NEW BUILD / Dynatorch Upgrade

[magma-joe]

Hi everyone, I have been gathering parts and brain storming for the last 2 months to upgrade my Dynatorch 5 x 10 table to some of Dynatorch'es latest features plus a couple of my own. Any comments along the way are welcome. I have learned a great deal from others on the forum and would like to give back. In 2005 I purchased a 5' single x axis motor, standard gantry with laser locator and built my own 5 x 10 water table. It has worked without missing a beat.

At that time Dynatorch offered a battery powered laser locator (which I still have) and had spring assist pre load for the pinion gears. They also used a v rail design for the lifter station. Shortly after I got my machine up and running they improved their Z lifter station to a ball screw design and added small pneumatic air cylinders to pre load the pinion gears. Both were major improvements which I added to my machine.

Since then they have added a host of new features. My machine has been making me money so I decided its time to reinvest. The Dynatorch crew has been great at providing all the parts I needed and technical advice.

The Upgrade;

1. Add Dual x axis drive motors

2. Dynatorch currently offers a single drop side gantry, however my plan is to make it a Dual drop and replace my existing gantry with a 3 x 12 channel aluminum gantry.

3 Add the new Dynatorch all steel Y axis carriage and dual linear rails on the Y axis.

4. Add the Dynatorch DASH system

5. Add the Dynascribe unit for plate marking

6. Replace all rack and pinions on the X and Y axises with their new 24 pitch rack.

7. Upgrade the laser indicator to the latest AC powered one.

Here are some pics of the parts and my gantry. I am sure it will take some time but in the end it will be well worth the effort.

[magma-joe]

Here are a few more pics,

[WSS]

Joe,
The first post, last picture: What are the two items with the short wires behind the laser locator and the DASH unit? The Y carriage housing looks way improved over the extruded carriage. That should take care of the suspected vibration that the DT's are subject to. Looks like you have quite a project ahead! I look forward to seeing the progress.
Tommy

[tof1]

Why are you replacing your current rack & pinion?

[magma-joe]

WSS, the 2 black items with the wires are the solenoids to control the Dynascribe unit. It has 2 air cylinders, one controls the up and down motion and the scribe itself and the other controls the whole rectangular shaped assembly that the scribe is mounted in. You can't see it in the Dynatorch video of the scribe but when the scribing is finished the whole unit automaticly moves up several inches out of harms way.

You can adjust the speed of the air actuating cylinders thru the solenoid valves, both solenoids are made by Ingersoll Rand. I'm not sure but I think that all the new Dynatorch gantrys and Y axis carriages are now all 3/16" steel. I know that they are selling alot of their master series machines for use with Hydefinition plasmas. The torch and cable assemblys are much heavier on Hydef than standard plasmas. Perhaps thats the reason for steel gantrys and Y axis carriages now. If so this just makes their standard series machines that much better. Rigidity is a good thing. I am sure I could have purchased a steel gantry from them also but the shipping would have been a bit much. I decided to make my own from aluminum. As for the vibration mentioned in another thread, I have never experienced it.

tof1,
as for the reason I am replacing the gear rack. My gear rack is the earlier version of 12 pitch used by Dynatorch. I guess you would call it a course tooth pattern. It is still in like new condition and has performed with zero problems other than it is a little noisy when the gantry is moving at 1000 inches per minute. The servo motors can really get the gantry from one end of the table to the other in a hurry.

Since I am adding a 2nd x axis drive motor I have to install an additional gear rack for the slave side anyway so I elected to go with the new 24 fine pitch rack they are using on all their new machines. I did see a 6 x 20 Dynatorch machine cutting at a local shop and it had the new rack. It was quiet and smooth which really sold me. Here are some pics of the solenoids, and the new and old style rack.

[WSS]

After tof1's one sentence question, I realise how much I don't know! Good question and good answer. Thanks for adding new depth to my confusion (lol). The steel gantrys as I was told was simply perception. A steel gantry is considered industrial. I am sure there is more to the story than that.

So the solenoids are for the Dynascribe. I see in the latest pic that it has two poppets, probably for the reciprocation function.

I have four days off to work on our table! Lots to do, I am hoping to get it painted late tuesday.

[magma-joe]

WSS, I am interested in your table build also. Post some pics when you get a chance. As for me the first step will be determining the correct length for the gantry and cutting. Since I am doing a dual drop the gantry will be about 2" wider than the overall table width. Hopefully I can get it done today. More pics later.

[tyler774]

Hello Magma

I am envious, so many new features your going too have.

Curious if your going to see much improvement going to the 24 pitch rack and adding the air cylinder tensioners.

Will be checking in on this thread often as I would one day also like to upgrade my table.

Great pictures to.

Tyler

[magma-joe]

Hi Tyler, I purchased the pinion pneumatic preload cylinders when they first came out in 2006? They were a big improvement over the springs.

I am anxious to try out the new 24 pitch rack. I am used to hearing the gears mesh on my machine so it was a suprise NOT to hear them on the 6 x 20, machine I saw cutting. On the New Dynatorch Master series machines I noticed that the Rapid speeds were increased to 1600 inches per min. Perhaps this is another reason they went to a smoother running gear?

[tof1]

Gotcha, I thought they used 20pitch rack. Couldn't imagine 12, good choice.

Why do you like the penumatic tensioners more than the springs? Seems like a way to over-complicate things.

[magma-joe]

tof1, As a end user, I like the miniture air cylinders for several reasons. For one the pinion gear preload is infinitely adjustable to your what ever you like just by turning a knob on the air pressure regulator. Should I desire to move the gantry or Y axis by hand I just turn off the air and pull the pinion away from the rack. They are very durable yet simple requiring only a small air regulator and some plastic tubing to complete a system. I don't recall seeing any other cnc plasma machines using them other than Dynatorch?

If I were a machine builder I would be attracted to their ability to push or pull in a confined space such as in the picture I posted of the Y axis carriage. From what I have seen in the catalogs they cost little money and there is an array of mounting brackets and styles of cylinders offered.

Since I build custom parts for street rods, I am on a daily basis modifying, upgrading and redesigning things to make them look and perform better even if it is only a small amount. I look at my CNC plasma in the same way. When I think of springs versus pneumatic cylinders for my plasma its a no brainer. And since Dynatorch offers all these parts as a bolt on it was an easy install at the time.

[tof1]

I guess it would be nice to just turn off the air and be able to move your gantry by hand. Pictures look good, thanks for posting!