Re: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] Re: Cable Trough or Cable Chain

turbulatordude wrote:
(snip) I used a section of Uni-strut laid out under the carriage and inside

>the uni-strut, I laid Seal-Tite electrical conduit. it has a PVC
>jacket and is really just flexible metallic conduit. I do not expect
>a lifetime from it, but have it as a yearly replaceable component.
>

Daves method above does work, and depending on your choice of "tubing",
it can last a long time. In some cases like Plasma cutting, it is almost
better because that "open" carrier is going to fill up with garbage over
time, wearing on the wire jackets.

I have done something similar with a typical Dust extraction hose on the
backside of a machine. The hose simply "lays" in a piece of aluminum
track on the bottom ( I cut open some lightweight aluminum Box extrusion
), and it's gentle "rolling action" moves back and forth with the
Gantry. Good quality Vacuum cleaner hose like that from a central system
can make many, many hours of transport without breaking down.... Years
even. Some of it depends on how tight your radius must be.

As a side note about the Igus with the "openable links", I'm not sure I
found it advantageous. It seems I wrestled more with getting the links
back together than if I simply pulled one end and fed a wire thru it.
This works only if you were forward thinking enough to have adequate
plugs on at least one end of all the connections.

Chris L