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IndustryArena Forum > WoodWorking Machines > DIY CNC Router Table Machines > Dual Y Steppers on Moving Table design
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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Posts
    626

    Dual Y Steppers on Moving Table design

    I'm contemplating a CNC Router build soon, but have not settled on a design.
    If I was to build a Moving Table design, pssibly using steel, if seems to me that the weak link would be the single stepper on the Table?
    Is is optimal to use dual steppers,as well as 2 linear rails on a moving Table? Not sure 'optimal' is the right word, but anyway.....or is it a waste of time and money with no real gain?
    If so, what would be the best layout?

    This is one of the designs I am looking at:

  2. #2
    Join Date
    May 2005
    Posts
    1662

    Re: Dual Y Steppers on Moving Table design

    At that rail spacing dual motors would be a waste imo, At least if the concern is racking.
    Anyone who says "It only goes together one way" has no imagination.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Posts
    626

    Re: Dual Y Steppers on Moving Table design

    Quote Originally Posted by cyclestart View Post
    At that rail spacing dual motors would be a waste imo, At least if the concern is racking.
    Thanks...so preventing Racking is the only time dual steppers would be used?

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jul 2018
    Posts
    6254

    Re: Dual Y Steppers on Moving Table design

    Hi Sterob - Its not the job of the drive to prevent racking., That's the job of the bearing system. Dual drive is only used if more torque is needed rather than using a bigger motor for some reason eg keeping the profile lower. But a single drive is always preferable over a dual drive. Why would the single drive be the weak link? Peter

  5. #5
    Join Date
    May 2004
    Posts
    210

    Re: Dual Y Steppers on Moving Table design

    For a moving table design, single vs dual isn't much of an issue. But for a moving gantry, I see an awful lot of dual motor designs. I'm no expert but it sure seems like a single motor moving gantry could rack pretty easily without some way of driving each side. Then that becomes a question of complexity, I think.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jul 2018
    Posts
    6254

    Re: Dual Y Steppers on Moving Table design

    Hi Phil et al - Moving gantries do not have enough bearing spacing to be stable. The moving table in Sterob's image has a square bearing pattern which is geometrically stable. Gantries are so wide that we can't have the bearings spaced that far apart otherwise the machine would be huge. I have had motor pulley slips on one side of the gantry and they rack really bad even when the gantry is very stiff. So a moving gantry machine is a compromise in the area of bearing stability that has to be countered with dual drives, a countershaft or a single under or over drive. The price you pay for a bigger envelope, moving gantry. Peter

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Posts
    626

    Re: Dual Y Steppers on Moving Table design

    It all makes sense...thanks guys.
    I never thought about the lack of spacing between the rails and the ball screws on Moving gantry designs....I do now...lol
    So a Moving Table design, as well as easeir to make ridgid, can be simpler, ie single Y axis ballscrew.

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