60mm Z axis?

i have worked a lot of time on 90mm Z axis machine limited to 60mm travel due to sacrificial sheet and that's the absolute minimum i would ever wish for sb. In fact i don't wish that to sb. Having just double the travel /120mm/ will be like sleeping in 5 star hotel compared to a hostal/



Why:
-10-20mm for MDF, wood, laminate or expanded PVC sacrificial layer ,

-20mm wood or aluminum fixture when producing many repeatable parts, double sided parts, etc.

-20mm material / the typical




ok, 60mm till now.

so what we do with the typical 30mm bit extending from spindle +5mm Safe Z . sometimes even 50mm /when using 12mm or 1/2 cutter/

what about work holding - chucks, vice?

what about boxes engraving and other thicker than 20mm stuff?

what about vacuum table?





Cheap cheap, but : Mehh, i say the saving from this is no more than 200 pounds, including Z plates, Z square Hiwin, gantry or table sides.


The only reason i see to make a Z axis 60mm is to use only 2 long Hiwin blocks on Z and one block each gantry side. But who would do that? 4 blocks saving is 120 pounds approximately.


IMHO 120mm is the minimum Z travel and 160 table to gantry/Z clearance, not counting the bit protruding from spindle. I am saying anything below this is not worth spending the money, except if not for some special purpose machine, that is clear what exactly will do all day.


Also is worth noting that when we start digging deeper, having in mind the ball screw nut length, the ball screw end supports, and all Z parts like pulleys, we arrive at a precise relation between Z travel and gantry clearance, when machine properly designed.