Here are some pictures of the new unstoppable machine. I have it working very well now after adjusting some setting and fiddling with the code a little. Any new machine is going to need some fiddling to get everything to work together correctly. M code is very flexible so one particular configuration will not fit all machines. For example, with this machine, the “gear” ratios are very different as well as the motor capabilities so the speed scaling factor and max speed had to be changed a lot. If I hold the ram on this machine, the whole machine moves across the floor and this is a heavy machine. It does not miss steps at all so I have to be sure that the safety features are operating. For a while I had a problem getting the estop switch to not false trigger. If anyone is having a problem with this I suggest adding ferrites on all signal lines and adding a 1 mf tantalum capacitor from input 1 to ground right at the teensy. I think it is the massive motor that is causing more EMI than smaller motors.
I will be making perforated metal covers for both the machine and the power supply to make them safer to use.
At the suggestion of a reader, I checked out the bearing products from Igus. Soon I should have some sleeves to replace the linear ball bearings that I find to be noisy. The UK site is best for finding products as they have both metric and imperial sizes. Any part found can be searched for by number on the US site. http://www.igus.co.uk/
Unstoppable Overview
From the Driver’s Seat
Huge Power Supply, 1400 watts
Cable Drive System
Carriage Assembly
Electronics
Motor and Driver
Nice. Now you can point that thing in any direction. – like straight up!
Can you share the specifics in the parts you selected for the linear tracks, carriage, and the new bushings you’ve incorporated?
Thanks!
the carriage is just a plastic plate, ABS if i remember correctly, with the linear bearings screwed to it. I just bought some cheap linear rails from china. can find the source, maybe but there are a lot of companies selling this stuff. i used open type bearings which was probably not a good choice. they allow for better support of the rods but this is really not necessary for the fucking machine as a little flexing of the rods is no big deal. the open bearings mean that you can not find sleeve bearings made this way or at lest i could not so i had to mill out round ones. if they were round bearings you could find the sleeves more easily. these are the bushings i ordered.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/2PCs-3D-Printer-Solid-Polymer-LM12UU-Bearing-12mm-shaft-Igus-Drylin-RJ4JP-01-12/162450948969?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649
they seemed to have the best price for iglide. i think someone mentioned on this blog that iglide make filament for 3D printing of their bearings and the have all the drawings on their site so you can download them and convert to STL files. however the filament is very expensive. if i were to make another machine i would probably use rulon J and make my own. i just happen to have $17,000 “worth” of this stuff bought surplus for about $30 and might as well start using it or selling it.
the bushings are very quiet. the ball bearings were very noisy but the noise we were making when we tested the machine would probably have drowned out the bearing noise 🙂