Steppy CNC (my own desktop CNC design, looking for advice and opinions)

I open this new thread to present the design of my future router.

I have a small machine (300x200mm) whose mechanics I bought assembled and although I have not used it as much as I expected due to lack of time, but also because some of the things I wanted to do were too big for my machine.

During the last summer I had the opportunity to acquire same ballscrews and supported guides at a very good price and that was the point tha decide me to start the project of this larger milling machine, which I will affectionately call "Steppy".


Without talking anymore, here are the images the initial design I have done with SolidWorks:

3D view
Attachment 23170
Front view
Attachment 23171
Side view
Attachment 23172
Top view
Attachment 23173

The external dimensions are 750x560x530mm (without the motors) with a working surface of 510x360mm an a height of 115mm.

It is designed based on everything I have read in this and other forums. The construction materials will be 60x60 and 30x60 structural profiles as well as 20mm thick aluminum plates for the base and gantry and 15mm think for the Z axis. It uses supported 16mm guides (SBR16) and 1605 ball screws.

What do you think? Do you think it will work well? Do you see any major flaw in the design? Something that can be improved (surely yes)? All comments and advices are welcome.

Now my doubts:
- What aluminum alloy should I buy for the plates? I have read that 5083, is it correct?
- Is the thickness that I have chosen (20 and 15 mm) adequate? Would it be enough 15mm for the base and the gantry?

I'm sure I can think of some more doubs, but for the moment I think it's enough.

I'll update the thread with the build progress, but I'm afraid it will be quite slow.

Looks OK in general and will work. Some comments:

Kress is noisy, have a look at the water cooled spindles with VFD drive, 1.5kW or 2.2kW. This will also have a better mounting surface than the Kress which is just held by a small collar area.

Make sure you have a way of adjusting the position of one of the X rail supports on the bed because you have trapped the X rails between the gantry sides, defining the position they need to be in. Easiest way would be to make the holes for one of the bed side profiles on the bed end plate slightly larger than the bolts.

Z axis rails and carriages can be swapped around to give more support. Put the rails on the Z plate and carriages on the Y.

20mm and 15mm plate will be OK. I've tended to use 6061 grade aluminium.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by routercnc

Looks OK in general and will work. Some comments:

Kress is noisy, have a look at the water cooled spindles with VFD drive, 1.5kW or 2.2kW. This will also have a better mounting surface than the Kress which is just held by a small collar area.

Make sure you have a way of adjusting the position of one of the X rail supports on the bed because you have trapped the X rails between the gantry sides, defining the position they need to be in. Easiest way would be to make the holes for one of the bed side profiles on the bed end plate slightly larger than the bolts.

Z axis rails and carriages can be swapped around to give more support. Put the rails on the Z plate and carriages on the Y.

20mm and 15mm plate will be OK. I've tended to use 6061 grade aluminium.

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Thanks for your answer.
I'm redesigning the z-axis to swap rails and carriages. I hope to post the updated design soon.

Here it is the new design with the rails and carriages swapped in the Z-axis (I have kept the kress for the momento, but I will change it)

Attachment 23214

And here is a detail of the Z-Axis. It is 130mm taller to keep the same travel.

Attachment 23215Attachment 23216