Machsupport Forum
General CNC Chat => Show"N"Tell ( Your Machines) => Topic started by: lab auto man on September 17, 2009, 10:21:15 PM
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Hi,
Here is my first CNC conversion. Having worked in the scientific research industry for many years on equipment I now have been bitten by the CNC bug. I look for cheap obsolete equipment that has parts that may be useful for CNC projects. l This conversion took a Cartesian Technologies liquid dispenser and converted it to a small CNC router. It was a simple conversion because once I opened it up I found it had three IMS-483 controllers that are step/direction compatible controlling three stepper motors. :D I basically replaced the control board with a board from CNC4 PC and wired things up. The system came with three optical homing sensors and a power supply.
I removed some extra hardware from the system and made a fixture to hold a small trim router and am up and running. This one gives me the opportunity to learn Mach and gcode with something that will not take my arm off. :o I have another larger instrument conversion that I am working on and will post it sometime. ;D
Todd
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Todd,
Good use of surplus lab equipment. You can get some real nice parts from them.
Expect to see some more. Cheap, well that's my idea of good pricing.
RICH
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Looks great, and a really nice sign. 8)
Old medical equipment has a lot of potential, too.
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Tidy job! Old scientific equipment tends to be really well made, and fairly simple to work with if all you're doing is converting it to something else. Good going :)
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I have upgraded to little larger machine. Still recycled lab equipment. I have now cut plastic, and aluminum. The aluminum is a little slow going at .03 inches per pass and about 20 in/min. Had to put on some plastic shield to try to contain the chips.
Todd
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Excellent work Todd, I look forward to seeing more.
Tweakie.