Build Thread- RETROFIT OF RADIAL DRILL MACHINE INTO CNC MILL

[Khalid]

Hi,
This is first time i am working on CNC retrofit of a Radial Drill Machine. The existing machine is manufactured by Pakistan Machine tool Factory with a working area of 340x 340mm. Presently, the machine is under major retrofit with latest 3-axes CNC Control System. The controller will be able to do 2D and 3D contouring of complex shapes with higher accuracy, less resources and less time.

This retrofit will help us making complex parts for fabrication of 10ft x 10ft CNC Milling machine.
SCREW REPLACEMENT
Currently the Machine has ACME screws at X/Y cross slides. To get optimum accuracy and low-backlash these ACME screws will be replaced with Ball screws.

CUTTING FLUID CONSOLE

For High speed machining cutting fluid is abundantly required on the work piece. New Console was fabricated using in-house facility. The pump will be controlled with the help of computer M-code command.

CROSS-SLIDES

Cleaning of linear ways and minor modifications for ball screw installation is underway.


STEPPER MOTOR PULLYS

The machine will be driven with stepper motor. These stepper motors will be installed on X-Y Cross-slides and Spindle (Z-axis). Stepper motor pulleys with 3:1 reduction has been machined.

SPINDLE OVERHAULING

The spindle of this machine can carry tools up to 13mm diameter. The ranges of the spindle RPM is from 251~ 2560. The spindle is driven with 3-phase 2.2hp motor. Spindle gears and internals are currently being overhauled. One of the roller bearing was replaced due to high noise and clearances. We have minor backlash in the collet-shaft rack-pinion gears However; this backlash may be compensated in the controller software.

I hope you will enjoy the thread and comments...

[Khalid]

Installed the counter weight on the Quill.. Have ready X/Y carriage for stepper mounts.. A little work on enclosure today...

[Khalid]

I have installed stepper Motors and calibrated the slides.. I am getting 0.4mm backlash at X-axis (The bottom carriage) and 0.17mm at the top carriage.. After backlash compensation I am getting 0.02mm tolerance at the bottom carriage and 0.001mm at the top carriage...

I am really very happy with the results... The above tolerance values were checked within 10mm of screw travel.. I will check the Precision/Foot of the carriage tomorrow..

However, I have checked by travelling back and forth several time and my values are consistent within the above mentioned range...

[Rene Nuñez Paz]

Hi Khalid, Nice work.
Congratulations.
Regards
Rene

[Khalid]

Hi Rene,
thanks...
Currently I am getting problems in calibrating the Z-axes... When I using Mach3 to setup it in 'MM' metric unit..I am getting 12.344 steps/mm... This is very course I don't know why?

My Motor is = 200 steps
Gear Reduction 3: 1
I am using 1/2 step mode...
I don't know what is driving the quill but it is something Rack and pinion, i don't know the specification..

so the mathshould be simple...
200 x 2 x 3 x Y= 1200 x Y.
but Mach3 only returning me 12.33 steps!!!!!

What should i do?

[Rene Nuñez Paz]

Hi Khalid
Attach a table.
Hope this helps you.
Let me know
Regards
Rene

PD-I was been very busy, I want to finish embroidery structure soon as possibler, next week weekend arrives new cnc controller for diy embroidery machine and a singer embroidery press foot.

[Khalid]

Thanks REne..
I am checking the spreadsheet... If I am getting 12.74steps/mm then what resolution i can achieve on Z-axis?

Nice to hear about the controller and embroidery machine..Currently I abandoned the software project.. You keep working on it..When your research completed i will ammend in embroidery software...

[Rene Nuñez Paz]

Hi Khalid
As I understand, resolution is a movement than we can get
In one step, in this way your resolution will be
= 1step / 12.74step/mm =0.078mm
Tell me if this is wrong.
Regards

Rene

[Khalid]

Here i want to show the completed machine with failed attempt of drilling in Carbon steel plate.. I am getting very less torque due to coarse ratio of gearing.. I am going to install Worm-Wheel arrangment on Z-axis soon..

[Rene Nuñez Paz]

Hi Khalid
Nice project.
What kind of steppers are you using?
Some day I want to do like you with my drill press
I need a 48 hours day.
Regards
Rene

[Khalid]

Hi Rene, I am using NEMA34 1200 Oz-in (Bipolar mode)stepper...but i am using these stepper in Unipolar mode so getting aroung 750 Oz-in torque... Yesterday I removed the Automatic Feed gearing and now with one revolution i am getting 0.0016mm Feed
and with a lot of torque...

[Rene Nuñez Paz]

Hi Khalid

This is a lot of torque!! Now you can mill a lot of pieces for future projects
including a small pieces for embroidery project,, sorry we are living at very long distance.

Congratullations for this good and almost concluded project.

Seriously asking,,, do you think to come back to embroidery project?

Iam not refering only about promised update of software, also I'm refering to finish your own embroidery machine, and after, work for change to continuous running motor, and make all improvements as possible. Iam working a lot reading, investigating and writing an algoritm for running continuos motor and asking a lot in Mach forum,ecc.

I recopiled, optical switches, small stepper motors, belts,solenoid, buy a new CNC controller and a mini DC relay for motor and solenoid control.

I know that you are involved in a multipled projects, and this make me happy, you are a big inspiration about all is possible to do using small resourses,( 4th axis, laser scanner, ecc).

For my part I don't have promgramation knowledge, but I can use my time for continuing bulding embroidery machine, testing new components, and work methods. Then I can make new sugestions for do the best in project.

Regards

Rene