How rigid is the CNC Router Parts PRO48xx design?
I've got a small aluminum extrusion "desktop" CNC machine (OpenBuilds CBeam) that I bought to learn on, And while it has been a great way to learn without breaking the bank, I'm finding a lot of limitations. Probably the biggest one is the issue of machine flex. It's a fixed gantry machine and Y axis beam shows a lot of flex that makes pocketing and surfacing pretty ugly even with light cuts. This forces slow speeds and shallow DOC and thus means long run times for even small jobs. And cutting aluminum, while it is possible, seems like a real push. For my next machine, I want to not only increase the work envelope size but also increase speed and be able to cut aluminum (though I don't expect super speed on that!). It will mostly be a wood and plastic cutting machine..
So, I'm looking at the CRP4848. It seems like it has potential with a lot stronger construction. But the Y axis beam has the same basic design of my smaller CBeam machine and is more than twice as long. How much flex will this impart to the Z assembly? I can get 0.025" (0.6mm) of vertical deflection in the X direction at the tip on an endmill in my CBeam machine (measured with a dial indicator when pushing by hand on the top of the Z assembly). Some of that is due to overall structure flex but a fair amount is from gantry flex. How rigid is the gantry in the CRP48xx pro design? I know that moving gantries have more flex potential but am hoping the CRP4848 design overcomes a lot of that. What do you think?