Hello All - I'll be starting the electronics build for my CNC Router soon, Yay!!! Any suggestions on where I should look in purchasing one? I'm open on even making one...any ideas on that front?!?! Thanks in advance in the ideas / Help! Tony.
Congratulations! You going to love this awesome hobby. If I was building a CNC machine and looking for enclosed electronics I would be using the OpenBuilds BlackBox Bundle
Look into EMF shielding best practices. If you're ever adding a VFD, add high frequency stuff to that. Probably eBay. What are you putting in it, and what will you be adding or upgrading to in future? Unless you have a 24"+ 16ga brake... Don't. I learned that one the hard way.
Thanks for the responses I've been using the BlackBox with Interface on a mini CNC I built. Love it! My new build, a 1 meter by 1 meter, will have a 1.5K air cooled Spindle. I definitely need to address EMI. When I first purchased the VFD/Spindle I did a bench test to verify operation, the EMI it generated hammered the BlackBox/Interface Didn't damage anything, thank goodness. My initial plan is to have an electronics enclosure to house the BlackBox and power supplies, (located on the front side of the build). Have another electronics enclosure for the VFD (AC stuff) on the bottom rear of the build. The build is a heavy duty Workbench/Cabinet combo made of OpenBuilds CBeam 40x40 and 20x80 Vslot Extrusions. CNC portion will be built integrated on the Workbench/Cabinet...definitely a beast I'm also planning to drive a ground rod near the shop, hopefully to create a 'quiet' physical ground.
Checkout docs:blackbox:faq-emi [OpenBuilds Documentation] - should sort out your VFD in no time Most users don't bother enclosing the BlackBox. If the VFD and Spindle is properly earthed and using shielded cable its really not much of an issue.
Thanks Peter! I read the Doc above some time ago, a great source indeed. I'll be using double shielded cable for every cable run. That stuff is expensive.
Start off with just the VFD wiring as shielded. Rest aren't really necessary. People tend to overengineer it - but as long as the VFD is properly earthed, and you have proper shielded cable on the run between the VFD and spindle - it usually is enough. Mounting the control electronics a distance away from the VFD helps too.
