The WhipperStopper TM

[RomanLini]

OK, so it's not really TM but the name popped into my head and made me smile.

This is a very quick open source idea I had when reading a recent thread about long ballscrews "whipping" at higher RPMs.

Here is the basic idea;



The basic device (seen in BLUE) is made from slippery plastic uprights attached to a sliding base. The 2 uprights have a slip-fit hole so they will allow the ballscrew to turn, and allow the device to slide along the screw.

The device is pushed along by the gantry as needed.

The device stops the screw whipping because the screw can't flex downward at all, and because the device has mass that will absorb energy that could cause whipping to start.

Obvious improvements would be to fix the device so it is not just constrained in one axis (downwards).

It could be fixed to the machine base so it can slide but not be lifted or moved sideways, this could be as simple as long slots cut in the device and screws through the slots down into the base.

Alternatively (and I think is better) the device could have screws along the outsides, so the screw heads stop it lifting, and the screw shanks stop it moving sideways. That should be extremely easy to amek and to retrofit to existing machines.

This is open-source, use it as you like for personal or commercial uses.

Please add input if you like and moderator please move to the open-source forum if you think that is more appropriate (although I posted it here to reach more people with larger woodworking type routers).

[Drools]

I will give it a try...

[Semisentient]

That is a neat idea.

[CarveOne]

Pretty good idea! The WhipperStopper could be attached to a bottom plate via a T-slot track and a T-nut or two.

CarveOne

[nuplowboy]

I like it! Could also mount the Whipperstopper using a full-extension, ball bearing drawer slide or slides...

[lerman]

Instead of making it half the length of the axis, make it two thirds the length. Then stack another one one third the length on top of it.

You've now provided two supports along the length instead of one.

I think that would work. Or add even more supports.

Ken

[Pplug]

My techno lc4896 has something like this on the x axis inside the gantry. They look like some type of plastic that run along the ballscrew inside the gantry. They say you can get up to 800IPM on that axis, but I think its a limitation of the motors and amps they use.

[RomanLini]

Thanks for the input!

Drools- Excellent that you will make one, it would be great to see how it turns out.

Ken Lerman- Hehe a double-acting two-stage WhipperStopper huh? It wouldn't be that much more work to make, but I'm not sure it would perform much better.

Pplug- I originally thought of adding some leadscrew support in the gantry, which would definitely be better than no support. But then the support is limited to the width of the gantry only and can't support the centre of the screw where it is really needed.

There must be a number of easy ways to support the screw in the middle of its free length but still allow the support to move so it allows full travel.

Good to see ideas on how to support the device and still alow sliding.