Fixed Gantry small precision begineer project advice

[yasu]

My first idea to assembly the machine with less than 0.05mm is mostly the steps of my first post.

-Using a straight edge or the surface edge or a small granite surface plate to align 1 rail of x stage and clamp it.
-Later I put the other x rail on the table without clamp it and the X table over the carriages and bolt them. Having in mind that the bolt holes of the X table are precision machined I just move the X table and at the same time I bolt the other X rail. Later I check with a DTI over one carriage the paralelism of the 2 X rails.

-To put the Y rail square to the X rail, I fix a surface plate to the X rail, then I use the inner face of a precision square DIN875 fixed to that surface and the outer face of the square fixed on the Y rail and bolt it to the X table.
-Then I repeat the same steps for the another Y rail and Y table.

-Later i check with the squareness of the Z plate to the Y table with the precision square DIN875 and if needed put some shims, Then I use the precision square as the drawing to align and clamp the Z rail, and later repeat the other process for the another Z rail and Z table
-Finally i put the DTI on the spindle to check squareness to the Y table and put some shims on the Z table if needed.


Thats what i thought to achieve the 0.01 squareness


I will change the steppers for the servos , as loosing steps is not an option for me.


I don´t think i would need bigger drills than 4-5mm , most of the time <1mm and engraving soft metals and ALU but with rigidity and precision. Resolution I estimate arround 0.02mm.

[Boyan Silyavski]

OK, but still remains the question : From aluminum or steel? Do you need it portable? Steel is 3 times stronger than aluminum which is 3 times lighter and 3 times more expensive as stock