[boydage]

Build is a mini CNC device. Attached picture and the travel required is 70mm. 35mm each way. The drawing attached is a portion of the full build and the travel is on the HGR 35mm each way on the grey base. Make sense?

I could easily put a Nema with a screw on the back of this and it would work. But it would be bulky and not pretty nor nice to look at TBH. Does anyone know of a better way to do this? I have thought of a vertical mount with a belt but that would not be ideal in the environment. So I am reaching out for some input before I end up doing what I know, and installing a Nema with a ballscrew it just seems so.... done before.

Oh and it does need to be accurate, well as accurate as any home built CNC device. Thanks in advance for input would be appreciated.

Regards

[Jim Dawson]

A ball screw is pretty well proven, but If you want to do something different then a few ideas come to mind.

Linear motor
Rack & pinion
Crankshaft
Cam

For the most part you are converting rotary motion to linear motion, with the exception of the linear motor.

[boydage]

Thanks I am looking around. I am looking for a compact solution due to the very small travel required and I do like screws they are easy and accurate. Did think of a cam but I am not sure how easy it would be to index correctly with the rotation changing the length of the arm (not an engineer) quite like the idea of a double shaft Nema 23 with the ball screw integral with the motor. I guess the longitudinal forces it would need some support but if something like this was available would be cool.

Pic attached. Integral shaft/thread I bet the Chinese would make me one if I ordered a 10000. I do have a double end Nema here but it will be 300mm long once I get the couplers and bearings etc installed. Actually it wouldnt be any shorter, it would be longer, just look cool.

[routalot]

You can buy a single ended NEMA 23 for not too much with a steel mounting bracket and then an Oldham coupling and a fine ballscrew-say 1605-would easily do the job and you should be set.