[ishi]

Here is an unexpected one: the rail as a screw mounting hole right in the middle. As a result, if you want the supporting plate to:

1. have a symmetrical set of screw holes,
2. have a screw pattern half as dense as the one for the rail,
3. have plate screw holes right in the middle of rail holes,

...you cannot have a regular pattern. As a result, something has to give in the middle: either you omit some screws, or you add a few more. Conservatively, we went for the latter.

I love these little details, as I'm sure you could already tell...

[ishi]

Here is the redesigned horizontal carriage mounted on the frame.

The pace of work is going a bit slower than usual because I am trying to keep the CAD model as clean as possible.

Also, due to Summer vacations in Italy, we might not get the STEP model for the new spindle head before August 20 (HSD seems to be totally off during the first there weeks of August). In the meantime, we'll work on the machine enclosure. Most specifically, I would love to be able to come up with the design suggested earlier: a machine-wide front panel that would go up and down (most likely with two horizontal parts) and two half-depth side panels that would go forward and backward, all three electrically-actuated. Doing so would allow the entire machine to open and close itself, at the push of a button. This is clearly overkill, but I want to give the machine a totally distinctive enclosure, not just cosmetically, but functionally as well.

[ishi]

With our new design, we regained our full 1,125mm (44"1/4) of travel on the X axis. This was made possible by our wider base, which allowed us to properly center our X-axis drivetrain. As a result, we could regain full travel without having to offset the ball screw new mount beyond the footprint of the X-axis carriage. We've also reduced the length of the flanges on the nut mount in order to do so within the smaller footprint of our nut mount and slider mounting pad on the underside of the X-axis carriage.

[ishi]

Fasteners for the ball screw nut mounts have been added. We're using the same M8 30mm screws as the ones used for mounting servo motors and ball screw shafts on the motor brackets. And we made sure to position them in such a way that an allen key won't interfere with the ball screw nut during assembly.

[footpetaljones]

Flip your ballnut around 180 degrees. Otherwise the screw on the very bottom of the nut will never be tightened.

[ishi]

Flip your ballnut around 180 degrees. Otherwise the screw on the very bottom of the nut will never be tightened.

I do not understand. Which axis should I flip the ballnut around, and in relation to what component? And which screw are you talking about?

I have added some high resolution pictures for clarity:

https://drive.google.com/drive/u/3/f...3dQrx?ogsrc=32

[ishi]

Here is what I have in mind for the machine's enclosure (see attached sketch):

Blue means impact-resistant glass panels and black means carbon-fiber panels.

The front of the machine is made of three horizontal sections: the bottom one is static and will contain the two upper sections. The middle section is a machine-wide window and the upper section is opaque. The middle and upper sections can move up and down. When fully recessed into the bottom section, two thirds of the front of the machine is open.

Each side of the machine is broken into two sections: front and back. The back is static, made of a large carbon fiber panel. The front has a static bottom third and a movable top two-third. The movable section has a transparent middle section and an opaque top section. The middle and upper section make a single movable component that can recess within the back section.

When front and sides are recessed, 2/6th of the machine's enclosure is open.

I still need to work on the roof component. Adding one will prevent us from shipping the machine fully assembled with enclosure within an intermodal container though...

[footpetaljones]

The X. You have the bolt heads facing the motor. Turn the ballnut so the bolt heads are facing the fixed end of the ballscrew.

Or don't flip the ballnut, but move the housing towards the motor until it is near the end of the saddle.

As it is, tightening both X ballnuts will need a decent extension (12" or 18") with ball end hex sockets. On the bottom screw, it'll be harder than hell to get in there, especially on the nut closer to the column.

[ishi]

The X. You have the bolt heads facing the motor. Turn the ballnut so the bolt heads are facing the fixed end of the ballscrew.

Or don't flip the ballnut, but move the housing towards the motor until it is near the end of the saddle.

As it is, tightening both X ballnuts will need a decent extension (12" or 18") with ball end hex sockets. On the bottom screw, it'll be harder than hell to get in there, especially on the nut closer to the column.

I am really sorry, but I still do not understand. Here are two pictures that might help understand the current configuration. Are you saying that the bolts used to attach the nut mounts to the carriage should be reachable from the top instead of the bottom?

[ishi]

Here is a fully redesigned Y-axis casting. The overall geometry remains the same, but a lot of materials reliefs have been added in order to reduce weight. We're down to 154kg, and I don't think we can go much further, because this thing is starting to look skeletonized...

[ishi]

Some good news: we just completed an in-depth review of our mineral castings with RAMPF (our supplier), and everything seems to be in line with their capabilities. Also, no major design flaws were identified. Most importantly, we confirmed that we should go for two casts (base and column) instead of a single one. This will make it easier to construct the molds and to square the two castings. We also confirmed that using steel beams for mounting the rails is the best way to achieve the highest level of accuracy.

Next, they will introduce us to iron casting suppliers in Taiwan and China.

[ishi]

Here is our redesigned Y-axis carriage with its rotary table.

[footpetaljones]

No, not the nut mounts. The flanges on the nuts in the red circles should be where the blue circle is.

[ishi]

No, not the nut mounts. The flanges on the nuts in the red circles should be where the blue circle is.

I see, but how would this make tightening easier?

Sorry, I'm really slow on that one...

[footpetaljones]

It eliminate the need for a 12" extension on your ratcheting wrench and remove the motor that would be occupying the space your wrench needs to be in.

[handlewanker]

Surly that is just an Allen key job to tighten the cap head screws?.....either side the space is the same with the screw in the way...……...OK, so the nut is more to the outside (right hand side) of the bottom face and what you are saying is the cap head screws in the flange will be easier to get at from the right hand side with a ratchet wrench.....….once the screws are in finger tight you don't need a ratchet wrench to tighten them, just a longish Allen key.....but ideally then I suppose it WOULD be better the way you said......Ishi is just getting too lazy to redraw his pet subject......LOL.
Ian.

[ishi]

It eliminate the need for a 12" extension on your ratcheting wrench and remove the motor that would be occupying the space your wrench needs to be in.

I mounted them nut facing motor because this is what NSK did in their video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TsOPaRAayFk&t=741s

I wonder if the orientation matters. I can't think of a reason why it would, but I would like to make sure, because it will have an impact on several components if we want to benefit from full potential travels on all three linear axes.

[ishi]

Surly that is just an Allen key job to tighten the cap head screws?.....either side the space is the same with the screw in the way...……...OK, so the nut is more to the outside (right hand side) of the bottom face and what you are saying is the cap head screws in the flange will be easier to get at from the right hand side with a ratchet wrench.....….once the screws are in finger tight you don't need a ratchet wrench to tighten them, just a longish Allen key.....but ideally then I suppose it WOULD be better the way you said......Ishi is just getting too lazy to redraw his pet subject......LOL.
Ian.

Lazy week-end indeed...

[ishi]

Here is the redesigned horizontal carriage mounted on the machine's frame.

[ishi]

The flange on which the support mounts are installed on the X-axis carriage had to be redesigned in order to provide clearance for the flanges of the nut mounts.