New Build, Aluminium Frame Router/Mill

[Davek0974]

First router/mill build, I've built two tables before but they were for Plasma cutting, this time I wanted something that can cut wood, plastics, aluminium etc.

I thought up some ideas but after asking on here, they were dumped for tried and tested designs to save risk of wasting cash, basic ideas were courtesy of JazzCnc - thanks for the kick-start

Practically all-aluminium structure, 3NM stepper motors, digital drives, 1610 ballscrews, 20mm HiWin motion, Mach3 control via a UC100 motion controller. Y axis is twin screw with single motor and belt drive via 15mm HTD belt, X axis is single screw/single motor again with 15mm HTD belt. Currently ALL pulleys are 20t 1:1 ratio but being belt/pulley drive will mean I can easily adjust ratios later depending results.

I had a large lump of cast iron 410x600x18mm which was machined on both faces - this is to be the main bed of the CNC, I will use a sit-on bed of 12-15mm machined aluminium for metal work and an MDF bed for wood and plastics.

On order from Aliexpress I have the ballscrews, motion, support bearings and a 2.2kw water cooled spindle and VFD. Intent is to control the VFD/spindle speed via the 0-10v BOB I have got, also got a dual relay board for the water pump, coolant etc.

Most of the aluminium has arrived, it's all 20mm and 15mm machined tooling plate, surface finish and dimension is perfect. The structural beams are 45x90mm heavy-duty section.

First cuts were made today, started on the gantry support arms...

Might not look much but thats two heavy slabs of 20mm ally, my idea is to build and get it running then remove the supports and mill them to the customary inverted L shapes and radius the corners for safety.

Fun times ahead but having built two CNC's before, this one should hold few surprises I feel

[Davek0974]

Bit more...

Z Axis front plate...

Yes, that is a boo-boo in the bottom right corner of the pocket, what happens when you grab the Z axis handle on the mill instead of the Y axis, D'oh!

Its only about 0.5mm deep so will not affect anything.

Z axis motor mount plate...


Coming along nicely :)

[Davek0974]

Also building a fog-buster style coolant unit, seems the best choice, not sure what to fill it up with though???

[Davek0974]

Little more progress, started getting parts ready to assemble the Z axis...



All the motion parts arrived today, along with the spindle and VFD :)

[njhussey]

Looking good Dave, you'll soon be up and running!

[sinnsvak]

Looking great so far! In this last picture, will that stick out be for the X-axis movement?

If i may ask a question about the Z-frontplate, that cutout for the Z-axis nut, how thin can the wall be in that area before one can notice any weakness?

I dont have a fog buster, but a simple mister from aliexpress, and alcohol works great for my projects. No cleanup needed afterwards, but if you need more lubrication to handle i.e. gummy alu, you gonna want something oily.

[Davek0974]

Yes, thats the plan, it protrudes enough to get me over the screw so i can fit a drop bracket for the nut. The cutout clears the Z axis motor body.

The Z front plate and the very front plate where the tool mounts are 20mm thick and needed 7.5mm taken out of each to align the rails and screw. I don't feel that will make any difference at all to strength - the tool mount plate is also reinforced by having the linear rails bolted to the back of it. The rear Z plate is has the Z axis linear carriages aligned directly with the support plates (shown in the pic) for the X axis linear carriages - the forces are transferred directly from Z to X.

Having built two plasma tables out 3mm steel which were still very sturdy, this thing is being built like a mini battleship!

[Nr1madman]

Awsome work!

[sinnsvak]

Yes, thats the plan, it protrudes enough to get me over the screw so i can fit a drop bracket for the nut. The cutout clears the Z axis motor body.

The Z front plate and the very front plate where the tool mounts are 20mm thick and needed 7.5mm taken out of each to align the rails and screw. I don't feel that will make any difference at all to strength - the tool mount plate is also reinforced by having the linear rails bolted to the back of it. The rear Z plate is has the Z axis linear carriages aligned directly with the support plates (shown in the pic) for the X axis linear carriages - the forces are transferred directly from Z to X.

Having built two plasma tables out 3mm steel which were still very sturdy, this thing is being built like a mini battleship!

Thanks, I also think the forces are pretty much directly transferred from Z-carriages to X-carriages. One important task the z-plate also does is keeping the rotational forces at bay, and I agree, 7,5mm less wont make a speck of difference.

I will look over my own drawing and see if I cant do the same.

[njhussey]

.......this thing is being built like a mini battleship!

I know that one, my Z front plate is 40mm thick...think I only took a similar amount out of that, overkill??!!