CNC Router/tapper/glue bot work log

[BoxGods]

Finally got around to designing a little bench bot for routing, tapping holes in plastic, and as a glue/solder bot.



Anyone interested can download the EASM file here. Sorry the drawing is sloppy--self taught on SolidWorks.

Work envelope is 8" x 12" x 4" and the machine has the air pump for liquid dispensing built into the base, as well as all the electronics, including the PC. The vac lines are also run through the machine, though not shown yet. Connection for dust collection and work holding pull down are 19 mm Bosch hose. The plug for the tapping head/motor is on the left side of the column.

Also didn't draw in the strip brushes over the slots, but I am including them. The taupe colored parts are cold rolled steel, and the gray is aluminum.

Already ordered parts...hope I can pull this off as the electronics portion is pretty daunting for me.

Will update with pictures as work progresses.

[FandZ]

This is looking like it will be a great build. Looking forward to seeing your progress.

I downloaded the edrawing and had a peak underneath the hood. I really liked your bearing blocks and all your axis mounts. Very clean. I'm guessing you already have a cnc or acess to some nice machines. It looked to me the rails and casing were all one piece. Great idea. Maybe it is a common practice but it's the first time I've seen it. How will you be bending all of those edges so precisely? Also how will you adjust your bearing blocks?

Good solid work drawing. Only improvement you could make would be to thread the rods lol.. Nice work.

[BoxGods]

Originally Posted by FandZ This is looking like it will be a great build. Looking forward to seeing your progress. I downloaded the edrawing and had a peak underneath the hood. I really liked your bearing blocks and all your axis mounts. Very clean. I'm guessing you already have a cnc or acess to some nice machines. It looked to me the rails and casing were all one piece. Great idea. Maybe it is a common practice but it's the first time I've seen it. How will you be bending all of those edges so precisely? Also how will you adjust your bearing blocks? Good solid work drawing. Only improvement you could make would be to thread the rods lol.. Nice work.

Thanks lol. Yeah the unified rails have me worried also, but the shop doing the sheet metal insists they can get to .002 over the length of the longest rail. I guess that's what a very expensive cnc bender can do for you...or I hope at least. I guess we will know by Monday or so.

[FandZ]

Originally Posted by BoxGods Thanks lol. Yeah the unified rails have me worried also, but the shop doing the sheet metal insists they can get to .002 over the length of the longest rail. I guess that's what a very expensive cnc bender can do for you...or I hope at least. I guess we will know by Monday or so.

If you don't mind, what is the thickness of the sheet metal you'll be useing? Also what is the shop chargeing to bend it. It could be a great find for building smaller machines.

[BoxGods]

The heavier gauge of steel is 12ga I believe, and the heavier aluminum is 8ga. the rest varies between 14ga and 16ga for the covers and such.

As for cost...a LOT lol. Not what I would consider DIY prices certainly.

[BoxGods]

Originally Posted by FandZ This is looking like it will be a great build. Looking forward to seeing your progress. I downloaded the edrawing and had a peak underneath the hood. I really liked your bearing blocks and all your axis mounts. Very clean. I'm guessing you already have a cnc or acess to some nice machines. It looked to me the rails and casing were all one piece. Great idea. Maybe it is a common practice but it's the first time I've seen it. How will you be bending all of those edges so precisely? Also how will you adjust your bearing blocks? Good solid work drawing. Only improvement you could make would be to thread the rods lol.. Nice work.

Just noticed you asked how I will be adjusting the bearing blocks, sorry I missed the question originally. There are set screws located centrally over each "top" truck that thread through a PEM style clinch nut. The process to tighten the bearing trucks onto a rail (say adjust for wear) is to loosen the screws holding the trucks to the C frame, tighten the set/grub screw, then tighten the truck screws back down.

There are also provisions to adjust the track of each c frame on the sled to the width between the rails.

This gives me relatively easy adjustment in both directions. I even remembered access holes to get to the screws for a change lol =)

Sheet metal parts are supposed to be done Tuesday. Possibly the machined aluminum parts as well. Very anxious to see if they were able to get the rails accurate enough.

Will update with some pictures as soon as I can.

[FandZ]

I'm really looking forward to seeing the results from the metal sheet bending. Sounds like the trucks are well thought out too. Should be a good next update

[BoxGods]

The machined parts (trucks, plates, etc.) are done! The shop is a 4 hour drive away and the sheet metal parts are NOT done yet and that shop is about 3 hours away in the same direction so I am waiting in order to make one trip. Waiting sucks lol.

Also ordered the couplers for the steppers from Dumpster CNC and Tim was nice enough to agree to making a special order coupler we need for a BSP tap. Nice guy and a very classy company to do business with as always.

I am still looking for a chuck we could mate to a NEMA 23 stepper if anyone has a source that would be great.

Will post pictures of the parts as soon as I pick them up,

have I mentioned how much waiting sucks...

[BoxGods]

Got the parts yesterday. 14 hour drive round trip so it was pretty late when I got to the shop. Didn't have a lot of time to look them over, but I saw some issues right off. Some will have to be redone looks like. Will post pictures later today.

[BoxGods]

OK, took a few quick shots of the parts just resting in place. You can see they missed on the aluminum cover--its too narrow by about .25"



The edges look burnt, but thats a shadow cast by the flash. The edges are awesome. Cut with a 5,000 W laser and they look machined.



They did much better on the steel parts then they did on the aluminum. Unusable as they are now, but maybe better on round two. More waiting. On a more positive note, the machined parts came out excellent!

I will post more pictures of the individual parts over the weekend.

[FandZ]

Looking good.. I can't really tell which parts need to be redone. It all looks pretty good to me. A quick Q. The metal bends that you will be useing for rails. Are you able to get them to deflect any by hand?

[BoxGods]

Originally Posted by FandZ Looking good.. I can't really tell which parts need to be redone. It all looks pretty good to me. A quick Q. The metal bends that you will be useing for rails. Are you able to get them to deflect any by hand?

Not even a little. I selected my metal gauges off of a chart and I think I went a little heavier then I had to even as there is ZERO deflection.

I also think I made it harder on the metal shop then it needed to be because I made rather large inside bend radii based on perhaps incorrect research. The article I read said the minimum inside radius should be 1.5 x the sheet thickness and 2 x was better. The sheet metal shop guys said on the relatively thinner cold rolled steel material I am using very near zero is easier and more accurate.

I may redo the design with all steel construction and tighten up the bends. Not sure if I will go thinner though as the 100 pound weight does not bother me in the least. Maybe on the non structural parts like the covers etc.