[mdreitzusa]

i was looking through electronics goldmine and found a 24v clutch in their robotics items section. would this part help with building combination manual/cnc milling machines.

here is the part. http://www.goldmine-elec-products.co...em=50&mitem=71

i thought it could disengage the motor and allow the hand wheel to turn freely.

[mdreitzusa]

i order 4 of the units.i will do some testing and let you know want i find out.

[mdreitzusa]

i received the clutches today. when i did a search on the part number it came as a canon copier part. i can find no specs but will start testing them in the next few days. if there is a copier repairman out there that has any info it would be much appritated.the number is (fh7-5494).thank for any help

[Evodyne]

mdreitzusa,

Hi! I've heard of CNC settups having brakes and seen motors with integral brakes. Seems that a clutch with one side attached to something that can't turn would function as a brake when engaged. Might help to hold an axis against backdrive or something like that (going to run, turn brake off and motor on-going to stop, turn motor off and brake on). Just a thought.

Lance

[ViperTX]

Check out the main page of http://www.cnconabudget.com Paul Jones shows how he adapted a stepper to this old mill....he uses something that reminds me of a 5C collet chuck closer....I suspect that he is using that to engage / disengage the stepper from the mill.

I guess my question would be "Why?"

[Geof]

mdreitzusa,

Hi! I've heard of CNC settups having brakes and seen motors with integral brakes. Seems that a clutch with one side attached to something that can't turn would function as a brake when engaged. Might help to hold an axis against backdrive or something like that (going to run, turn brake off and motor on-going to stop, turn motor off and brake on). Just a thought.

Lance

Using a clutch as a brake could be hazardous because it only holds when the power is on. In the event of a power failure this 'brake' will be inactive.

Some CNC machines do use "electric" brakes on the vertical axis but these are actually permanent magnet brakes that are electrically released when the corresponding servo has power. Under E-stop conditions or when the main power is off the brake is locked.

[mdreitzusa]

i thought that one of these could be mounted on the shaft behind the hand wheel.
with power off they spin free and the mill could be used manually because the motor would be disconected.
but when the cnc controller was turned on and power was applied to the clutch they would engage and the motor would then be able to turn the lead screw.

[Evodyne]

i thought that one of these could be mounted on the shaft behind the hand wheel.
with power off they spin free and the mill could be used manually because the motor would be disconected.
but when the cnc controller was turned on and power was applied to the clutch they would engage and the motor would then be able to turn the lead screw.

Possibly. Everything has it's design parameters. So long as the clutch can handle the torque that the motor puts out, it would likely work. But on a lot of the stepper setups where the motor drives the leadscrew directly you can simply get a dual shaft motor and put the handle on the back side.

Lance