Actually Building the Machine!

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Wishfull said:
Any idea how many hours you have put in on that thing Nena ?

Lost count! Plenty! :p But it is worth doing! I have something to do now and love building things! I need to wait for the next aluminium plates to build the cross table so now im doing some of the cables. I Also ordered the rest of the electronics to build everything up, its not long anymore to do some tests now! Still need to do a lot but it is still a nice thing to build sutch :) How many hours i spend at this project?! No idear!

Thanks,

Christian
 
Hi Thomas,

The problem that i have with building is that i need to wait for every part, and like now i needed to wait 3 months for one important part for the cuttinghead and all the parts are expensive. For example i didnt like my powersupplies so i need to find others costing me 450 and it takes 2 weeks to arrive.

I still need to buy lots otherwise i cant buy parts. Thats all taking time. Buying selling buy part.

I hope to receive the aluminium parts in a few weeks so that i can build the last 3 axis in the meanwhile i need to do some of the electronics and thats not one of my faforites if ordered a lot of elektronic parts such as solid state relais, din rail optocouplers, etc and i dont use Chineese parts becourse they always breaks in my hands. And thats also taking time.

So how is building go? Slow. But im getting there :D

Greetings,

Christian
 
oh, 3 months! Thats a long time to wait for one single part. Im guessing it was shipped by boat.

Was the power supply to weak?

You are right about the Chinese parts, I wouldnt buy it myself either. In your case it isnt worth mixing cheap parts with expensive. If the cheap break it can take some of the expensive parts with it in the breakage.

Have you finished your programming or you need to have the machine completely built first?

You should put up some more videos of the build on youtube too. :D
 
ya, 3 months. Shipped from Germany, they needed to make the part and there were some problems... About the supply, i didnt trust them, so i bought 10 new Mean Well din rail power supplies 48v 5A each. That was a unforseen buy...

About the programming, having some problems with the stepper chart. Im trying to built a new stepper chart but need to test it all. So for now im completing the basic machine and then im going to do the electronics and then the programming.

The todo list:

Build the Cross Table
Do all cables for the machine
Draw the plates for holding the SK15 toolchanger for the cutting head.
Draw the plates for the SK15 toolchanger for the lap discs.
Search for a nice 300mm wide and +/- 150mm high stainless steel sink.
Building the electronics cabinet
Program the save stops
Program the motors
Correcting all linear guides the to desired accuracy (takes a lot of time)
Program the auto correct accuracy for the motors in a database.
etc...
 
Wow, you still have lots to do before being able to run the machine.

Those unforeseen payments of parts can probably never be completely erased, because you dont have an exact plan for the build. Parts will need upgrades or be completely replaced when you get new ideas that you want to implement. This can be a good thing if the upgrade is making the machine better though. :D

But it must be fun to see the project taking steps to become completed. :D
Hope you put up some more videos of the build as it comes along.

Wish I had your programming skills, then I would have built my own machine too.
 
Its a stressfull step to finish the basic machine :) the thing is in your mind the machine is already running but now i need to do the last remaining parts, not that excited but to get it all running is still a lot of work.

I hope i get the stepper chart ok and that i can give a coordinate for the motors and that they go to that place. But also test the save stops before testing the motors. Dont wat to go something verry wrong that i need to buy new parts.

It is still fun work but now it is a bit serious with building that it isnt always fun. Now it is time for the serious work and complete the basics and get the machine to cut. All the other functions of the machine comes later when the machine can cut stones.

Things todo after the first thing i need to finish

- adding the 3d laser scanner

- Automatic Lap changer
- Automatic Stone turning system.
- Manual Control the machine
- Placing Camera's
- Microscope
- Finishing Cabinet Plates
- Make it all sound proof :D

- Make plans for the high speed spindle

So plans inaf but a lot of work. But that can all be done a lot faster as the rest.

You can still learn some Arduino C programming! Try to get a stepper working as you want! Learn the basic functions like if, else, else if, for, while, array etc. If you mannage those you can make every thing you want!!

Groetjes,

Christian

PS1 What is the temperature at your place right now!? Here its +3 degrees celsius!
PS2 I shall try if i can make a new update video :p
 
I get that it isnt fun all the time, but it will be when its finished I guess. :D
Hope you will get it up and running and cutting stones soon, probably more fun then.

I do know a bit of programming since I make trading indicators and trading experts in mql4, so I know the basics you are talking about. I just didnt think it was the same. I will have a look at it and see if I can make it work.

The problem is probably that I dont just want the basic movement of the machine, I want it to do more. Like automatically measure the stone before cutting it (think I have talked about this before) and remember those measurements when grinding each facet. Having a visual picture of a finished cut stone in the program. As every facet is being cut, it should show where it is cutting on the picture. Having a torque force sensor giving it directions of how hard it should press down the stone against the lap and so on. Dont think this can be achieved with arduino or can it?

Here is cold, -3 degrees celsius. Going down to -6 this afternoon.
 
A short update video :) as Thomas requested!

[video=800,600]https://youtu.be/rqhK6OzlXyQ[/video]

I can understand that what youre saying but i have done a lot of programming in the years and made some verry complicated software. But if you understand the logic of programming you can do what you want but not every one is able to think 20 steps foreward every time. But keep in mind that programming are stil litle blocks that need to do your request. All those small blocks are going to be your program. And arduino can do that. Not the simple boards of arduino but if you use a teensy or something like that it can be done easely!

Groetjes,

Christian
 
Nice to see the small updates you have done on the machine. Why dont you have longer legs under the base so that the machine is placed 1 meter up. Would probably be easier to work with then.

Are you going to have the tool changer working when trying out the first cuts on the machine? Or is that tool changer something that will be built in later?

Are you going to have a big pan underneath the lap that collects the water from the faceting? Water and dust will hurt the linear drives under the table so need to cover them up too in some way.

I find it easier to pay somebody to have it programmed as I want it, but you said something before about it costing 100k to code.
Programmers arent cheap I know, but if I cant have it made the way I want it to under 10k then its not worth it in my mind.
 
I use 2 toolchangers for my machine, im adding these for the next steps in the machine for the automatic dopping and changing the laps. That feature must work otherwise i cant change my dopsticks. The first thing is making microscope slides with thin sections. This is also for testing the controls of the machine. When that is working ill will build the automatic dopping. This is the first thing thats on my 'next' todo list. Than i can go faceting :- ) i hope, or im building the lap changer to first.

Im going to use a stainless steel sink for cutting in and the oil/water wil be drained to another can. This sink is round 300mm in diameter and +/- 150mm high, also need to do some changes at the bin.

Still a lot of work but there is some progress in it :- )

Ya, programming is verry expensive becourse you need the machine for the programming. But mayby im going to help you and others out by publicing a program online that can controll all basic functions of a homemade machine. I can make a export for controlling the machine under mach3 for example.

I dont use longer feets for the machine for stability and the machine height is 1.40m

Greets,

Christian
 
Have you accounted for the accuracy on all the changeable parts you want to have on the machine. I mean the more removeable parts you have on the machine, lower accuracy you will have in the end.

As long as the pan will be easy to clean after every stone that is cut, cleanliness is the key.

Wow, if you would make that program public I would jump over it directly. As long as I was able to implement all the features I need in my build with the program.
How much would you sell that program for?
 
Hi Thomas,

Dont know yet mayby for free otherwise a 50 yearly fee, dont know that yet i first need to see what my machine is capeble off and finish the machine, the next project is a simple machine without measuring everything and write a online programm for it so the program will be online with user access (account). Dont know how that will be. But it gives others a simple way to build there own machine as a start.

About the accuracy is and will still be a general problem. But the most can be done by software. I do look a bit at the accuracy but at the moment its more important to complete the machine and then do all of the accuracy checks.

Its a normal stainless steel pan and also the toolchanger is stainless steel. So everything is easy to clean. And i dont like agressive cutting so we shall see what for a mess i get in the machine lol :p

Greets,

Christian
 
Hm, maybe I should start buying the parts for my machine anyway. :D
Hope it works out as you plan.

That fine dust gets in everywhere, so hopefully you will manage it in some way. Clean everything after every stone that is cut maybe.
 
Hi Thomas,

All the sensors are dust free but the rails and ball screws still need some protection, but that wil be for last. I do have a cheap solution for that but still want to look what i can do about that. Still have 22 meters of new guide rails laying around and about 40 new guide cars. Also 2 reserve ball screws but not those 25mm. All proximity's are also dust and water protected. I must see and measure the fine dust. But as i look to my dad's machine the dust is minimal when you use emulsion for coolant. But i need to see it all when it is running.

About the software, its only an idear! So dont hang on me about that!!! First i want to earn some money from my cutted stones lol :- ) and i know i have all parts for building a second one lol.

Cant wait if the toolchanger is working. Thats so cool to see it working and is a pretty exact transfer :- ) cant wait to see that in action!!!

Greets,

Christian
 
Haha, I do understand that you will have to get your own machine to work first before even thinking about helping others with the online program.
But I think it was a nice idea anyway. :D

I can help you with funds if/when you are ready to do the online program, as long as it will work with my features. But we can take that later.

Is the toolchanger going to align the facets when you transfer a stone from one dop to another? Is there some sort of key system in the dop/tool?
Any risk for dust getting in the toolchanger and putting the align of a bit? Does it require a clean environment or can it work in dusty and moist?
 
Hi Thomas,

No problem! First this project then the next! There is no key system needed. The dopping is so precies that there is no need for keying its going to be 99% automatic, the only thing i need to do is to put some uv gleu on the stick, the uv lamps going to hardening the glue and the dopping system is doing the rest. Thats why i needed the automatic toolchangers! I love those :D but expensive...

The toolchangers have an accuracy under the 100th of a mm. And i dont know how it is all going but im doing it :- ) lol. And still im not planing to use loose powders. Im only going to use diamond laps up to grid 200.000 like the batt laps. First im going to test the machine with thin sections for the microscope. Thats cutting to 10 to 15 microns on a object glass. Measuring everything out with the 3d scanner. If that works ill sell some of the thin sections on ebay (15 - 20 euro's each).

Still dont know how mutch durt there will come free on electroplated discs. When everything is working ill go over to sintered laps.

Greets,

Christian
 

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