Need y-z motion help!

[dtuom]

Hello-
New to this site, just looking for some linear motion guidance and having a hard time getting anything from repeated google-searches...

My design team here at WSU Vancouver (I'm a senior in the Mechanical Engineering Program) is working with a local company to design an automated RF cable bending machine. Part of our design requires moving a bending head that will probably weigh 40 lb max. Basically needs to move side-side and up-down (I guess that would be y and z...forgive my newbie ignorance) with as much precision as possible. Approx 3" travel each way.

I was thinking we could mount a linear z-slide on top of a y-slide, with each actuated by ball screws driven by stepper motors. Can we just use a LinTech (or whatever brand) slide mounted vertically for the z motion? Can most slides take similar loads in the other direction (away from the rail)? The whole thing is going to be PLC controlled (the company Elec. engineers are taking care of that, thank goodness)

And the best part...no budget!

Any and all help is appreciated greatly, you may even get acknowledged in our final report and presentation!

If anyone wants to email me outside the forum: dtuom@juno.com

[ViperTX]

Well...have you ever seen a hydraulic car exhaust pipe bender...that's what you want to emulate for each axis...

[CJL5585]

Not knowing the material that the RF cable is shielded with ( lead, Alum, etc.) and not knowing the thickness of the shielding material, steppers may or may not be able to perform the bending function.

Most benders are either manually operated, or hydraulic in nature.

Good luck on your project. Keep us posted with photos.

Jerry

[dtuom]

Sorry guys, i guess i should have been more specific. We have already designed the bending head, etc. We are actually extensively modifying an existing bender made by Pines Manufacturing. Similar to what is used to bend brake cables. The part i need help with is really just how to support and move a portion of the mechanism. Since our bender will have the capability to bend multiple radii on a single cable, we need to be able to move the cable between different size bending arbors. This is where the need for y and z motion comes in. Restating the problem in a nutshell:

I need to move 40 lbf (about a 10" x 10" package, roughly) in the y and z directions, with about 3" travel each way, as precise as possible. y motion seems easy enough, but I can't seem to find much in the way of how the z axis motion should be done. I don't know whether to use a vertical slide, a mini scissor lift, or what.

CJL5585: the cable is 0.141" semi-rigid coax, usually alum. shielded. The existing bender uses 200 step Warner motors, so steppers of some sort should work fine.

thanks!
dan