Need Help!- Inexpensive, barebone, highspeed, plotter.

[diyengineer]

What are the cheapest high speed components to use in a plotter that would NEVER see any side cutting forces. It would only hold a marker, that would be attached using a free floating design that utilizes a spring for the pressure and could conform to a slightly non flat surface <.100" (worst case scenario say if a piece of wood from home depot isnt "machined flat".

I would like it to be extremely fast, 500IPM+, Cheap, and light. It does not need to be the most accurate thing in the entire world. Things like backlash would hardly matter for my purpose with it.

The usuable area would need to be about 30"x 30"x 3"

Parts: (just initial thoughts)

skinniest, lightest, cheapest, bolt together, 80/20 frame.

Unsupported linear round rails and bearings from keling.net

Rack and pinion from mcmaster

solder together hobby pro 3 axis board

steppers

Trying to do this on the cheap, i will be making A LOT of the parts. Just need to know if there is any way to obtain the speed easily. ball screws are way out of the price range of this build.

Thanks for the advice!

[ger21]

Most plotters just use belts. Easier than rack and pinion. You're not moving any weight, so belt flex is a non issue.

[diyengineer]

Originally Posted by ger21 Most plotters just use belts. Easier than rack and pinion. You're not moving any weight, so belt flex is a non issue.

I just peeked inside my printer and there was a belt haha!

Could i even belt drive the z axis?

I'm searching the forum for a really simple belt drive design.

"stepinators" design looks really straight forward.

http://www.cnczone.com/forums/attach...1&d=1213381180

http://www.cnczone.com/forums/attach...5&d=1213381180

[diyengineer]

If i were to use unsupported 20MM linear shafts and bearing blocks from KELING. I would need:

X: 2-36" rails ($28.95x2 ) 4-20mm bearing blocks ($7.99x4 )
Y: 2-36" rails ($28.95x2 ) 4-20mm bearing blocks ($7.99x4 )
Z: 2-19" rails ($15.95x2) 4-20mm bearing blocks ($7.99x4 )

Grand total: $245 dollars for all the rails and bearings.

Any cheaper way? 20mm rails i think are a bit overkill for a plotter. Maybe there is something out there someone can suggest that is less money.

[irving2008]

for this application why not look at vgroove bearings on aluminum plate, cheap, easy to construct and good enough accuracy I'd guess, tho you havent said how accurate you need...

[awemawson]

Aren't you busy enough with the ex-Boeing re-build without starting another project? Why not finish the big router job, then put a plotter pen on that to plot whatever you want!

AWEM

[atwooddon]

Have you considered going to a electronics surplus/salvage place an picking up an old HP plotter then retrofit it with your steppers? Mechanically, it is already set up, all you have to do is retro it for your steppers. Or, just get a working HP plotter and use it as is. They are really cheap in the surplus shops.

Don

[hemsworthlad]

Belts are the way to go with this, they will easily give you 500ipm plus.
3" pulley geared 3-1 will easly give 1000+ipm with a 380oz nema 23 stepper.
With a resolution of 1" per rev or 0.005" per full step, 10x micro step and your at 0.0005" more than enough for this job.

I built a small machine for someone using belts and the speed and accurecy was amazing see it here. . This was running at half the speed it was capable of, if run full speed it shock it's self of the bench.!! . . . . . . YouTube - Video018.mp4

Look at Mike evermans system as well this would work good but a bit more involved. http://www.cnczone.com/forums/linear...so_myself.html

[diyengineer]

Hemsworthlad- That is awesome and really fast. Belts seem to be what i need.

atwooddon- I have not considered that. I will look around!

awemawson- Working on it day and night. This highspeed plotter is actually for a friend not myself.

irving2008- Do you have a link to an example? Sounds like it would be a cheaper alternative.

[irving2008]

Originally Posted by diyengineer ... irving2008- Do you have a link to an example? Sounds like it would be a cheaper alternative.

there are many designs based on the concept, but have a look at blackToe 2x4 v4.0 as a particularly well documented design. The rails can be L, flat plate or inverted angle...

BTW, they use chain not belt but again lots of useful ideas there...

[jemmyell]

I second the used HP pen plotter. There is a decent piece of open source software to go along with it:

Chiplotle!

-James Leonard