VirtualMill V3 Cam program Free!

[Pand0ra]

Originally posted by steveg

for the horizonal style have you considered a boring mill
type column where the spindle head rides on the side of the
column instead of inside? much simpler and not inherently
weaker.

You mean something like that?

That's where the whole project started, from the idea to put a small high speed spindle on some Gilman ways.
The idea was good, till I got the price for the setup. Let's say it was expensive, probably close to a floor of your very nice house .

Since then I've got big linear slide bearings and rails (Thomson accuglide CG45). I bet I can build myself the linear ways for 100 times less money.

Futur will tell me if I was right...

@++

[steveg]

Pan most new High Speed machines use linear guides now.
box ways like the Gilmans have too much friction as well
as way too much "stiction" (sticking friction, it is a real term)
for example I can push from a stop, a ~2tonne
column on linear guide machine but NEVER one a box way machine.

Interestingly I was told by a design engineer of one of
the large Japanese machining center manufacturers, that
linear guides done right can cost just as much as box ways

One of the big differances that I have noticed between the
Asian machines and European, is that the Asians prefer cast
in place ways and European prefer bolt-on

Linear guides are by definition bolt on

[steveg]

Hey Pan a new version of EMC-BDI is out. V2.18 at www.linuxcnc.org

[Pand0ra]

Thanks