All steel, no welding, 2000x1300x250mm

[eurikain]

Important updates:

Following Boyan's advice, I am switching to a new Z / Y / gantry design, adapting my old one, removing nuts and bolts. I am also switching to ALUMINIUM instead of steel, as this thing is way too heavy. The new design lightens it but going to aluminium will be the solution. I'll be using 20mm sheets, unless you guys think 15mm is better to reduce weight. I'll be adding pockets at some places to lighten the whole thing.

I called the cutting company. They said parts will be water jet cut (I have no choice on that, but no big deal, I've got good prices anyway) with .25mm accuracy.

I keep the round rods, no changes on that. Instead of being supported by profiles, they will be supported by M8 bolts every 70mm plus at both ends.

Here are the pictures of the Z axis, evaluated to 17kg, but that should decrease with pocketing.

Complete Z.

Z without front plate.

Cheers.

[Boyan Silyavski]

Important updates:

Following Boyan's advice, I am switching to a new Z / Y / gantry design....

What are you doing right now is Not following my advice. Of course its your machine, i am just trying to help. Seems you a missing my biggest point. What i told you before:

Keep the design with square rails! Save from all else. Dont compromise on that. Dont exchange that for a vacation



Ok i understand - expensive, you want to change the design to round rails. Then read some similar build logs and design much lighter and simpler frame.


Here is my advice:

-make the Z strong. 20mm aluminum plate is Not strong enough if not braced. Ideal will be 12-15mm steel plate, braced and done like#8 here where i explain much better and simpler Z design with the same effort

-make gantry from profiles cut on a Rage saw and soldered. gantry sides also. Look my second project in signature for the gantry sides / 100x100 profile/ Design all machine from one profile, say 80x80x4mm or 100x100x3mm , no fancy plates and crap where you waste money. Order 6m steel box profiles, cut all on Rage saw and solder.

From here you will save the money for the square rails. Difference between square rails and other type of linear movement is like from Ferrari compared to Trabant


-My direct advice is follow my first build and change gantry sides like i did them on my second. Thats the cheapest and strongest machine at the same time possible.

[Wal]

I keep the round rods, no changes on that. Instead of being supported by profiles, they will be supported by M8 bolts every 70mm plus at both ends.

Stop. Think about that. Then think about it again and again until this crazy idea is banished from your head..!

(Out of morbid curiosity, how were you ever going to make that work..?)

Wal.