soft materials like Ren, foam & plastic, and you can live with very loose tolerances, then you can build your own router if you have the technical capabilities and access to equipment to build it. You will pretty much be limited to a small machine and it will still be expensive.

If you want to build a 5-axis router with your specs and want to cut aluminum & grey iron, the answer is no. Period.

There are only a few companies that make 5 axis routers that can cut non-ferrous metals. Quintax and Komo are the most notable. These machines are big, with liquid cooled 16-40 hp spindles. And very expensive.

I was in the market earlier this year for a 5 axis router to cut aluminum molds and got a quote from Quintax for their model Q5H heavy duty router. $220,708.00 was for the base machine, no options. A quote from Komo was in the $250,000.00 range.

Keep in mind, these machines will not cut steel. If you are looking for REAL capacity to cut aluminum and steel then you need to look at 5 axis gantry/bridge type machining centers (SNK, Mighty Viper, Absolute Machine, etc..), not routers, and these machines are more expensive yet. You will also need suitable cam software to program these machines ($17,000 and up). Most shops that have these machines generally rough out the molds/parts on 3 axis machines first, then semi-finish and finish on the 5 axis machines.

I'm not trying to burst your bubble or curb your enthusiasm but to build what you want is not practical.

CM

[toneV8]

I only need big dimension machine.It not need to be much accuracy, fast milling, profesional..........to milling aluminium and grey iron.I only mention machine design similar on the picture. So what you suggestion me to do.

[whiteriver]

You can build one for less than $5,000 for foam,wood and plastic. If you want harder materials I would say less than $25K if you design and farm out the machining. This is less the cost of the software which can double the price.
You will really have to scrounge on ebay and such and do the work yourself. This is a stepper cost not a servo cost which could double or tripple yet again.

Donny

www.whiterivermfg.com

[RotarySMP]

If you want to cut iron, you need rigidity. Rigid and low accuracy makes no sense.

The best way to get a cheap four or five axis gantry mill is to wait for the next collapse in the airline business cycle. When Boeing starts laying off workers 10 000 at a time, start visit machinery auctions in Seattle and Whitchita.

[toneV8]

Does someone working on Motion master and similar machine.

[ViperTX]

Take a look at http://www.lmwatts.com for an example of a person that built a 3-axis machine.....you'll see some of the engineering that went into his machine....your effort for a 5-axis machine would be much larger.

[cadman]

Take a look at http://www.lmwatts.com for an example of a person that built a 3-axis machine.....

Very nice machine.

Tonev8 - one of my former customers has a large 5 axis Motion Master. Not sure of the X & Y travels, but it is big and has a 10 foot Z axis. It also only has a cat30 Columbo spindle. They can't hold tolerances any closer than +/-.005 on a perfect day but they don't do close tolerance work so it doesn't matter. They tried to do some light engraving on aluminum plate one time and it turned out bad; the spindle vibrated something fierce. They wound up sending the part out for chemical etching.

CM

[toneV8]

How about machine on this video http://www.cncmotion.com/aluminum.mpg 14MB show how milling aluminium. Machine is the same design from welded steel tube.Also can this machine milling aluminium.

[toneV8]

So what you think.

[Splint]

I think if you want to cut aluminium you would be far better off to hunt around and find a 5 axis which is past it's useful life, buy it cheap and recondition/retrofit it. Either that or build a machine suitable only for milling foam and wood and outsource the aluminium machining as required. Building a machine which is rigid enough to hold tolerence while machining aluminium, in my oppinion, is beyond the average hobbyist.

Splint

[toneV8]

Splint: Did you see video.

I am in opportunity to buy new machine frame like Motion Master,Thermwood........ and plane to instal better/stronger linear slides, ballscrews and oder parts for cnc machine.

I would like to build machine like one frst image, second machine is also good.

[Switcher]

toneV8, I think that second picture (in Post #14) Is only a, 3-axis machine.

[toneV8]

Switcher: yes but I only show frame design.

[Splint]

The frame and gantry on the second machine is obviously rigid enough to machine alloy but it lacks sufficient clearence below the gantry to use as a 5 axis. The first picture is a nice looking 5 axis but I would question whether it could successfully machine al. If you intend reconditioning an existing machine I would be doing some test cuts in al (worst case scenario-z axis fully extended at the mid point of the gantry taking heavy cuts) prior to even planning buying the machine. When and if you are satisfied that it is rigid enough for your requirements do a detailed inspection of the machine to work out a parts list of all the hardware required to recondition the machine. Work out how much for the parts and labor. Just don't rush in and find the project is beyond your finances, ability or facilities.

[toneV8]

What you think aboute used radial drill machine convert to cnc + x table and longer z axis like on picture. Can then milling aluminium and grey iron.

[Switcher]

I don't think a radial drill will hold up to the side load.

[toneV8]

What you think aboute this version. Only z axis move not crane.