8020 Belt Drive

[ajmoir]

Hi,

I'm planning to use 8020 3060 profile for a 8'x4' wood router, basically to cut plywood sheet into various panels for boat hulls, furniture, cabinets etc. Milling would be minimal, maybe the odd dado or hinge recess.

I'm going to start small 2'x2' and cheap, using shimmed 8020 slides on all axis etc. Although I would splurge for 4 Nema 34 drives.

Now I had the drive mech all clear in my head and now I've lost the supplier details!

Basically it was a belt drive that was designed to mate to the ends of an extrusion. So on one end was the drive, and pulley bolted into the exposed pipes and on the other was another pulley with a tensioner. The belt run from the slide along the top of the extrusion, around drive, through the extrusion to the other end, round the tensioner pulley and back to the slide, very KISS.

So can anyone Id the company for me?

[ajmoir]

MacronDynamics

Of course, after posting, I find what I'm looking for not 24hrs later!

Does anybody have any alternative suppliers?

[ajmoir]

Nook Industries

[ajmoir]

Google

[ahren]

If you're looking to start small and cheap, check out my classified for belt drive hardware -- I've still got lots to get rid of, and would consider selling for less than the prices listed in my ad. Just make me an offer. This stuff was originally mounted to Bosch aluminum extrusion, but should also work well for your application:

http://www.cnczone.com/classifieds/s...p/product/1347

Misumi sells plates to couple your moving mass to the belts, or you could just clamp the belts with some hefty bolts. Regardless of what belt system you end up going with, I'd recommend bolting a piece of 1/8" CRS bar to your extrusion and then using V-rollers to serve as bearings -- I haven't been impressed with the stiffness or accuracy of the 8020 bearings. With the v-wheel approach you get the straightness of your extrusion, but the lower friction and accuracy of the rollers, and the super low price of a plain piece of steel as a bearing rail.