[ardenum2]

hi Thomas,

how's electronics setup going? which beckhoff ethercat modules did you choose?

[badhabit]

Leaktested the spindle-nose today. No leaks! Success :-)

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/ViHMDCpMC-0

[badhabit]

Yeeeeeah, progress is still slow. It is very hard to find the time to work on the machine and whenever i got a bit of time i seem to be completely wasted. Family and small kids are hard work!

Anyways, i got a bit done today! Finished welding of a lot of "supporting parts" for the machine. So i designed and fabricated a frame for mounting the electrical cabinet on the right side of the column. A support frame for the counterweight airtank, oiling pump, spindlecooling etc. to be mounted on the left side of the column. I also finished up the hydrailic pushing mecanism for tool-release and a bunch of brackets for dragchain mounting. So i started "plumping" the machine with cooling, oil and wires...here is a "in progress picture" from today:

... you can spot the electrical cabinet in the back end the table...

[badhabit]

I finally had the chance to assemble the entire tool-release with everything and test it out. And it works!


So the whole problem is my height-contraint, otherwise i'd used a pneumatic cylinder. I also had to center the push-ring on the spindle AND make space for the coolant-through-spindle adapter on the end of the spindle. All while pushing 40.000N/4000kgf on the spindle. I was concerned that the push-ring would drag on the spindle so i built a "tower" to make the whole assembly more ridig and i added fixtures to the push-arm to keep it in line with the spindle...

But i think i nailed it and i'm very pleased with the result :banana:

....on to the next problem :-)

[Buoyen]

This looks amazing

[badhabit]

Attachment 488486 ....it is very shiny stuff!

...that is until i fire up the magnetic drill and molest the pieces:
Attachment 488488
... i still need to drill and tap a ton of holes on all 6 sides on the subtable, that will happen sometime in the near future

Well, i guess that time is now:-) I thought i'd share a small detail i learned along the way in this project: Counterbore your threadholes so they don't lift the surface around the threads! I should have done this below my linear rails, but didn't. This might be basic knowledge for people in the trade, but for rookies like me this wasn't a detail i had thought of. Anyways, I'm going to do it on the sub-table, first the counterbored hole and then adding the M12 thread:
Attachment 497120 Attachment 497122
....having 5mm down to the first thread minimizes the "lift" of the surface around the hole when the bolt is torqued...

And by the way, magnetic drills are awesome! Here is me threading one of the holes with M12 through 40mm of steel:

[badhabit]

Testfit of subtable:
Attachment 497454
It fits nicely and i could not help but to test the waycovers and now it starts to look like a machine :-)

[suspension]

I also finished the design of the way covers and ordered them last week:


The next step is an enclosure for the entire thing...

Hi Badhabit

Did you do the CAD design for way covers from scratch? I also need to do this for mine and checked for existing CAD designs but found none.

Thanks
Sus

[suspension]

This is how they look now:


Next stop: The mould...

Could I know why you think sandblasting is needed? Approaching my machine's casting and wanted to get few things finalized and sand blasting was one of them.

[badhabit]

Did you do the CAD design for way covers from scratch? I also need to do this for mine and checked for existing CAD designs but found none.

Yeah, i just drew them up like most other components. All the angles and stuff had to match my machine and clear all the stuff below them, so they are 100% custom for this machine.... Have you seen the solution with just using bellows with a steel cover? I think Stef's machine has this and it looks great in my opinion.... It would be waaaay simpler, cheaper and easier...and can be bought "off the shelf"... just a thing to consider...

If you haven't order your linear rails yet, make sure they are long enough to support the covers! This was a mistake i made and it caused a lot of extra work compared to just buying the rails 0,5m longer!

Could I know why you think sandblasting is needed? Approaching my machine's casting and wanted to get few things finalized and sand blasting was one of them.

I don't think that sandblasting and metalization is required as such. I've just done it on other parts in the past and the surface becomes very rough and full of smal "pockets" where the epoxy can get an extremely good grip into the steel. You can likely get by without doing it, lots of people make very nice machines without this step, so it would likely work just fine...

If i was to do it over again, it would still sandblast them though! But i would not metalize them again, i think this step was a bit too far and unnecessary...

/Thomas

[suspension]

Yeah, i just drew them up like most other components. All the angles and stuff had to match my machine and clear all the stuff below them, so they are 100% custom for this machine.... Have you seen the solution with just using bellows with a steel cover? I think Stef's machine has this and it looks great in my opinion.... It would be waaaay simpler, cheaper and easier...and can be bought "off the shelf"... just a thing to consider...

If you haven't order your linear rails yet, make sure they are long enough to support the covers! This was a mistake i made and it caused a lot of extra work compared to just buying the rails 0,5m longer!



I don't think that sandblasting and metalization is required as such. I've just done it on other parts in the past and the surface becomes very rough and full of smal "pockets" where the epoxy can get an extremely good grip into the steel. You can likely get by without doing it, lots of people make very nice machines without this step, so it would likely work just fine...

If i was to do it over again, it would still sandblast them though! But i would not metalize them again, i think this step was a bit too far and unnecessary...

/Thomas

Thanks, I will think about sand blasting depending on the availability and cost. I am using an ultra high strength grout, still this should help it stick better.
Regarding way covers - I am considering bellows with a steel cover as well. I also got some quotations from China for real metal ones which are 300% expensive. My bigger worry is making sure I give them the correct dimensions! The drawing they gave was very confusing.
I also noticed that Syil X7 for example keep their linear rails longer to accommodate way covers. I already ordered them without this provision. So I had to do design a guide separately as well

[badhabit]

Regarding way covers - I am considering bellows with a steel cover as well. I also got some quotations from China for real metal ones which are 300% expensive. My bigger worry is making sure I give them the correct dimensions! The drawing they gave was very confusing.

If i was to do it over and if i were to choose "hard covers" again, i'd make them myself... The quality i got from china was rather poor and i could have made them myself for similar cost...or maybe cheeper.... If you have a local company that does lasercutting and bending it would be easy if you can do the welding yourself.... The only thing you need then is the wipers and "slidepads" and both can easily be bought online rather cheaply...

If mine every break or if i whatever reason need to redesign them, i'll do it myself instead.... i have a local company that can easily do the cutting and bending cheaply and then i just have to weld them myself...

[suspension]

If i was to do it over and if i were to choose "hard covers" again, i'd make them myself... The quality i got from china was rather poor and i could have made them myself for similar cost...or maybe cheeper.... If you have a local company that does lasercutting and bending it would be easy if you can do the welding yourself.... The only thing you need then is the wipers and "slidepads" and both can easily be bought online rather cheaply...

If mine every break or if i whatever reason need to redesign them, i'll do it myself instead.... i have a local company that can easily do the cutting and bending cheaply and then i just have to weld them myself...

This is an option I considered but wondered where to find slide pads and wipers. I didn't even know the correct name to search for. If you already have some links to such products appreciate it if you can post them.

Thanks
Sus

[badhabit]

This is an option I considered but wondered where to find slide pads and wipers. I didn't even know the correct name to search for. If you already have some links to such products appreciate it if you can post them.

I don't have any links because i decided to purchase custom made covers from the getgo, but google "way cover wipers" and "way cover sliding block" and you should be on to something. You can also use rollers or anything else i'd like to slide the waycovers on, maybe a very small and cheap linear rail lign mgn15 or something...

[jaguar36]

Those way covers do look awesome. Is there a cross brace or anything underneath them to keep them aligned or do they just float on each other?

[badhabit]

Those way covers do look awesome. Is there a cross brace or anything underneath them to keep them aligned or do they just float on each other?

There is a set of "scissors" below them keeping them alligned :-)

[jaguar36]

There is a set of "scissors" below them keeping them alligned :-)

Nice, do you happen to have any pictures of the CAD or the actual parts? How did you attach the scissors to the cover?

[badhabit]

Nice, do you happen to have any pictures of the CAD or the actual parts? How did you attach the scissors to the cover?

Yeah, on page 3 you'll find pictures of them :-) The "scissors" are mounted to the back from the factory, they just keep them evenly spaced and somewhat "under control"...

I do have cad models of them, but they match my machine 100% and won't do you any good...

[jaguar36]

Yeah, on page 3 you'll find pictures of them :-) The "scissors" are mounted to the back from the factory, they just keep them evenly spaced and somewhat "under control"...

I do have cad models of them, but they match my machine 100% and won't do you any good...

Ahh thank you sir, Apologies I hadn't read the whole thread and missed that.

[suspension]

This is how they look now:


Next stop: The mould...

I was wondering which sized screws you used? I have used M16 and M14 mostly for this but feel like they are too big.