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Author Topic: Success! Mini Machining Center under Mach3 control - Video link  (Read 375822 times)

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Offline simpson36

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Re: Success! Mini Machining Center under Mach3 control - Video link
« Reply #60 on: October 05, 2009, 07:55:34 AM »
These are the new drive parts. Older trapezoid tooth belt is gone, replaced by newer GT2 type. Quieter and can handle a lot more power. This time rather than making a pulley from scratch, I took an off-the-shelf pulley and modified it by cutting out the center and mounting it to a stock clamping collar which is comes already drilled for mounting a pulley. Between the stock pulley and clamp collar, I saved several hours over starting from scratch. Collar is bored for a slip fit on the spindle . . no  more threads. Preload will be accomplished differently. More on that later:

Spindle is out of a PhaseII brand 5C spin indexer. Still an import, but about three times as expensive as the normal junk and it is much better quality. Roughness in center portion of the spindle is from me reducing the dia slightly in that area with a coarse zirconia flap wheel to ease bearing press and reduce the interference fit on the rear bearing for preload purposes. Front bearing (next to shoulder will have full press fit. I will probably be making my own spindle, but for now this is easier.

« Last Edit: October 05, 2009, 08:02:42 AM by simpson36 »

Offline Fastest1

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Re: Success! Mini Machining Center under Mach3 control - Video link
« Reply #61 on: October 05, 2009, 10:13:12 AM »
WOW! I watched quite a few of your videos, excellent work! I either have a very long way to go with this hobby and your youtube videos were inspiring and frustrating at the same time. Or I need to sell this project and move on in another aspect of life, not! Btw your wife sounds like she is faking it! Now if you were making her jewelry? Excellent work and I cant wait til some of this is better understood instead of every step forward being so challenging.
I want to die in my sleep like my grandfather, not like the passengers in the car! :-)

Offline simpson36

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Re: Success! Mini Machining Center under Mach3 control - Video link
« Reply #62 on: October 06, 2009, 04:57:11 AM »
Fabrication complete. Still needs a guard on the belt.

I am planning to build a tailstock for it by modifying another spin indexer.

I'll post a link to a video once I get it hooked up and cutting metal. Should be an improvement over the first proto, especially in accuracy due to the better spindle.

Detail of the motor mounting parts:


Final Assembled unit front and rear:

Offline simpson36

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Re: Success! Mini Machining Center under Mach3 control - Video link
« Reply #63 on: October 15, 2009, 07:05:20 AM »
OK, guys here it is! Video as promised. This thing kicks aluminum butt . . .  :D

Video is real time and the part finishes in just a bit over 2 minutes . . i.e. twice as fast as the previous version. FINALLY, I am satisfied with it!  A couple more very minor things and it's ready for prime time. Much easier to copy now with the idler and threaded pre-load collar eliminated. The entire 4th axis will also be available for purchase pre-made.

Next project I am currently working on is an all new scratch built table for the X2 and X3 mills which has X3 (or more) travel and ball slides on both axis. Here again, as I did with the previous 4th axis, instead of doing such extensive modifications to the existing working parts, I am selling the X2 CNC table (and saddle) as is for someone to drop onto an X2 and be ready to rock. Listed on Ebay for anyone interested.

Are we having fun yet?   Yes, I think so . . .  ;D ;D


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=295Phu8GnjE

Offline simpson36

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Re: Success! Mini Machining Center under Mach3 control - Video link
« Reply #64 on: October 17, 2009, 09:57:16 AM »

That's a wrap!  Project finished.  ;D

"Yeah, but can it cut steel?" 

4th axis is now producing the little steel part for which it was created. Hard tapping is at the end of the video. Light cuts are due to lack or rigidity in the X2 table. Next project will solve that issue for X2 and X3.

This has been a fun project with a successful conclusion. Thanks to those who helped out with knowledge and ideas. Here is the final video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0kIWpylrqk

First run 30 front and 20 rear :




Offline Chaoticone

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Re: Success! Mini Machining Center under Mach3 control - Video link
« Reply #65 on: October 17, 2009, 10:48:34 AM »
Very good Simpson.  :)

Brett
;D If you could see the things I have in my head, you would be laughing too. ;D

My guard dog is not what you need to worry about!

Offline RICH

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Re: Success! Mini Machining Center under Mach3 control - Video link
« Reply #66 on: October 17, 2009, 05:38:27 PM »
Looking good Simpson, glad your happy with the outcome.
RICH

Offline simpson36

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Re: Success! Mini Machining Center under Mach3 control - Video link
« Reply #67 on: November 07, 2009, 08:18:06 AM »
Thought you guys might enjoy seeing the little X2 doing precision grinding. I tried this with the original X2 table and no dice unless I locked the Y axis. Works great with the new table!

I figured out a way to run the 4th axis as the spindle and still have the X2 spindle running at the same time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tu20ndoPuS0

This is end prep for the permanent precision ground ballscrews for my new table. The new table had Thompson ballscrews temporarily since the post office lost the ground screws. I finally got them and they are on the table now. Zero lash and smooth as silk!

Surprisingly, I can actually hold less than .001" on the OD of the shaft I am grinding in the video. I have a Thompson on the Z axis also, but I put oversize balls in it to take out most of the lash and I have a gas spring (strut) on the Z pushing the head upward pretty hard, so as long as I sneak downward slowly, I can get fairly accurate results.


Notice the 4th axis is complete now with belt guards, the home sensor has been relocated under the belt guard and there are pin blocks to lock the spindle for collet changes.
« Last Edit: November 07, 2009, 08:41:07 AM by simpson36 »
Re: Success! Mini Machining Center under Mach3 control - Video link
« Reply #68 on: November 08, 2009, 12:32:07 PM »
Hi  Simpson,
Nice work, creative thinking.
How are you getting 350,000 pulses per second from Mach 3?
Are you turning with the bottom edge of the carbide insert?
Ozzie

Offline simpson36

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Re: Success! Mini Machining Center under Mach3 control - Video link
« Reply #69 on: November 09, 2009, 05:30:08 AM »
Sorry I don't understand either question. How are you arriving at the number of steps and what do you mean by the 'bottom edge' of the carbide?

Here is another video showing my new table runnibg 300 IPM rapids during PCB routing and drilling.

I think I can cut a lot faster, but I don't have much experience with PCB or FRP in general, so I'm sneaking up on it. If anyone has some feed suggestions, I'd appreciate hearing them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6l7w3OwnC4