Control enclosure size

[chillybo]

Hello everyone,
I want to order a control enclosure and I have a 800 x 600 x 300 mm size in mind for my 3 to maybe 4 axis (in the future) router. My question is will this be large enough and what sort of size enclosure do others use that have similar machines requiring similar electronics.
Regards Chris

[Clive S]

Hello everyone,
I want to order a control enclosure and I have a 800 x 600 x 300 mm size in mind for my 3 to maybe 4 axis (in the future) router. My question is will this be large enough and what sort of size enclosure do others use that have similar machines requiring similar electronics.
Regards Chris

600x600x200 0r 250 should be more than enough

[m_c]

I'd always go as big as practical!

Best option is to find sizes of all the key parts you'd like to use, then do a quick mock-up.
My tip would be to leave plenty room around components to run some cable trunking.

[Kitwn]

I used the largest old PC case I had lying around in the shed. But then I'm an incorrigible cheapskate!

[ericks]

I use 500 x 600 x 200. There are 5 x DM860's and a VFD plus the other stuff :)

[Doddy]

All good suggestions, I've just thrown one control box out that was home-made/formed from sheet steel - to the limits of my bender (90mm). That was not deep enough when I replaced my baby drivers with slightly larger drivers (TB6600s?, can't remember and not close enough to check) I wouldn't recommend any cabinet less that 200mm depth.

[Neale]

I'd go along with the "it's never big enough" idea. Do a dummy layout of the bits going in there, work out what you need to house them, then go a size or two bigger. Otherwise, wiring the thing is going to be like keyhole surgery. Cable trunking as mentioned above is useful but takes more space (and I wouldn't wire another control cabinet without it) and I used a fair bit of DIN rail for mounting things along with a lot of DIN rail terminals. Also consider using crimp-on cable terminations - the little ferrule things - which are cheap enough from China and make wiring much easier and reliable with less chance of odd stray strands causing shorts.

[chillybo]

Thanks guys, think I'm going with this one.
https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/CMSB606030.html
Will I need some sort of backplate to mount the DIN rail onto?

[Neale]

Looks to me as if there is a backplate as part of the package - the "2mm galvanised steel mounting panel" item. Does make it easier to get everything fixed before bolting into the cabinet.

Have you sorted out what you are going to do about external connectors for motors, limit switches, etc? Best if you can drill for those before getting swarf in all the electrics! Guess how I know...

[chillybo]

Good point Neale. I followed an excellent build log you tube instalment that shows how tough the steel is to to core drill into. I will try to plan it all out beforehand.

[Doddy]

Core drill?, step drill for sure, or metal punches (bought second-hand sets for IEC and XLR plugs/sockets)

[m_c]

My preference is 2.5-3mm aluminium for backing plates, as it just makes drilling/tapping far easier for mounting things on to.

Core drill, or good quality hole saws for making smaller holes.
Plasma cutter, or drill and jigsaw with metal blade for cutting cooling fan holes.

And regardless of how well you plan things out, you're pretty much guaranteed to miss a hole for something :dejection:

[Voicecoil]

+1 for ali backing plate..... not just easier to drill (especially "emergency" holes! ) but can be useful for heatsinking drivers, rectifiers and braking resistors etc. I successfully cut 60/75mm holes for fans in the steel enclosure walls using a hole saw on a competent pillar drill - patience + cutting fluid helped a lot :smug:

[ericks]

It is not hard to drill and tap the holes in the back plate. The cutouts in the gland plate i usually machine....but i guess it depends on your router.

[Muzzer]

It's tempting to try to use the smallest enclosure you can, to make for a neat system. But when it comes to connecting up all the external connections, life gets very difficult if you haven't got easy access to the terminals etc. Lots of effing and blinding. Better to make it bigger than smaller.

I constructed each of my controllers on a baseplate on the bench, as wired up as I could manage, then fitted them into their cabinets and connected them up to the external cables. I used those rivnut threaded inserts (widely available) for fastening down the big stuff and drilled and tapped a couple of late entries(!) after the event for the ones i'd not thought of.

Don't forget ventilation holes (swarf proof!) and fan(s). I use a central heating thermostat to control the fans, to turn them on only when needed.

I used screened cables for all the external wiring and grounded the braided shields to a common point (the cabinets have copper plated studs for electrical safety grounding) to avoid noise issues. I have my inverters inside their cabinets and haven't had any noise issues.

[chillybo]

Thanks Muzzer. I ended up ordering a 600 x 600 x 300mm enclosure. I will wire it up on a back plate and then install it into the enclosure as you suggested. I have thrown things together on a 600mm square piece of ply at the moment just to test how to wire the electrical bits (and to finally see an axis moving).
26924

[Kitwn]

That photograph looks like a blatant rip-off of the insides of my control box!

[Doddy]

That photograph looks like a blatant rip-off of the insides of my control box!

Looks like a standard reference design to me :-)

I really need to tidy my lathe conversion up before I post any pics

[JAZZCNC]

Thanks guys, think I'm going with this one.
https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/CMSB606030.html
Will I need some sort of backplate to mount the DIN rail onto?

I use these cases and they come with back plate.