Torchmate Rack and Pinon Gear Cleaning

[PHSS]

So the day I set up my Torchmate I though that not much thought was put into the whole rack and pinion gear system on these things, I new that I would get crap into the teeth and it would be a problem. Well it has been for over a year and I am getting sick of cuts screwing up because of a piece of slag getting in a tooth or dirt build up etc stalling the machine. I recommended that they invert these rack and pinions on new machines, no idea if they will do it but that's my opinion.

Anyhoo I decided that I want to put on a few small nozzle jets and blast compressed air onto the rack just in front of and behind the pinions. I would like the machine to be able to turn it on and off before any movement and after any movement has completed. I was curious if anyone knows if that could be programmed and what I would need as far as a solenoid and wiring in order to facilitate this.

Its one of those small shop machines the 4'x4' table kits.

[magma-joe]

Could some linear rail covers like these possibly solve your problem? Maybe they could be used for gear rack to?

http://www.mcmaster.com/#linear-moti...covers/=6ihsd0

Magma-joe

[PHSS]

thanks for the site but I don't think they will work. I am contemplating flipping the racks over but the air guns is the best solution I think.

[Mike@Torchmate]

Compressed air will definitely help, if you can build a box that is activated by 5v DC to turn a solenoid on and off, you can make it controllable from the software.

Others have also put "covers" over the gear rack on both sides that is attached to the gantry, thus being always closest to the torch to help keep stuff out.

Inverting it would work, you would most likely have to drop your material supports down lower to get the gear to clear.

[PHSS]

so if I found a 5v air/gas solenoid it could be controlled from the software?

[Mike@Torchmate]

Most likely the solenoid would require too much amperage to be controlled directly by the signal generator. Our standard interface box that converts this signal into 2 available 120V AC ports would work the best, or if you could fabricate yourself one as well.

[PHSS]

So now I have the system all set up, my students cast and milled some 1x1 blocks out of aluminum 4" long, machined them on the mill removing material from the center making em like a block letter C and them milling angles on the c so they aim directly at the pinions, tapped and threaded to 1/4" NPT and two 1/4" NPT grease nipples with the check valved removed made great nozzles, all this hooked up to a 110v solenoid as recommended above then I find out that I have one of the earlier boxes that have no 110v outlets so I wasted 60 bucks.

I have the opportunity to return it to the vendor in exchange for a 12volt one, the question is, is there any place on the system where I could piggyback a 110 signal or 12v signal off of so the air nozzles would come on right before the gantry moves and stay on until the program is finished or am I simply screwed and have to lose the all in one solution to ball valve?

[Mike@Torchmate]

I have the opportunity to return it to the vendor in exchange for a 12volt one, the question is, is there any place on the system where I could piggyback a 110 signal or 12v signal off of so the air nozzles would come on right before the gantry moves and stay on until the program is finished or am I simply screwed and have to lose the all in one solution to ball valve?

The signal generator outputs a +5vDC signal that is controllable by the software at any time in the program. If you can have this +5v DC signal activate something that is the only way to have the software turn it on or off. There is no other foreseeable way to activate this off of any of the other boxes, except for the Plasma interface box which is a contact closure that is only on when the torch is on.

The newer style, 2 in 1 interface box you are referring to is only something we released last month, and has only gone out to a few customers.

-Mike

[Bloy2004]

Here's what I did to control outside devices from the internal 5VDC signal.

Its a Solid State Relay that controls a 115VAC outlet. I too plan to mount air jets on the bearing rails on my router to either automatically shoot a jet to clean or a 'oneshot' blast from a button added to the control screen.
I figured every so often the air solenoid would be activated (that's mounted anywhere) to supply the jets with air as they followed along with the gantry. Just need to route the small air lines so they remain out of the way.... maybe bundled with the other control wires....

The connector from the control box uses shielded wire and at present controls my dust collector.

It's not very elegant, but I whipped it together just to have the dust collector automatically come on when the router(in my case) began cutting. It can be programed to come on and off by gcode manipulation.

Hope this helps to solve your problem!

John Bloy