starting from scratch- router 1st project

[idefix]

Hi Neale,
I'm happy to share related information back with you.
I have broken the design so that you can see the area as detailled as possible. Let me know if this is what you are looking for.
As a comment note that for the Z axis my rails are type HGR15 with Hiwin HGW15CA blocks and the screw is a 1605.

Distance from Gantry plate to Z plate (plane supporting the blocks) is 24mm

[Neale]

Many thanks for the details. I had started with 12mm plates but I think that you are using 20mm which allows you to machine recesses for extra clearance, and there are also packing pieces under the rails. Back to the drawing board!

Are you using something like Solidworks for the drawings? The drawings of slides, ballnuts and so on are very detailed and look as if they might have come from the manufacturer!

[idefix]

Yes Neal, using SW for the drawings with some parts already loaded from the web such as rails, blocks and M4 and M6 screws plus the timing belt pulleys. All the rest is own design.

I do confirm that base material thickness for the plates is 20mm (initialy for ridgidity purpose) but helps making the cavities...

[JAZZCNC]

Hi Neale,
I'm happy to share related information back with you.
I have broken the design so that you can see the area as detailled as possible. Let me know if this is what you are looking for.
As a comment note that for the Z axis my rails are type HGR15 with Hiwin HGW15CA blocks and the screw is a 1605.

Distance from Gantry plate to Z plate (plane supporting the blocks) is 24mm

I wouldn't use those spacer plates and just buy thicker Material because your introducing several more operations into the job but more importantly increasing the chance for error.!! . . . . Unless Your getting the work done for free won't be saving any money and will probably be cheaper because of less cycle time involved, also it won't be much lighter.

[idefix]

I wouldn't use those spacer plates and just buy thicker Material because your introducing several more operations into the job but more importantly increasing the chance for error.!! . . . . Unless Your getting the work done for free won't be saving any money and will probably be cheaper because of less cycle time involved, also it won't be much lighter.

I was not enthousiast with those spacers but this is in my opinion the only way to adjust the position of the rails afterward... Because the lower Hiwin blocks are fixed first with positon guaranteed by the machining of straight edges, I still need to be able to adjust the rails... And here is the role of the spacers.

Related to the reduction of the thickness of the motor holder, this is necessary due to the relative short length of the axes. Mechanicl strength will still be plenty because belt tension effort combined to pulley position is only generating low flextural torque.
However, have you some suggestions (little drawing appreciated) about how to design this part in a different way ?

For the Z axis the position of the posts have been checked for sufficient clearance for the belt path. Of course this introduce limitations with the size of the pulley but I don't expect to change from ratio 1:1

Thank you very much for all your valuable comments making this thread alive.