Quote Originally Posted by JAZZCNC View Post
I would need to know more about the weights your moving and linear stage etc but any 200W AC servo would probably do what you need or 400W at most I would think. Even something like this 180W DC with integrated drive would be enough I'd guess, esp if used a gearbox.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/180W-3000....c100005.m1851

Don't be fooled by the low Nm rating, Servo's are very different to steppers and the rating is constant across the RPM range so you'll have the rated Torque at full speed which is often 3000rpm, this is between 2x to 3x faster RPM than a stepper will reach which is why you can use a gearbox to increase torque and still have the same rpm as a stepper. Also, they can often peak at 3x the rated torque for 10-20s which is often more than enough to overcome any friction and get things rolling.
Interesting, thanks for showing that to me. For the moment I think it still makes sense financially to stick with what came with the slider and rotation stages but in V2 of this machine, sometime down the line, I'd definitely build it with better motors as you suggest. There was an option to add a servo to the slider but it increased the cost but something like £200 so I had to pass.

I gave a bit more info about what I'll be moving, weights etc. and how, above. Essentially, 12-16kg being moved both horizontally and vertically. In the future that may increase if I were to add multiple sliders together to give me both horizontal and vertical movement simultaneously.