Hey guys,
i am designing a large format gantry CNC (3500mmx2000mmx35mm working envelope) The design would need to be able to cut thin sheets of marble (about 3-5 mm thick) using sawblades (so i at least need a 4th axis on the head) and be able to mill aluminium. Speeds don't need to be super high (i'm not expecting super fast cuts anyway). The machine would feature a chinese watercooled ATC spindle. 5axis capabilities would be nice since this allows a huge amount of work to be saved with sawblades (angled cuts and so)
I was wondering if anyone ever thought of using a trunnion table mounted to the Z axis as a "cheap" way to get 5 axis capabilities. I would of course need an adapter to my spindle but thats easily made. I was thinking of trying a cheap chinese trunnion table and just upgrade the steppers to some stronger ones. The other option is building my own 5 axis head, or selling a kidney to buy one. Please give me your thoughts on this mad idea