Hi there, I need pointing in the right direction. I have very little electronics experience so I'm kind of out of my comfort zone here. The simplistic, probably quite vague question is, can you make a 4 axis PC based control system (with motion controller and ancillaries) to perform to a similar performance as the industrial controllers? And for under the price of say $3000? (not including motors and drivers)
Maybe that was a bit vague I'll write a bit more info. I want to use AC Servos in a closed loop feedback configuration on a homebrew CNC Mill. The Idea is to create a Mini VMC much like, but smaller than a Haas Minimill 2 (probably weighing around 1000kg or 2200lb), it will be tailored around higher speed machining of aluminium than anything else but should still be a very capable machine. The main question is, can you get the High Speed Machining functionality, high feed rates and rapids common to industrial controllers for under say $3000? (again without motors and drivers)
I'm not too sure what's possible in the hobby world of CNC, most retrofits or even homebrews, tend to use steppers which my research has led me to believe require far far simpler electronics, so I'm not sure if what im asking has ever been done, or can be done for that matter.
Also if you're thinking just get a Tormach, I live in the UK and from what I've heard a Tormach would cost an arm and a leg to ship here, plus I'd like a fair bit more performance than the Tormachs. The reason I'm considering this approach over just buying an older machine is, it's to be used in my garage which would be difficult to get something like a Haas Minimill down my drive and into the garage, also expensive. The only machines in my budget range are pretty old like pre 2001 and I've heard these older machines aren't capable of stuff like High Speed Machining and 3D Contouring (could be wrong) but still old electronics scare me even more than new electronics. So that's why i thought of making my own, plus it'll be tuns of fun and ive learned a boat load already just from research.
That post is pretty messy but hopefully I've got my question in there somewhere. Hope you experts can help, I may just be trying to get too much from too little here. Anyway thanks in advance :cheers:
Fenza
Maybe that was a bit vague I'll write a bit more info. I want to use AC Servos in a closed loop feedback configuration on a homebrew CNC Mill. The Idea is to create a Mini VMC much like, but smaller than a Haas Minimill 2 (probably weighing around 1000kg or 2200lb), it will be tailored around higher speed machining of aluminium than anything else but should still be a very capable machine. The main question is, can you get the High Speed Machining functionality, high feed rates and rapids common to industrial controllers for under say $3000? (again without motors and drivers)
I'm not too sure what's possible in the hobby world of CNC, most retrofits or even homebrews, tend to use steppers which my research has led me to believe require far far simpler electronics, so I'm not sure if what im asking has ever been done, or can be done for that matter.
Also if you're thinking just get a Tormach, I live in the UK and from what I've heard a Tormach would cost an arm and a leg to ship here, plus I'd like a fair bit more performance than the Tormachs. The reason I'm considering this approach over just buying an older machine is, it's to be used in my garage which would be difficult to get something like a Haas Minimill down my drive and into the garage, also expensive. The only machines in my budget range are pretty old like pre 2001 and I've heard these older machines aren't capable of stuff like High Speed Machining and 3D Contouring (could be wrong) but still old electronics scare me even more than new electronics. So that's why i thought of making my own, plus it'll be tuns of fun and ive learned a boat load already just from research.
That post is pretty messy but hopefully I've got my question in there somewhere. Hope you experts can help, I may just be trying to get too much from too little here. Anyway thanks in advance :cheers:
Fenza