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Steel Gantry Machine 1500x750x200
This story is about Steel Gantry Machine with work-area 1500x750x200 for aluminium and wood.
First I was going for a fixed gantry machine but bigger work-area changed my mind. As long as I have to purchase expensive components the price difference for longer components is not so dramatic - but it gives nice advantage. :smug:
http://www.mycncuk.com/attachment.ph...id=14769&stc=1
Main frame welded steel 80x80x4mm.
Steel gantry consist of 2 pcs 100x100x3mm tubes welded together and some 8mm steel plates.
Z assembly is mostly 25mm aluminium with 2,2kw watercooled spindle.
Ballscrews X,Y=1610; Z=1605.
HIWIN 20mm rails all axes. Epoxy leveled.
Please feel free to comment my design. In case of positive feedback then next step would be to order rails and ballscrews. Measure them and then finalize design and start the build.
I have couple of questions for more experienced guys:
- Can I use L (0,375" = 9,525mm) pitch pulleys with a 12,7mm wide belt from steppermotor to ballscrew? I can get those pulley for free. Together with 240L belt. But this belt is too long and pulley centre hole is 10mm, whish I cant use on Nema 23 anyway. So I have to buy half the pulleys and belts. May as well buy proper with belts and pulleys all around?
- What ballscrew machining are you using when belt pulley will be attached?
- Hole gantry with Z and everything will be close to 80 kg. Can I put my money on 2x Nema 23 3,1Nm together with a decent 70Vdc PSU?
- What HIWIN blocks do most of you prefer: HGH or HGW? Sure it depends from design but I think I will go with HGH20CA from BST Automation.
Tanks for reading!
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Re: Steel Gantry Machine 1500x750x200
The bed looks quite low on this, you may find the z axis is unduly extended if cutting mainly sheet material. That said I don't know what you plan to cut? Looks like a nice strong frame, you will want some leaving feet on it particularly if going for 6 legs...
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Re: Steel Gantry Machine 1500x750x200
Thanks JoeHarris!
I would limit Z axis movement with proximity switches to about 100mm + detachable smaller workarea bed when aluminium cutting. This will keep Z in sweet-spot while cutting but also adds weight. I choose unnecessary weight over adjustable bed? But now when I think about it... I will get both actually! Will have to think this over.
Also I have made some updates to the model.
http://www.mycncuk.com/attachment.ph...id=14829&stc=1
Do you think this long 1610 ballscrew will start whipping on X-axis?
Brg,
Toomas
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Re: Steel Gantry Machine 1500x750x200
Hi, good luck with your build!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
toomast
Can I use L (0,375" = 9,525mm) pitch pulleys with a 12,7mm wide belt from steppermotor to ballscrew? I can get those pulley for free. Together with 240L belt. But this belt is too long and pulley centre hole is 10mm, whish I cant use on Nema 23 anyway. So I have to buy half the pulleys and belts. May as well buy proper with belts and pulleys all around?
No.You can but i wouldn't. The correct belt for this build is 15mm HTD . The correct Nema motor has 8mm shaft. The desired pulley is steel 20t. Belt length maximum 350mm
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Originally Posted by
toomast
What ball screw machining are you using when belt pulley will be attached?
Standard. Puley bored to 10mm -/16xx ball screw/
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Originally Posted by
toomast
Whole gantry with Z and everything will be close to 80 kg. Can I put my money on 2x Nema 23 3,1Nm together with a decent 70Vdc PSU?
Yes. You are at the limit of it, but given the working area size and my real life experience, you will not need the maximum achievable speeds at all. When we speak of max speeds and similar stuff we refer to heavy industrial application where your machine works full shift trying to produce max result
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Originally Posted by
toomast
What HIWIN blocks do most of you prefer: HGH or HGW? Sure it depends from design but I think I will go with HGH20CA from BST Automation.
I buy from him and he has both. They are same price. For the gantry legs the wide blocks. Everywhere else the thin ones.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
toomast
I would limit Z axis movement with proximity switches to about 100mm + detachable smaller workarea bed when aluminium cutting. This will keep Z in sweet-spot while cutting but also adds weight. I choose unnecessary weight over adjustable bed? But now when I think about it... I will get both actually! Will have to think this over.
No need for this. As you may know i have designed and build this machine. last week i was cutting aluminum fully extended Z, speed 900 mm/min and 1.5mm deep without any problem. 0.8kw spindle only. From the sound of it i could dig at 4mm with the 0.8kw spindle but still my friend does not have cooling which is critical.
Use well the spindle itself for strengthening the Z plate.
However your Z design slightly but critically differs from mine,may be its its weaker, please show better and closer pictures so we could see it in detail/, you could again read when you have time my first build/link in signature/ how exactly i made the Z.
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Originally Posted by
toomast
Do you think this long 1610 ballscrew will start whipping on X-axis?
No, don't worry about that. Just design it exactly long. I see you are doing it right. It has been commented many time by more experienced by me members that in real life it will not be a problem. And as i told you before, rarely you will reach similar speeds.
Some comments:
At my second build i was again at the point of making the same mistake as at the first one. Same as what you are doing here. Trying to save on frame bed and machine weight. Now checking prices of T slot track, T slot solid aluminum, T slot aluminum profile, plain aluminum sheet and plastic sheet, i have it quite clear: The bed must be as strong as possible, crossing profiles as near as possible even bed made of welded profiles as the gantry is made, if you will do mainly aluminum.
Why that? Cause all else for serious fixing is darn expensive. Now i am hitting my head these days why i did not weld solid profile 1/2 of the bed for the 2600x1300 i am building for my self now.
So my recommendation here is to make the near to you half of the bed very strong as possible. So later you will not need to pay ridiculous amount of money for aluminum sheets and so.
What i am saying is you weld a strong structure for bed with the chosen profile. Then go to somebody who has shop, like a welder or machine shop. Ask them for their scrap and rests of different profiles. And that cheap stuff you use to weld in between to make it solid. It could be thin walled.
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Re: Steel Gantry Machine 1500x750x200
Thanks Silyavski!
I will go with HTD belts then.
Ballscrew standard machining leaves 15mm space for the pulley. Standard pulley is about 26mm. How do you solve this?
I think Silyavskis steel Z axis is coolest one I have seen :) I have studied that design but dont feel certain that I can pull it off. As I have good access to 20-25mm aluminium flatbars I go with the "usual" aluminium Z axis design.
Btw what is the weight of you steel Z axis, Silyavski?
I will beef up the frame and will rethink the bed fixing system.
I need to order rails and screws before EURO is totally useless :(
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Re: Steel Gantry Machine 1500x750x200
Quote:
Originally Posted by
toomast
Thanks Silyavski!
I will go with HTD belts then.
Ballscrew standard machining leaves 15mm space for the pulley. Standard pulley is about 26mm. How do you solve this?
I think Silyavskis steel Z axis is coolest one I have seen :) I have studied that design but dont feel certain that I can pull it off. As I have good access to 20-25mm aluminium flatbars I go with the "usual" aluminium Z axis design.
Btw what is the weight of you steel Z axis, Silyavski?
I will beef up the frame and will rethink the bed fixing system.
I need to order rails and screws before EURO is totally useless :(
If you ask for the machining (F dimension I think but a few years since I ordered mine) for the pulley to be 30mm then you'll have plenty of room...
http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/15...ac9632a6f4.jpg
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Re: Steel Gantry Machine 1500x750x200
Quote:
Originally Posted by
toomast
Do you think this long 1610 ballscrew will start whipping on X-axis?
I know silyavski told you No but he's Wrong it most definatley could whip at that length at higher rapid feeds. 20mm is much better screw to use at this length and won't cost much more in either Money or performance.
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Re: Steel Gantry Machine 1500x750x200
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Originally Posted by
JAZZCNC
I know silyavski told you No but he's Wrong it most definatley could whip at that length at higher rapid feeds. 20mm is much better screw to use at this length and won't cost much more in either Money or performance.
:panda: Sorry, totally missed that 1500mm. I was thinking about something else. I will have to whip myself :hysterical:
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Re: Steel Gantry Machine 1500x750x200
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Originally Posted by
silyavski
:panda: Sorry, totally missed that 1500mm. I was thinking about something else. I will have to whip myself :hysterical:
Argh thought it was strange you saying was fine.. . Lol and Don't Whip your self get a nice fit blonde to do it much more fun..:toot:
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Re: Steel Gantry Machine 1500x750x200
I agree Dean. I was deep into reading about HF plasma grounding and just glanced at it and thought 1500 total length of screw -300mm in gantry legs gives 1200, minus more when he betters the design, so he could go away with that, cause anyways most people don't go faster than 10m/min in real life. And it was 1500mm travel , not screw length. I hope he did not order the screws. Anyways i will buy them from him if that mistake happened. its never a bad thing to have some extra ball screws.
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Re: Steel Gantry Machine 1500x750x200
No worry's mates! Have not ordered anything yet :) except the whipping blond...
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Re: Steel Gantry Machine 1500x750x200
I'd change the plate you have now for the Z-axis for a 80x80 steel tube and connect the dust collection to that.
That works really well.
Do put a brace between the mounting of the spindle and the oposite face, otherwise the mount may flex. Probably not as bad as my 35 mm high kress mount but still....
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Re: Steel Gantry Machine 1500x750x200
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Originally Posted by
Sven
I'd change the plate you have now for the Z-axis for a 80x80 steel tube and connect the dust collection to that.
That works really well.
Do put a brace between the mounting of the spindle and the oposite face, otherwise the mount may flex. Probably not as bad as my 35 mm high kress mount but still....
I don't quite follow you. Do you have a sample picture how the 80x80 steel tube would work as dust collector?
Dust is the problem that needs solving in my design though. I was aiming for some simple bracket that holds dust extractor tube...some housing with brushes...I need to put it on the drawing.
For spindle mount I will order tha thick cast aluminium version. Nice and rigid I think.
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Re: Steel Gantry Machine 1500x750x200
Complete with dust shoe:
I have the tube clamped to the z-axis, so it can be set to a height.
The next one would just be on linear rails.
The height of the clamp is only about 30 mm, that requires cross bracing with the rear of the tube or it will flex at high feeds. (It did with this one)
The cast aluminium one is much higer, probably will not need cross brace but you can always add it later, should you need it.
A section of 100 mm pvc pipe can easily be fitted to the 80x80 if you heat it.
Picture of a few years back:
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Re: Steel Gantry Machine 1500x750x200
Sven, we dont see the images??
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Re: Steel Gantry Machine 1500x750x200
Oh, sorry guys, I guess you can not see these images they are on another cnc site. I see them in the post but I am loged in to the other site... I'll have to see what I can do about it.
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Re: Steel Gantry Machine 1500x750x200
My spindle arrived and its bigger than I imagined :)
http://www.mycncuk.com/attachment.ph...id=14927&stc=1
I hope to find time this weekend to work with CAD so I can order rails and other stuff from Fred next week.
I will delay other electronics purchase as long as mechanical assembly is finished. Also I have ordered 12mm proximity switches.
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Re: Steel Gantry Machine 1500x750x200
Hi guys! So what do you think about my bed idea?
I would have the big steel sheet laser cut and holes tapped. Then welded to the square tube frame. Then replaceable aluminium bars on top. I want to have it separated from main frame - for easier transport. That been said... CAD calculates 204 kg for the bed weight :playful:.
Overkill?
http://www.mycncuk.com/attachment.ph...id=14965&stc=1
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Re: Steel Gantry Machine 1500x750x200
If you make the 10mm steel base a bit bigger than the strips you can put sides on it and then a drain in one corner and if you use coolant then you can drain it.....if you're not going to use coolant then ignore this :rolleyes:
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Re: Steel Gantry Machine 1500x750x200
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Originally Posted by
njhussey
If you make the 10mm steel base a bit bigger than the strips you can put sides on it and then a drain in one corner and if you use coolant then you can drain it.....if you're not going to use coolant then ignore this :rolleyes:
Thank you sir! I will do it.
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Re: Steel Gantry Machine 1500x750x200
Things are moving slow...but at least they are moving forward.
I wanted to do all steel Z-axis but as I had something thrown together in CAD I changed my mind. Main reason is weight. Steel Z will be at least 7-10kg heavier. As my hole gantry is at the edge of using servos I will go with aluminium Z design.
I'm not quite finished alu design but it will be from 25 mm thick material.
Here is a picture of my alu design (left) and steel design (right side).
http://www.mycncuk.com/attachment.ph...id=15053&stc=1
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Re: Steel Gantry Machine 1500x750x200
I did all from steel cause i was doing the machine on the cheap and did not have somebody to machine it for me at that moment. Time wise is better to do all from aluminum. cause steel needs straightening, adjusting, first hand primer, second hand paint,...
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Re: Steel Gantry Machine 1500x750x200
I can't follow the reasoning for not using steel, except for silyavski reasoning. If the gantry is steel, 7-10 kilo'sfor the z-axis will not make things that much different. Except for stiffness!
If the machine is for wood and this big, acceleration is less of an issue than top speed and for top speed stiffness is paramount. And all is designed to be stiff, except for this z-axis....
Besides, you can get 20 Nm steppers of the shelf....
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Re: Steel Gantry Machine 1500x750x200
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Sven
I can't follow the reasoning for not using steel, except for
silyavski reasoning. If the gantry is steel, 7-10 kilo'sfor the z-axis will not make things that much different. Except for stiffness!
If the machine is for wood and this big, acceleration is less of an issue than top speed and for top speed stiffness is paramount. And all is designed to be stiff, except for this z-axis....
Besides, you can get 20 Nm steppers of the shelf....
I don't have first hand experience for none of them. But I dont think 25mm aluminium stiffness will be worse than 10mm steel.
Popular belief in this forum is that weight is important and 20 Nm is not always better.
Anyways I have an opportunity to find out...
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Re: Steel Gantry Machine 1500x750x200
Quote:
Originally Posted by
JAZZCNC
I know silyavski told you No but he's Wrong it most definatley could whip at that length at higher rapid feeds. 20mm is much better screw to use at this length and won't cost much more in either Money or performance.
What would be the maximum length of 20mm ballscrew in this application? What would be critical length that needs rotating ballnuts?
Im thinking of getting more distance from gantry travel...
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Re: Steel Gantry Machine 1500x750x200
Quote:
Originally Posted by
toomast
What would be the maximum length of 20mm ballscrew in this application? What would be critical length that needs rotating ballnuts?
Im thinking of getting more distance from gantry travel...
Oh very hard to answer because depends on the end fixing etc but I wouldn't go above 2000mm and at that I would have Both ends with Fixed bearings and slight preload on them. When I build 4x4 size machine I always use Fixed/Fixed end bearings as the slight cost difference is worth the extra support it gives.
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Re: Steel Gantry Machine 1500x750x200
To work out the critical speed of a screw there is a calculator on our site.
http://www.zappautomation.co.uk/inde...lculators.html
In the lower part of this page is a link for the calculator.
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Re: Steel Gantry Machine 1500x750x200
To give you an idea I recently built a Slaved axis 4x4 router with 20mm Dia 10mm pitch screws 1700mm length Fixed/Fixed ends with 2 x 3.1Nm steppers running 70Vdc on EM806 digital drives. It safely reached 15mtr/min while testing and probably could have pushed it slightly more but felt no need.
Machine is actually tuned much lower than this at 10mtr/min rapids to keep a very generous safety margin. 10mtr/min is more than enough speed for machine like this.
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Re: Steel Gantry Machine 1500x750x200
I am still amazed by the time it takes to get things organized ;)
So anyways here is the gantry. Bit on a heavy side - 84 kg. For sure there will be some more fasteners, dust collector, cable-chain etc adding weight. Plan is to use 2 x 2000mm ballscrews 2010 to drive it. Fixed/fixed ends. 3,1Nm steppers.
Can I make it work?
I dont want to go servos on first build :)
http://www.mycncuk.com/attachment.ph...id=15575&stc=1
Now my frame is looking like a toy :) Will make it 100x100mm tube instead 80x80 and beef it. Also I will ditch the bed design and try making some-kind of hybrid from marine plywood and aluminium surface for smaller parts...
If you guys approve the design I will order screws and rails and stuff from Fred...
http://www.mycncuk.com/attachment.ph...id=15576&stc=1
Thanks for listening!
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Re: Steel Gantry Machine 1500x750x200
Quote:
Originally Posted by
toomast
Can I make it work?
I dont want to go servos on first build :)
Yes it will work thou with 83Kg + gantry you'll have lower feed rates than I posted lower down. Think the gantry on that machine was 50Kg.
Now regards 100mm over 80mm then being totally honest I think this kind of building to excess is unnecssary and the little you gain isn't worth the cost and trouble. 80mm is more than enough for a frame this size. You'll gain more thru less resonance using 80mm or even 60mm but buy a thicker walled tube than going with 100mm thin walled (big base drum) tube.!!. 100mm thick wall tube is expensive and complete OTT for machine this size.
Other than the OTT build strength of the gantry the only thing I see which I'm not sure about is the flimsy looking ballnut supports on gantry ends and Gantry ballscrew.
Also not sure to how your mounting the motor and fastening to ballscrew across the gantry because pics don't show it very well. But it looks like your planning on connecting ballscrew to rear shaft of stepper and mounting stepper to a plate using normal stepper mounting holes.
OR doing reverse and mounting stepper to plate using rear holes and having the front hang out in space connecting to ballscrew.? . . . .Both bad idea.!!
Can you show better pics of what you have in mind.!
On the Bed idea.! I see you have large distance from bed frame to spindle and no adjustment which will be fine for wood etc but no so good for harder materials. So if you don't need all the bed then think about a 2 tier setup with the alumnium cutting area raised up to bring material closer to cutter.
The raised section could be made removable for when full bed needed and using a torsion box setup for stabilty.!
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Re: Steel Gantry Machine 1500x750x200
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Re: Steel Gantry Machine 1500x750x200
So guys do you think I'm OK with the design?
Next week I want to order screws, rails and other stuff. Unless... :courage:
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Re: Steel Gantry Machine 1500x750x200
I'd brace your ballnut mounts, they just look a little flimsy compared to the rest if it. Looking good!!
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Re: Steel Gantry Machine 1500x750x200
Yes, why would you save money from the ball nut housing? They are so cheap and are preferable , cause with coupled with straight plate, there is no need for reinforcing, but as you have done it doesn't look strong.
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Re: Steel Gantry Machine 1500x750x200
Yep just beef up the Ballnut mounts and your set to go.!
One thing I see is that you don't have much room for adjustment or alignment with that threaded bracket setup so give a little thought to how you'll do this for both directions. Ballnut housings tend to be easier to adjust than fastening ballnut direct to plate like that.
Those little white brackets sticking out on the end plates are those for triggering limit switches at each end.? . . . If so have you thought about using a traveling switch and save your self a lot of wiring and messing around with brackets etc. I do all my machines this way and it saves alot of work and easy to setup.
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Re: Steel Gantry Machine 1500x750x200
Quote:
Originally Posted by
JAZZCNC
Yep just beef up the Ballnut mounts and your set to go.!
One thing I see is that you don't have much room for adjustment or alignment with that threaded bracket setup so give a little thought to how you'll do this for both directions. Ballnut housings tend to be easier to adjust than fastening ballnut direct to plate like that.
Thanks guys! Improvements implemented.
http://www.mycncuk.com/attachment.ph...id=15602&stc=1
Quote:
Those little white brackets sticking out on the end plates are those for triggering limit switches at each end.? . . . If so have you thought about using a traveling switch and save your self a lot of wiring and messing around with brackets etc. I do all my machines this way and it saves alot of work and easy to setup.
Yes these are brackets for limit switches. And I have not thought about using only one traveling switch!
Simple and ingenious - for sure I will also implement this!
I will go ahead and order my stuff from BST Automation.
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Re: Steel Gantry Machine 1500x750x200
Thats better.
I believe Dean meant 2 switches per axis, one wired home other wired like limit. With the benefit of all limits and all homes wired together respectively with the exclusion of the A home switch /second long axis/ which has to be wired separately, so you could perform gantry squaring
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Re: Steel Gantry Machine 1500x750x200
Quote:
Originally Posted by
silyavski
Thats better.
I believe Dean meant 2 switches per axis, one wired home other wired like limit. With the benefit of all limits and all homes wired together respectively with the exclusion of the A home switch /second long axis/ which has to be wired separately, so you could perform gantry squaring
Are you using similar setup on your 1st build?
I will put 2pcs homing switches on both sides of gantry for squaring. And only single limit switch on long axis and make it traveling?
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Re: Steel Gantry Machine 1500x750x200
Yep, similar. As i described it above. Though tit did not come to my mind to use only one limit switch at Y,:cat:, anyway, i bought more than i needed.
I would say that the 4 most important things are:
-to drive them at 24VDC
-to mount them so that the head of the sensor is perpendicular to steel plate or whatever and body long wise in the same axis of movement
- shielded wire
- good quality flex wire not very thin, if budget permits same as stepper cable
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Re: Steel Gantry Machine 1500x750x200
What an awesome build ! I'd be interested to make the same one along the way ! Not sure if I did this right but I send you a PM ;) I'd be interested to make drawings from your model :)