Nice examples !! I choose to incorporate the Nema 23 motor with some Openrail mounted on 2080. With 10 wheels riding v-rail nice smooth action and very stiff !! I used the Openrail gantry plate for 2080 and had Chris Laidlaw do a custom router mount backplate to mount to a piece of 2080 bolted to the front of the gantry plate. Added a proximity switch limit at the top to handle homing duties.. Works out great, I might try using a belt reduction between the motor and screw just to see if it works any better adding some more torque.

 

Nice build!! Is there any way you could put a load on the slide and test its position repeatability? I am looking for the most economical way to achieve positioning a 10 pound load with the slide in the vertical position. Be nice to know if it can hold better than .0005" repeatability or will there be to much backlash. I didnt happen to notice and anti-backlash nut in the video. Thanks in advance for your help!

 

How much travel do you end up with on this slide?

 

Rick thanks for your help!!

 

Great build Mark! Is there any way I could get the model in something other than Sketchup format? I'm wanting to start on a model of my future CNC build but the only Windows system I have access to is running Windows XP and the Sketchup viewer won't install onto XP. Thanks!

 

@rick, thanks, I'll give that a try.

 

Hi,

Any videos of the table actually working? I'm working on a piece where this could be useful and I'd like to show my boss how it moves.

Thanks!

 

How far does the platform travel per revolution of the lead screw (as exactly as possible)?

 

Thanks! I am measuring about 8.2 mm on one of 5 actuators for my build, I guess I'll have to measure them all!

 

I just wanted to confirm that the lead screw actually has an 8mm pitch. When I go to their product page, it says 8mm diameter (roughly) and 2mm pitch.

By my math, if it's an 8mm pitch and the motor is rotating at its maximum speed of ~8000pps (40 rps), the speed of the actuator will be 8mm/r * 40r/s * 60s/min = 19200mm/min, well above the rated speed of 8000mm/min. If it's a 2mm pitch then its speed would be only 4800mm/s, well below the rated speed. I will need it to work at a speed close to 7000mm/min, so I don't think this will be feasible if it's only a 2mm pitch.

 

Ah alright, I didn't see that. Thank you very much!

 

I am wanting to build a single axis just to keep the cost down and get my feet wet. Is there a parts list? How to configure the power supply etc? I want the black box modular thing.

 

Hey. Rick.

I am a manufacturing engineer. I am passionate about lowering the barriers to entry for the bottom billions. (spent some time homeless and dumpster diving as a kid) I am thinking that this single axis kit would work as a good starting point for jigs and fixtures in manufacturing. (lots of other ideas on how to make it more sophisticated and build upon it from there.) Since the LEAD machine has a high Z option, I downloaded the entire BOM for it and was going to try to pick my way thru it and compare it to the pictures/CAD models to try an create a single axis kit of my own. I have a large number of ideas. Would you like me to email you a copy?

 

Hey, Rick.

Thanks. I should have mentioned this in a more coherent fashion. I want to be able to scale up to multi axis. I want the wiring, power supply, software control systems to be the same but modular for scaling up. Cost is a factor but the long term cost/flexibility/modularity/scalability are all tied together for what I have in mind.

Right now, I am just trying to get over the emotional hump of making a motor move and build upon that. (I will likely document things pretty thoroughly so others can follow the same trail)

Down the road........
It the realm of Scaling, I am planning on using BeagleBone Black Wireless in the future in some shape form or capacity. Linux CNC, Machinekit • Moves. Controls. Things. I am very interested in larger motors and planetary gears.

 

Are there any issues using this build in the x/z plane instead of x/y? Would be using the 1000mm model for x and the 250mm model for z.

 

I'm new to this field and struggling to find out how to decide if this lead screw type design is fit for my purpose.

I am building a desk using aliminium extrusion (4040) and the current design is adjustable, but fixed in place.

I would like to extend this design to have a desk that can raise and lower. I'm imagining about a 1000mm of travel. The desk itself is quite heavy and with the PC, monitors, other random equipment and myself leaning on it, I'm thinking it will have to take a whole bunch of weight.

Can a lead-screw design actuator keep a desk up with such a load? In general, is there an intuition I can follow for thinking about the load limits of this design?