starting from scratch- router 1st project

[JAZZCNC]

Dean,
i have always wanted to ask that question, hope you know the answer- if the motors that drive the gantry don't drive it directly but with pulleys 1:1 ,if the gantry is racked by chance, wouldn't the belt give away and just start skipping instead of destructing something?

Well yes and no dependant on motor type used.?
With steppers In reality what happens if one motor stalls is the other keeps going until the other motor stalls, by which time a number of things can happen depending on speed it was travelling at time. Often motors usually stall at higher feeds has that's where torque is lowest and machine incorrectly tuned for high velocity and high Acceleration just to compound the matter.!

Now often when first motor stalls due to low torque the other motor isn't far behind on available torque so it doesn't take much to bring both to a halt but that's not what causes the damage.? . . . . It's the 50-60Kg gantry travelling at 150mm/sec (9mtr/min Av rapid speed) just at one side which does the damage.!! . . . Doesn't matter how fast you are at reacting to seeing the motor stall you can't stop the machine fast enough and in the few seconds it takes to hit the "Oh shite" button before one side has travelled 300+mm further than the other side.!! . . . I'll leave the rest to your imagination has to what can be damaged or screwed up.

Now if you were using Servo motors then yes possibility it would strip the belt teeth but chances are it wouldn't stall either and the drive would detect any following error and E-stop anyway.

So the moral of the story is when slaving either be conservative on the tuning, use drives that detect stalling or use a different approach.?
I've done all 3 and my preference is single motor with belts connecting screws but I'm also ok with slaving you just have to be aware of the limits and this is why I like drives that help and take some of the risk away.!