584,829 active members*
4,798 visitors online*
Register for free
Login
IndustryArena Forum > MetalWorking Machines > Uncategorised MetalWorking Machines > Gantry mill for precise milling of aluminium
Page 2 of 4 1234
Results 21 to 40 of 68
  1. #21
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Posts
    1189

    Re: Gantry mill for precise milling of aluminium

    Verry nice Build Verry cool


    Gesendet von iPad mit Tapatalk

  2. #22
    Join Date
    Jun 2014
    Posts
    30

    Re: Gantry mill for precise milling of aluminium

    Thanks.. Small progress feom today... Plexi protection to prevent chips from falling on Y rails:
    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	IMG_0826.jpg 
Views:	3 
Size:	94.6 KB 
ID:	351446
    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	IMG_0827.jpg 
Views:	5 
Size:	87.8 KB 
ID:	351448

  3. #23
    Join Date
    Jun 2014
    Posts
    30

    Re: Gantry mill for precise milling of aluminium

    Progress.. Frame is filled with epoxi concrette.. Next step is filling bridge, and then also filling back side of table with approx 20mm of epoxi, to prevent vibration of table.
    My father was very kind to help me with filling frame.. For anybody else planning to do the same thing - leave yourself big holes, as this stuff is very dense and hard to pour.
    Attachment 352404
    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	IMG_0834.jpg 
Views:	4 
Size:	71.0 KB 
ID:	352406

  4. #24
    Join Date
    Jun 2014
    Posts
    30

    Re: Gantry mill for precise milling of aluminium

    Progress.. Bottom surface of table is now finished - covered with epoxi granite. I made first cuts today with filled base and covered table, and surface finish looks great. It looks almost like polished. Next step is filling bridge with epoxi.
    Attachment 353722
    Attachment 353724
    Attachment 353726
    Attachment 353728
    Attachment 353730
    Attachment 353732

  5. #25
    Join Date
    Jun 2014
    Posts
    30

    Re: Gantry mill for precise milling of aluminium

    Cable carrier holder.. Milled on my machine yesterday.. I am happy with finish I get on this machine.

    Attachment 354208
    Attachment 354210
    Attachment 354212
    Attachment 354214

  6. #26
    Join Date
    Mar 2014
    Posts
    1131

    Re: Gantry mill for precise milling of aluminium

    Beautiful work. Clean job.

  7. #27
    Join Date
    Jun 2014
    Posts
    30

    Re: Gantry mill for precise milling of aluminium

    Thank you

  8. #28
    Join Date
    Jun 2014
    Posts
    30

    Re: Gantry mill for precise milling of aluminium

    All the messy jobs finally finished..
    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	IMG_0879.jpg 
Views:	5 
Size:	73.5 KB 
ID:	354352

  9. #29
    Join Date
    Jun 2014
    Posts
    30

    Re: Gantry mill for precise milling of aluminium

    Pneumatic cilinder holder is now in place..
    Attachment 354480
    Attachment 354482
    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	IMG_0886.jpg 
Views:	4 
Size:	58.0 KB 
ID:	354484
    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	IMG_0888.jpg 
Views:	4 
Size:	50.9 KB 
ID:	354486

  10. #30
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Posts
    1186

    Re: Gantry mill for precise milling of aluminium

    What is that cylinder for?

    Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk

  11. #31
    Join Date
    Jun 2014
    Posts
    30

    Re: Gantry mill for precise milling of aluminium

    It will serve as counter balance for weight on Z axis. There will be additionall servo motor and additional NT30 milling head mounted on Z axis, which will drastically increase driven weight on Z axis to more than 35KG. Such weight would cause harm to Z ballscrew in no time. This is why most of VMCs use pneumatic or hydraulic counter balance cilinder on Z axis.

  12. #32
    Join Date
    Jul 2016
    Posts
    660

    Re: Gantry mill for precise milling of aluminium

    Nothing more to say but WOW rigid from the looks of it, professionally built, add a watercooled brushless spindle motor then I think you can operate it 24/7, 365 days a year, a workforce of 3 shifts hehe, great build...

  13. #33
    Join Date
    Jun 2014
    Posts
    30

    Re: Gantry mill for precise milling of aluminium

    Thanks. This 3.2KW ac motor can also work as long as you want, it doesnt get hot. I choosed air cooled due to less potencional problems. For larger tools there will be servo driven NT30 milling head.

  14. #34
    Join Date
    Jun 2014
    Posts
    30

    Re: Gantry mill for precise milling of aluminium

    Update.. NT30 milling head is now in working state.. Milling with 50mm face mill went very good today, surface finish is also very good..
    Attachment 355978
    Attachment 355980

    Some of the cables are already taken care of..

    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	IMG_0923.jpg 
Views:	4 
Size:	82.6 KB 
ID:	355982

  15. #35
    Join Date
    Nov 2016
    Posts
    1

    Re: Gantry mill for precise milling of aluminium

    I am curious, what components does your milling head consist of and where would one source these type components from in the US?

  16. #36
    Join Date
    Jun 2014
    Posts
    30

    Re: Gantry mill for precise milling of aluminium

    Good question. Sadly I dont have answers. This milling head was removed from very big older milling machine. It was meant to be used as some kind of backup head, for some additional operations. It was never actually used, so It has zero operating hours. It is some German made head. I dont have any data about which bearings are in it. I made gearing for max 5000 Rpm, this is what I think it should handle without any problems. But it is a drawback that it isnt ATC. I dont know for US, but If you need milling head, I would suggest you to buy Chinese BT40 ATC milling head. They can be ordered with three different types of bearings - cheapest is for 6000rpm, then you can choose bearings for 8000 and 10 000rpm. Cheapest option is as low as 650USD. Best bearings will come for arround 950USD. One of my friends ordered it, and it is really well made. It has runout of less than 0.005mm. You just install pneumatic cilinder and you have ATC solution for bargain.

  17. #37
    Join Date
    Jun 2014
    Posts
    30

    Re: Gantry mill for precise milling of aluminium

    Video of machining part for rotating ballnut for bigger machine:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dG3jCYBq26U&t=32s

    I also tried milling stainless steel 304, and it went fine. I will post video soon.

  18. #38
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Posts
    790

    Re: Gantry mill for precise milling of aluminium

    That's fantastic work! Really awesome!

    What kind of acceleration settings did you use in the video?

    For my own build I still haven't made a final decision between gas struts or a pneumatic cylinder. Please tell me more about your pneumatic cylinder setup. What kinds of pressures are you running in your cylinder, what is the inner diameter of the cylinder, and how big of a reservoir are you using? Have you experienced any leaking anywhere so that you would periodically need to top up the pressure? I'm thinking of using a cheap pneumatic cylinder from ebay, but I'm not sure if it will leak.

    Once again, what you've done is fantastic!

  19. #39
    Join Date
    Jun 2014
    Posts
    30

    Re: Gantry mill for precise milling of aluminium

    Thank you.
    Acceleration is 1500mm/s*s Can go almost as high as you want with those mitsu servo motors, but it hurts even watching gantry at some high acc rates
    About cylinder.. I made research as well. I called company which produces gas struts, and they advised me not to chose it for my application. They said it wont handle fast travel so many times.
    There are pneumatic cylinders specially for this kind of applications, but I choosed ordinary one and had no problem till now.
    I was also thinking about reservoir etc.. And decided that best option is, to buy one of those cheap 100USD 25L compressors. It already has pressure valve on it, you only need air preperation unit.
    There is no chance you wont have even slightes leak.. And compressor handles this great. It will power on maybe once per week, so it will last very long, and you dont have to worry about pressure in sistem.
    Problem with gas struts is also that when it travels down, it will provide much higher force than on top, while air cilinder doesnt make any practical pressure change in sistem when travels down, due to very small displacement compared to air reservoir.
    I needed cylinder fast, so I bought festo here in my conutry, which was a bit expensive, if I had time, Id also buy cheap Chinese one. I just ordered whole bunch of different dimensions, and price for piston diameter 40mm, travell 250mm is about 5USD.
    So if those will last more than year, it is already good
    Another bennefit using air cylinder is, you can adjust force with pressure regulator.
    Inner piston diameter for my cilinder is 60mm. But I am using it in opposite direction - it lifts when it travels up. So you have to calculate surface of piston - piston rod. Then you can calculate pressure nedded. In my case it is 300kPa.
    You can go with bigger cylinder, assemble Z axis, and unscrew ballscrew nut, and then just apply pressure so long, that it lifts Z axis. Then you lower it a bit, to have a bit of weight pushing down, to eliminate any ballscrew backlash,

  20. #40
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Posts
    790

    Re: Gantry mill for precise milling of aluminium

    Thanks for the info!

    I'm thinking about using two small Inner Diameter air cylinders at a max pressure of 80 - 90 PSI. That way I would only need a very small reservoir. I was thinking about a small fire extinguisher bottle or small propane tank mounted to the back of my Z plate. Something very small. The higher the working pressure, the smaller it can be. I don't really care if the top of the stroke force is off by 25lbs from the bottom of the stroke force.

    I just don't know if the cheap EBay pneumatic cylinders will leak at those pressures. They say they will take the pressure, but will they leak, I don't know.

    Gas struts would be the easiest, but they all have damping . Hard to even see a damping spec on an inexpensive gas strut, they usually don't mention it.

    Really awesome machine you have made!

Page 2 of 4 1234

Similar Threads

  1. Aluminium Gantry Router
    By JermNZ in forum DIY CNC Router Table Machines
    Replies: 67
    Last Post: 03-17-2019, 09:54 PM
  2. Homemade Mini CNC Milling Router Mill DIY X Stage Frame Axis Slide Aluminium
    By doitbymyhand in forum DIY CNC Router Table Machines
    Replies: 0
    Last Post: 05-29-2016, 01:23 PM
  3. Homemade Mini Milling Router Mill DIY X Stage Frame Axis Slide CNC Aluminium
    By doitbymyhand in forum DIY CNC Router Table Machines
    Replies: 0
    Last Post: 05-29-2016, 01:18 PM
  4. Smaller milling machines Bed mill vs plano/fixed gantry mill
    By nilrods in forum Drilling- and Milling Machines
    Replies: 0
    Last Post: 12-17-2015, 10:34 PM
  5. Precise holes for bearing -> what endmill for aluminium?
    By mitis in forum MetalWork Discussion
    Replies: 11
    Last Post: 08-20-2014, 06:39 AM

Tags for this Thread

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •