Desktop beast

[RobC]

So it's time my first machine is replaced, the design is almost complete with just a few things to finalise on the Z axis but parts for the finalised areas are starting to roll in. I've gone for a much more substantial design, Hiwin HGR20's on all axis, gantry features extrusion from Vallder, twin nuts on all C5 leadscrews and concrete in all hollow spaces for that extra strength and dampening. Still well away from the electrical side but either verging on delta for the drive system or hybrid stepper/servos.

A few renders of the design as it's been developing with inspiration from ZeeFlyBoy on his wonderful El Beast design.









This is where we are up to as of today, the rails finally arrived thanks to Fred at BST Automation for his usual super service and delivery in two days! Very happy with how its turning out and its certainly one heavy lump of money!

[AndyGuid]

Great to have a new build to follow Rob!

I'll be particularly interested in how well that Vallder Gantry profile works out, although it's rather expensive.
I imagine that if the linear rails are nicely parallel and co-planer, it should make that part of the build a doddle?

https://vallder.com/en/c/alu-profile...-200x96-detail

[RobC]

Great to have a new build to follow Rob!

I'll be particularly interested in how well that Vallder Gantry profile works out, although it's rather expensive.
I imagine that if the linear rails are nicely parallel and co-planer, it should make that part of the build a doddle?

https://vallder.com/en/c/alu-profile...-200x96-detail

The Vallder stuff was recommended to me by some other builders and they rave about it, it takes 6 M12 bolts either side and fits the 20mm rails and screw superbly. Real easy to fill with the concrete, they where super easy to do business with too. I'd totally recommend them, the quality of it is really good.

Now just waiting on the t nuts and other parts before I can start the aligning of the rails.

[Lee Roberts]

Welcome to the forum!

Following along also, on first sight I did think "oh the webbing on that looks a bit thin for this", then I read the post and viewed the last image :) certainly looks well made...

Edit: Seen the website dont need an answer to this question.
The M12 is nice, is it the correct hole size for tapping or just close enough, Vallder is a new one to me so will be off to their website in a mo, do they design this profile for this specific application with regards to everything fitting nicely (rails, bearings etc) or ?

Are you making the plates yourself or do you have help with those?

Concrete
What type and mix are you using, standard Portland type isn't really up to the job you know, may be able to advise you here if you don't know why?

Ooo El Beast is a personal fav over here to

Edit: Also if not to late etc, it is usually done that the linear rails for the Z Axis would be installed on the Spindle plate, with the bearings being mounted to the gantry in a fixed position, making the distance from the bearing to cutter tip a variable distance rather than a fixed distance?

[RobC]

Welcome to the forum!

Following along also, on first sight I did think "oh the webbing on that looks a bit thin for this", then I read the post and viewed the last image :) certainly looks well made...

Edit: Seen the website dont need an answer to this question.
The M12 is nice, is it the correct hole size for tapping or just close enough, Vallder is a new one to me so will be off to their website in a mo, do they design this profile for this specific application with regards to everything fitting nicely (rails, bearings etc) or ?

Are you making the plates yourself or do you have help with those?

Concrete
What type and mix are you using, standard Portland type isn't really up to the job you know, may be able to advise you here if you don't know why?

Ooo El Beast is a personal fav over here to

Edit: Also if not to late etc, it is usually done that the linear rails for the Z Axis would be installed on the Spindle plate, with the bearings being mounted to the gantry in a fixed position, making the distance from the bearing to cutter tip a variable distance rather than a fixed distance?

Hey Lee

Yeah the vallder stuff is specifically for such application on gantries, they do have an X axis in production apparently but not yet released. So this type utilises 20mm rails and will take upto HG20 series carriages with 10mm t nuts.



Ignore the M12 comment they're for my L 90 series extrusion which incidentally is M14 I got mixed up, the gantry extrusion takes M10.
https://www.matara.com/product/alumi...inium-profile/

The rest of the plates are being machined on my other that's being replaced by this one I made years ago, the build of this one is on here somewhere. You can see how substantially made the extrusion is and size.



The concrete is mainly a dampening agent for harmonic reduction as the span and construction of this extrusion hasn't got that much deflection, I did consider the expanding epoxy based concrete but when factoring in the shipping and price/kg it was not worth it.

The Z axis I've gone through two iterations and had so many people having their own input, this is the first one that was based on Zee's design a little but when looking at the deflection it proved to be poor and such went back to one I've settled on in the renders above. I'm able to get full travel with maximum travel with both as the travel is only 80mm for this design and I tend to only do plate work and not anything mounted in vices.



Yeah it's a shame Zee never carried on with his posts, enjoyed following his mad ideas.

Rob

[Voicecoil]

Use epoxy granite instead of concrete maybe? Bulk epoxy isn't too expensive from some vendors. And do you have any figures for the stiffness/moments of inertia of that Vallder profile please? Looks like it does a neat job, but I'm going to need something seriously rigid for my next build....

[RobC]

Not much has happened since the last update, the rest of the extrusions finally came in and started with machining some mock up parts to ensure fit and functionality, found a few small issues thankfully here and now corrected them such as hole sizes incorrect and clearance.

Made a decision on the motors and went for Delta B3's so looking forward to having these and the super performance they will bring along with the Mesa 7I96S card on linuxcnc. May yet further change the remaining ball screws out for DFU as they as SFU to match the performance of the others.

Limit switches I've gone for sick sensors which use fibre optic cables instead of mechanical switches meaning I can get a much more compact design on the Z and Y where currently I do not have that option of space. https://www.sick.com/be/en/fiber-opt...f_Type:Product

[Clive S]

Rob very nice. What is the cost of the sensors? Have you used Linuxcnc before? Not sure but I think you may need lcnc 2.9 with the mesa7i96s

What part of Manchester are you in?

[RobC]

Rob very nice. What is the cost of the sensors? Have you used Linuxcnc before? Not sure but I think you may need lcnc 2.9 with the mesa7i96s

What part of Manchester are you in?

The sensors I've got substantially cheaper from a friend who has no need for them anymore but are new, buying brand new each sensor itself is £140 https://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/fibre...ensors/2131736 but you will need a 4 pin cable and then the fibre cable also on top, the reading part is only 6mm so they're super compact.

First time with linuxcnc but others have checked and its compatible they say, glad to be getting away from mach 3 and its phantom problems it keeps giving me.

Salford side of Greater Manchester

[RobC]

After some pondering and some calculations I've made a change to the gantry as the current design wasn't ideal with the moment of the spindle to the gantry carriages, this new design reduces such and also looks kinda funky.