Desktop 1000 mm x 600 mm Gantry Router

[JAZZCNC]

I have the option of using mechanical switches that have enough travel to react in time to a crash / runaway so I will use them but have a play with the proximity switches to learn how they work, every day is a school day!

Proximity switches are much better, even the cheap ones, than mechanical switches unless you buy expensive high-quality mechanical switches.
They react faster and are more reliable, a long time ago I did a test showing the repeatability of the cheap proximity switches to show how repeatable they are, it's on youtube and this forum somewhere. But since that time I have literally fit 1000's to machines I build and I have very few issues, probably 2-3 in every 100 will arrive faulty and I rarely have any fail when in use on the machine, I can't remember the last time I had one fail on a machine.
However, everyone I've fit slides by the target rather than face on. They sense and repeat just fine when sliding past the target and you don't risk crunching them if crashing the machine at high feeds where inertia will cause overtravel even though the switch reacted quick enough.

[Soyb]

First stage finished. nice and solid using standard C beam extrusion and 4 end plates.


I decided to go with 1605 ball screws for accuracy as speed it less important for a small machine, next stage is to fit the 2 y axis stepper motors and test connect the electronics, limits etc

[Kitwn]

Very kind of you to show all the pictures upside-down for the benefit of us Australian readers

All you need to do now is take a hacksaw and a drill to those lovely end brackets and modify them to take the proxy sensors the right way on.

Kit

[Soyb]

The pictures were the right way up on my computer.....but glad to make our antipodean friends happy,

I have cut end plates with and without the lugs so I have options, I am going to test proximity sensors and mechanical switches and have a play with the electronics before going any further as I want to get the the speeds, limits, stops etc all working and sorted

My immediate problem is that the frame is 1 mm wider at one end, I am going to try and measure carriage to carriage to get an accurate dimension and shim the cross beams to try and remove as much inaccuracy as possible.