routercnc_MK3

[routercnc]

Few more photos to show progress . . . .

General machine is starting to come together. Gantry now fixed squarely onto rails, Y axis and Z axis all wired up and running. Both run beautifully smooth but then they were carried over from the old machine without disturbing them.


Extractor hose upgrade to 100mm. Will use the m/c to make bits for the extractor brackets etc.


Y axis stepper currently mounted on the end of the ballscrew for now. For neatness, and give a bit more space for possible future acoustic enclosure, the layout of the drag chains behind the gantry have space reserved to move the stepper behind the gantry for a belt driven Y axis.


Have just finished wiring new slave driver, and configuration for twin stepper drive. It all works but needs a bit of fettling to get everything aligned.

The X1, Y, Z axes all run from the system3 board, and the slave X2 runs from the A axis output via an M542 stand-alone driver. This is fine except I had to de-tune the X2 axis (M542) as it was more capable then the X1 axis and I clearly don't want an asymetric gantry stall during running (!).

As per a previous post I intend to upgrade all the control system as per Jazz and Jonathan's suggestions to 60V PSU and 80V drivers (DQ860MA are top of the list). Didn't need much pursuading to be honest, especially having now compared the performance of X1 vs X2. I'm still on 26v so expect great things from 60v when I get there!

The bed of the machine will have more crossmembers than currently shown, plus short connecting pieces between the crossmembers in the X direction.

Cooling system on Z axis was a temporary solution several years ago on the previous machine - I intend to re-locate the radiator out of the way, although there is a good chance it will just stay there again !

Still need to wire up the home switches, which were taken off the old machine I but need additional bits for gantry squaring which the old machine didn't need.

The wooden end bearing supports on the end of the bed are temporary - machine will be used to make ali ones. Used like this I suspect the gantry could be driven hard against the wood and break them off, which would be pretty bad! Esp. on 60V.