Recomendations for stepper motors to suit Super X3

Hello folks,

Complete newbie to the CNC world here, I am about to embark on my first project and will be buying a Super X3 Mill in the next week or so. I will be using the mill to make the motor holders etc before stripping the machine for the upgrade, but in order to make the mounts I will need to motors.

I have read the stories of rubbish eBay kits and have seen lots of people recommending parts from the US but that’s no good to me. Anyone have experience in converting these machines? Or point me in the direction of a suitable set of stepper motors?

If anyone knows a good UK supplier that can provide a full setup or at the least some matched components it would be much appreciated.

I'm surprised nobody has replied to this.

I'd suggest some high power Nema 23s motors, or lower power Nems 34 motors. The benefit of using the smaller motors is that you'll generally get better acceleration, and on lower voltage (50V) drives. If you go Nema34, then you really need to get higher voltage (70-80V) drives to get the most out of them, which adds a fair bit to the cost.

I'd do a search over on CNCzone to see what others are using size/power wise, then see what options are available in the uk.

Didn't see this other wise would have replied.!! . . . . Just about every X3 I've seen use's 34's.
Was at some ones place other day who has the factory built X3 and that had 34's on it.!

Accel/Speed won't be problem with 34's for a mill and the extra torque would help when going gets tough.! . . .That said I wouldn't be worried using 23's either so I'd say either or.

Thanks for the replys, iv looked on a few sites and im determined to find a uk supplier that has everything i need. Wanted to go down the Gecko route but that just isnt going to happen. I have found a site today that seems promising and would like to know if anyone has any experience with their products?

www.zappautomation.co.uk

They offer a 3 axis kit which may be a possiblity but with the NEMA 34 steppers

Driver Kit Two (Three axis)

They also offer a USBCNC pc controlled driver which im unsure of? Anyone used one of these on a milling machine or are they limited to use on routers ?

thanks!

In the early days I made a kit of parts for the X3, this was before the SX3 came out in earnest. I made the kits and sales were handled by Arceurotrade.
Off the top of my head either 37 or 42 kits were done and they worked out well.
had a few queries but no actual comebacks which I though was good.

At the time these used Ketan's 220Ncm stepper motor with the 10mm shaft but used the larger 80v drivers running at 72 volts and downrated to 2.5 amps.

The idea behind this was that it would have the voltage for speed but only be ticking over regards amperage for reliability. X and Y were direct drive through Oldham couplings to a 4mm pitch screw.

http://www.stevenson-engineers.co.uk/files/x3xaxis.jpg

Z was the same motor but running the same screw via a belt drive 2:1 reduction inside the column.

http://www.stevenson-engineers.co.uk/files/zmount2.jpg

All ballscrews ran on matched precision sets of angular contact bearings.

No grandfather clocks were injured in the making of this conversion to rob them of the stupid standoffs that some like to use.

If I were doing the same kit today I'd do exactly the same but replace the 220Ncm motors with Arc's 300Ncm type 23 [ often called a type 24 because of the larger case ] motor which was not available to us then. Still continue to use the larger drivers for reliability.

I see no advantage to going to the larger 34's on a machine this size.