[logical]

Looks like a cool toy, will keep an eye on this thread

[Falcon69]

Thanks Logic, but it's just a design so far, not reality.

Gerry, thanks for your input. I've enlarged the 3/8" thick support brackets and then ran a stress simulation test using SolidWorks. According to the data, It would take an awful lot to make this thing flex/move. I think it's going to be overkill for what I'll be doing with it.

SolidWorks mass properties is saying this is going to weigh in at 480lbs, just as you see it drawn below, with motors, rails, etc. A lot heavier than I thought it was going to be.

[louieatienza]

The revised gantry looks great! Though I think the gantry assembly could be stiffer if the inside gussets extended out a little further? Or even out of bent sheet, and splayed out?

[Falcon69]

right now, the shortest distance between them is 54". I guess I could extend them to a distance of 49" I don't want to make it any less. If I happen to need to mill a piece of 4'x8' of something that happens to be 7-9" tall, the gussets would hit it. (unlikely i'd mill a piece like that, but you never know)

Maybe I could make the 4"x8" crossmember 1/2" thick instead of 3/8" thick?

[louieatienza]

right now, the shortest distance between them is 54". I guess I could extend them to a distance of 49" I don't want to make it any less. If I happen to need to mill a piece of 4'x8' of something that happens to be 7-9" tall, the gussets would hit it. (unlikely i'd mill a piece like that, but you never know)

Maybe I could make the 4"x8" crossmember 1/2" thick instead of 3/8" thick?

You could shape the bottom curved, like a bridge, since the distance from the table can be the same as the bottom of your carriage...

[Falcon69]

Okay, I see what you mean. Here it is Louie, just for you!




The shortest distance between the gussets is now just a tad under 49.375"

I managed to shave a little steel from some other areas, without (i don't think) effecting the strength. So it should now weigh in at about 475lbs.

[lgalla]

480lbs seems very heavy for the Y.A steel tube 4"X8"X3/8" X60 long is 130lbs.I can't see the motors,rails etc adding up to 350lbs.I guess the end plate uprights are where all the weight is.What size motors will you use?
Larry

[lgalla]

woops

[Falcon69]

Igalla,

That steel tube is about 97" long.

I labeled everything in Solidworks as A-36 steel (except motors, rail, blocks, screws, etc). Solidworks did the calculation for weight, not I. It came out to 475lbs.

these motors are 960oz/in NEMA 34 motors. X,Y, and Z-axis will use these motors. A-Axis (lathe) will probably be using a Servo motor, but I'm undecided on that just yet.

[louieatienza]

That looks great! This thing's going to be a beast....

[PaulRowntree]

Would it be worth the effort to provide clearance on the gantry's end plates to allow you to roll the spindle carriage's horizontal bearing blocks onto the gantry tracks? It might save some dis-assembly.

[Falcon69]

Sorry there has not been much updates. I've been busy with school and other things. Still waiting for funds as well. Plus, I'm still working on redesigning the machine to accomodate a 4th-axis Lathe.

I may have found a solution to the vacuum hold down set-up for my machine.

I found this on Youtube.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBN5sK0CyXg"]Video 1 of Vacuum Hold Down[/ame]
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5h7m7vJJfs&feature=relmfu"]Video 2 of Vacuum Hold Down[/ame]
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-khSclZ3aw&feature=relmfu"]Video 3 of Vacuum Hold Down[/ame]
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhF3MQzdWDc&feature=relmfu"]Video 4 of Vacuum Hold Down[/ame]

Now that was done with a crappy Harbor Freight 220v 3HP Dust Collector.

So, I'm thinking, if it could do it with just a 3hp dust collection system, why not go with a 5hp single Phase 220v Dust Collection System.


I looked at this one earlier in my thread on this machine build, 3000W Centrifugal Vane Vacuum Pump, but it's output (or suction) is 260m³/hr which is equal to 153cfm. So it seems to me it will NOT be as good as using a dust collector. Plus, the 5hp can double as a dust collection attached to the Kent CNC Boot I plan to buy. All I need to do is find a cyclone and a 55gallon drum.

What do you all think? Think it could work?

[ger21]

I've seen those video before, and imo, that setup won't hold parts down with a 1/2" bit and 1/4" d.o.c. at ~150ipm. Especially if the parts are smaller than 1.5-2 sq. ft.

[Falcon69]

Okay, I'm ready to make a purchase for linear rails, but I'm not sure what ones would be good enough and accurate.

Linear/Profile rails. Automation Overstock has some AGW and LGW ones.

For what I'm going to be doing with my machine, plastic, wood, and very light aluminum milling, could I get away with using the AGW ones? (medium duty)

Reason I ask is because the LGW has the sizes, but what they have in stock are not all top mount, etc. I'd have to change up my design abit.

[Falcon69]

I've had to do some redesigning of the Router, since the Profile Blocks I bought are a different size from what I was going to originally go with. They are ordered and should be here at the end of next week. That was a quick $1700 gone. I hope they are going to be worth it. I went with Hiwin AGW's, 30mm for the y-axis and 20mm for both the x-axis and z-axis. All of them are preloaded (z1). I've redesigned the uprights as well. This will take off just alittle over 50lbs off the Gantry over the last design. I don't think the strength will change much, but will require more machining when welded up to get it all flat and square. Each upright measures 12" across the top and uses 1/4 steel, with 3/8 steel for where the bearings and gear are mounted. The gantry is still going to weigh like 550lbs though , with the router, rails, z-axis, and all mounted. Alittle heavy, but I'm hoping the 960oz. motors I bought will be sufficient enough.

I've also finished the board design for the Dual LED Home/Limit Switches. Got the Mainboard and the Switch boards designed up and ready to send off to the manufacturer.

The Mainboard will also have an option to have 1 output of 5volts or 3.3volts, via a Jumper. +5 volts need to be connected to the board, which I will get from the output the Power Supply has.

The board is designed for 2 switches for x-axis, 2 for y-axis, 2 for z-axis, and 1 for home switch. So seven in all. There is a jumper for each of the axis in case you're only running one switch per axis, or if your breakout board only allows one of each.

The size of the switch boards are 18.5mm x 12.5mm. Very Small! So They can easily fit into the mounts Romanlini designed, only modifying for the two LED's and the Mini-USB port. (I needed something with 5pins, this was the smallest I can find)

The Size of the Mainboard is 77.5mm x 50.2mm. Small! It has external outputs via 4pin connectors for the Panel Mount LED's and the single 2-pin output for a Lamp Test panel mount LED, to test and make sure all the switches are operational when starting the machine. There are outputs on screw terminals for output to the breakoutboard and for the rocker switch for the lamp test, as well as for the 3.3-5volt output. I needed to fill the empty spot on the screw terminal strip. Seemed like a good idea, can run an LED directly from it for something else. A single 5x20mm fuse (easy to get from just about anywhere if you blow it) installed also on the board.

The circuit works. I bought a breadboard and the circuits (not SMT, but through hole) for testing. It works! When the machine is turned on, the green LED goes on, and stays on, at both the switch and the external panel mount LED. But when tripped, the green turns off and red goes on. It's going to be nice! Can't wait to get those boards ordered. I'm going to order extra, since the cost to make 10 is just pennies to make another 10 or so.

I may change the design of the main board and make it so the USB's are on a seperate board so they can be panel mounted to the back of the control box. That way, the wires can be easily connected and disconnected externally if I need to move the machine/box around. But that depends on how much that circuit board for those will cost me. I'll work on that design later.

Thanks to John100 and Ger21 for their help in the other thread regarding the switches. John was a huge help! He was the one to actually design it for me. Thanks again John!

This is a slow build, since I've seem to gone all out and I don't have one of those legendary money trees in my back yard growing. I even have automatic Spindle Tool Change operation in mind for later in the future as well as a 4th axis lathe capable of turning a 16 inch diameter by 100 inch board. Perfect for makin a carving on house columns or something. Building the machine to accept both the add-ons for later. I just have to buy alittle at a time, as I get money to do so.

Anyway, Here's some pics. I'll post up pics of the rails and blocks when they come in.

[steve123]

I like the look of the gantry. It's looking a lot like the commercial designs. It should be quite rigid. The linear rails on the gantry should be spaced as far apart as you can. It looks like you have room on the beam to do that. I would put them all the way to the top and bottom edge. Also the blocks on the Z axis look a bit close together. The rest of the machine looks so beefy, I would hate to see you end up with a wobbly Z

[Falcon69]

thanks!

I thought alot about the Z. Changed many designs on it.

Honestly, with the preloaded bearings and the fact that the rails are 6" apart and the blocks about 4" apart, plus it being 20mm rails, I honestly don't think it will move much, unless I tell it too. This is steel, not aluminum.

If I lower the rail on the bottom, then the Z will sit lower then the crossmember. I don't want that. That will limit how much I can turn on the lathe and also I won't be able to mill anything 9" thick. (I pan on doing some carvings and such out of solid 9" thick blocks of (Place exotic wood here). Right now, the bottom of the router spindle sit flush to bottom of Z, and when Z is all the way down (full 9" of travel) There is 1" clearance for a bit.

I am taking the second part of Solidworks in the winter quarter at the college. It will teach me how to run the analysis programs for the strength and loads of steel, etc. If I don't get this thing built by then, I will run the program on the Z and find out exactly what forces it can take.

[Falcon69]

Just got done picking up my Rails and Blocks from UPS Freight service.

Got some scratches on em, but not a big deal. The package was broken open, but they seem to be okay. No dings in them.

The 30mm rails are alot more heavier then I thought. They make the 20mm rails look like dwarfs.

I got the scraper and seal kits with them and will try an put them on this weekend.

I'll try and post up some pics when I get back from school later.

[Falcon69]

I just got home.

As promised. Here's the pic of my new rails and blocks! I get excited when I get a new part for the machine. It's like opening a christmas gift.

I placed a quarter there for size reference.

The 30mm rails are 3055mm in length
The 20mm rails are 2400mm in 400mm in length.

I bought the wiper kits too for each block (extra scraper and seals)



that 30mm rail is definately going to be overkill. I can tell just by looking at it that it is too big.

[Falcon69]

I thought I would share this....

I went to a party a couple weekends ago, and met a Mechanical Engineer who's been one since he graduated with his master's 8 years ago. Now first of all, some of you may know, I'm going to college right now to earn my masters...well, associates, then bachelors and masters......Anyway.... We had a nice little talk and I told him about this machine I'm working on.

He told me, that this was great and that I should put it on my resume when I get my master's and start looking for work. He told me that this project will make me stand out amongst other applicants, and he woulda hired me in a second, if this was just a few years later and I had my degree.

So, it looks like this machine will pay off, in yet another area, once complete.

That made me feel pretty proud about this machine. Just thought I would share that.

FYI, more to come, just waiting on funds.