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 :)