CNC Robotics. Build Your Own Workshop Bot

321 Pages·2003·55.84 MB·English

by  Geoff Williams

• Provides step-by-step instructions for building your own CNC mochine
• Greot for use os teoching tool in metol/wood shop
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oron the industriol floor
GEOFF
,WILLIAMS
(J
l
CNC Robotics
Build Your Own
Workshop Bot
Geoff Williams
McGraw-Hili
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./
Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file with the LibraryofCongress
Copyright © 2003 by The McGraw-Hili Companies, Inc. All rights
reserved. Printed in the United States of America. Except as permitted
under the United States Copyright Act of 1976,no part of this publication
may be reproduced or distributed in anyform or by any means, or stored
in a data base or retrieval system, without the prior written permission
of the publisher.
3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 DOC!DOC 0 9 8 7 6 5 4
ISBN 0-07-141828-8
The sponsoring editor for this book was Judy Bass and the production
supervisor was Pamela Pelton. It was set in Tiepolo Book by Patricia
Wallenburg.
Printed and bound by RRDonnelly.
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II\
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For Margaret, whose help and patience made this book possible.

Contents
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I
I
I
1,,1
1 Design 1
Why Build My Own I
Gantry Style 2
Motors 2
Lineal Motion 4
Motor Drivers 9
Acme Screw 9
Deciding on the Dimensions of the Machine 9
Software 10
2 Electronics 13
Stepper Motor Driver and Computer Interface Boards 13
Stepper Motor Driver Circuit 15
The Interface Board 19
3 Making the Printed Circuit Board 77
Tools and Material 77
Artwork 78
Board Cutting and Cleaning 82
Toner Transfer 85
Etching 93
4 Driver Assembly 99
The Interface Board III
v
GNG Robotics
5 Software Setup and Driver Testing 113
Material Needed 113
Creating Test Files 121
Triangle Test 122
Circle Test 123
Putting the Electronics in a Case 124
6 The Frame 133
Tools and Material 133
Bolting 138
Assembly 141
Bearing Rail Support Bolt Holes 144
Paint the Frame 151
7 The Gantry and X-axis 153
The Gantry 153
The X-axis: Installing the Gantry Bearing Guide Rail 160
Bearing Holder 164
8 The Z and Y Axes 175
The Z-Axis 175
The Y-Axls 184
9 Motor and Lead Screw Installation 189
Tools and Material 189
X-axis 190
Y-axls 199
Z-axis 203
Limit Switch Installation 206
X-axis Limits 208
Y-axis Limits 209
Z-axis Limits 211
10 File Creation and KCam 215
KCam CNC Controller Software 215
KCam File Requirements 219
How to Create a File to Import 222
CorelDraw 223
ACME Profiler 239
vi
Contents
11 Tool Holders and Testing 245
Tool Holders 245
Penholder Tool 246
Router/Dremel Holder 252
Testing the CNC Machine 257
12 Examples 263
Plotter 263
Mechanical Engraving Tool 268
Dremel Tool 271
Master Craft Rotary Tool 274
Router 278
Sources of Material 293
Electronic Components 293
L297/L298 Integrated Circuits 293
CANADA 293
United States, California 294
Lineal Motion 296
Distributor 296
Manufacturers 297
Stepper Motors 300
Metal 301
Index 303
vii
Acknowledgments
Imust thank my brother Karlwho inspired me to write this book and
my editor Judy Bass whose faith and assistance made the booka real
ity.I'dalso liketo thank PatriciaWallenburg who assembled mywords
and images into book form. Judy and Patricia have made this book
projectan extremelyenjoyable experience. Finally mythanks go out to
all the people who have freely shared with me their knowledge and
assistance while Iwas researching and.building my CNC machine.
Imust thank the following companies forallowing me to include some
of their copyrighted materialin this book.
The NuArc Company, Inc. doesn't promote, endorse.or warranty any
modified products. NuArc let me reproduce some of the images from
the repair manual of the copy camera Idisassembled but they don't
endorse the use of their products for anything other than their origi
nally intended function. You can contact NuArc at M&R Sales and
Service, Inc. I N.372 Main Street,Glen Ellyn, IL 60137, USAor on the
Web at http://www.nuarc.com.
Kellyware has allowed me to use screen captures of the program
KCam 4. Kellyware can be contacted at POBox 563.Spirit Lake. Iowa
52360, USA or on the web at http://www.kellyware.com.
The product data sheets included with Chapter 2 of this book have
been reprinted with the permission of STMicroelectronics. The docu
ments reproduced in this book and many more useful application
notes can be found at the STMicroelectronics Web site located at
http://www.st.com.
Science Specialists, Inc. has given me permission to include screen
captures of the software ACME Profller, Coyote Version 6.0. Science
Specialists, Inc. can be reached at 1800 Sheckler Rd.. Columbia City,
IN 4675, USA or on the Web at httpt/zwwwzfwt.com/ v.klmble/
scispec/scispec.htm.
Design
Why Build My Own
I first thought about adding a CNC router to my tool collection
after finishing a kitchen cabinet renovation in my home. I refaced
the cabinets and built 26 new doors. during which I discovered
that door building can become monotonous at best. As always
happens when you tell or show your friends and family what you
have done, someone will have a similar project and enlist your
help. That someone was my friend Geoff S. He wanted to do the
same thing to his kitchen-reface and install new cabinet doors. I
agreed to help him and he decided on a style of door that can be
made from one piece of material cut to size and routed to create
the look he wanted. Of course the prospect of building a whole Jot
of doors and making templates to facilitate the routing wasn't too
thrilling. That's when I thought a small CNC machine would come
in handy. All the repetitive routing could be asslgned to the CNC
machine and the doors would more closely resemble each other
once human error had been removed from the equation. Now the
project didn't seem too bad at all!
I started to look for an affordable machine to do the job, After
searching the Internet, Iwas shocked to find how much the asking
price is for a CNC machine. I did find a couple that were under
1