Here are some parts I made.
I used to be part of the Yumantech robotic team : http://www.yumantech.org/ and the first machined parts were for the robot.
I have also some videos showing the machining :
CNC
The electronic of the CNC is quite simple. You need a power supply, a motor controller and a variable speed drive for the spindle.
I search a long time for the motor driver, I first use a TB6560 controller but it was a disaster, it never worked 😦
So I switched for a Gecko G540. I chose this controller for 2 main reasons :
- The configuration is directly available in Linux EMC² (this save time).
- There no added functions, it just drive the motors as needed, and it does it very well.
This costs a bit (300$) but it definitely worth it !
The documentation is complete and well explained, I succeed to make it work it a day. The Gecko is plug and play, you just have to put a resistance into the db9 connector if you are using motors below 3.5A (See user manual).
Then, just follow the schematic and that’s it 😉
Gecko g540 wiring
Gecko g540 wiring
I also made a case for the electronic parts (all machined with the CNC) :
Electronic Case
Electronic Components
Gecko g540
The advantage of aluminium shapes is that it’s easy to use and to integrate. You have a very strong structure with a reasonable weight.
I started by fixing the linear guides and the ball bearings on the lower structure :
Then I fixed the Y gantry :
CNC – Y gantry
CNC – Y gantry
CNC – Y gantry
CNC – Y gantry
And finally the Z axis :
For the driving screws I used normal screws that you can find in any DIY shop. I chose them because they are cheap, and they have a low pitch (advance in mm per rotation) . Here I have 1.5mm per rotation, which leads to a better precision, but it is also easier to find or make a driving nut. For the nuts I used a block of PEHD I made myself an then threaded with a standard tap. For blocking the driving screws I used Nylon Hex Locknuts which are pushed against a nylon washer. This system is easy to integrate and I didn’t had any problem with this solution.
After fixing the cables carriers, here is the final result :
Since a long time I wanted to be able to do my own parts for my robots, so I decided to make my own CNC Machine (Computerized Numerical Control). It is also an advantage compared to online machining because it’s faster, cheaper if you make a lot of parts.
I first checked on internet to get inspiration and ideas, and I came up with this modelisation :
The structure is simple, because I think that more the design is simple, more it will be efficient (for the CNC at least).
The structure is composed of :
- Aluminium profiles from www.technic-achat.com and www.damencnc.com
- Linear guides I bought on eBay with ball bearings for a very cheap price (~160€)
- Aluminium shapes I made on SolidWorks then cut online on BigBlueSaw
- A spindle holder
The electronic is composed of :
- The spindle is a Kress FM 530
- The motors are Nema 17 from eBay
- The motor driver is a Gecko G540
- The power supply (24v , 14.6A) comes also from eBay
I use the following software :
Anim4Bot 