Is this an acceptable axis layout?

[LN-JET]

Is this an acceptable axis layout?

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After long time lurking on the zone, I have decided to start a project on my own. It may never get to anything though, as it depends on what available resources I have in the future.
I am thinking along the lines of a benchtop design with the work envelope of
400x200x200mm, give or take. It will be welded together from laser cut sheet,
or fully molded from epoxy/granite.(love the E/G thread!)
-20mm HSR type rails.
-Ground, or precision rolled 16mm ball screws.
-Mount provisions for different spindles.

I have looked at a layout where the x and y axis is laying flat on the base, as I think it will give good support. I don't want to spend many hours with cad
if this layuot has obvious issues. Anything I should think of?

Regards

Lars

[arie kabaalstra]

a horizontal mill layout is really stable, only thing is.. you need an angle support to machine top surfaces

PLUS: stability, versatility
Minus: your work is always behind your support..

[digits]

Are you actually planning to have the rotary axis on the table? I am also building a horizontal mill, and IMHO being able to rotate the work and its fixture round to the 'outside' of the machine is essential to allow me to load/unload it easily. You also need to be able to see your cutting tool meet the work - can you get your head in between the column and the work safely, or are you planning on using a webcam?

The only thing that worries me about that design is that you have a lot of moving mass in the column - which is why I went for fixed column and Y and Z in the table. That said, I have seen far more commercial horizontal mills with the column moving both side to side and up and down, with the table just going in and out. This might just be about getting the spindle to the toolchanger and enabling the use palette changers though...

[LN-JET]

Sorry, the picture was somewhat misleading with regards to my intentions.
I thought of making it an vertical mill, and no rotary table. That was the only picture I could find that had the x and y axis laid out on the table, and with a traveling column.
So only the general layout of the slides would apply to my design.

I was thinking that it should be easier to fabricate when none of the axis are mounted on top of each other.
I have acsess to a 4kW laser, but little in the way of machining, so I need advice on how to make a precision machine, with as little machining as possible. I will sit down and make a preliminary drawing one of the first days.

Arie: I have followed your build, and that mill is a true piece of art!

Lars

[arie kabaalstra]

Lars,

Thanks for the compliment, but it's just what i used to do for a living..

if your machine goes as planned, it will come out just as nice..

if i get it right, your thinking about a moving collumn?.. , what about a gantry layout?.. that also crossed my mind, but i had to make a machine to meet the limited space available in my shed..

[RICHARD ZASTROW]

LN-JET, I agree arie kabaalsta's machine is a jewel. What you are describing is the typical layout of an HBM (horizontal boring mill) and has been a successful design for many years both conventional and CNC. When used in horizontal configuration a flat plate surface is typically fastened to an angle plate located behind the workpiece (rear of table, away from spindle). This gives clear access to the workpiece and swarf (chips) fall freely from holes etc. As arie said, in a small machine though, the column may be in the way when working in close proximity.

Good luck with your project.

Dick Z

[hesham morsy]

horizontal 5axis mill

[arie kabaalstra]

Hey!, Hesham, did you just "Dream that up?" .. that's basically how most 5 axis machines are built. at least the bigger ones..

Compared to the basic design at the begin of this topic, this has a "Cradle" with a rotary table.

[hesham morsy]

one more 5 axis
Arie I love your mill someday i well CLONE it

[arie kabaalstra]

that last example is the most compact, since the entire collumn moves in X and Y direction, you will need a very stable collumn this way though..
if you fancy this kind of design, you'd better build a gantry...

Cloning my machine?.. why should you?..you'd better clone a bridgeport VMC 610 XP, that's what i did in the first place..

[digits]

one more 5 axis

The mill in your picture looks like an excellent application of brute force and ignorance to me - which is going to be easier to rapidly and accurately accelerate - the entire column in X,Y and Z, or the size of workpiece that can fit on that 5th-axis turntable?

I'm sure that mill does its job OK, but IMHO you could build a far better mill with that quantity of iron, linear rails and servos if the spindle only moved in 1 or 2 axes.

I quite like the look of this Matsurra 5-axis, wich seems to be based on a fixed gantry design - the spindle throat is relatively small, which is great for stiffness, but the table can slide partly under the bridge to allow it to machine reasonably sized parts. I would be interested to know where the X-ballscrew is relative to the centre of gravity of the spindle assmebly - it looks a little low at first glance, but clearly the spindle is only experencing a cutting force when it has move down into the workpiece.

http://www.matsuura.co.uk/news?action=view&newsID=132

[hesham morsy]

Hi LN-JET I think what u looking for is
http://www.diy600.net/ digits had send it in another post it is in German and some English
a lot of pictures and design
Hi digits the picture is hurco VTXU
http://www.hurco.com/Hurco/HSEA/Prod...ing+Center.htm