Re: Tri-pod/slide 3-axis design

Sheldon, I was all set to build a light weight hexapod but the
Triaslide idea really got me thinking.

Using the three slided design a small sherline/taig equivalent could
possibly be made that could acheive high speeds in a smallish foot
print.

Putting the slides radially will not make it any simpler as when the
table moves off 0,0 in x and y they are no longer radial. (Actually
the maths is much simplier than the hexapod proper, I started to get
a feel for it after a few minutes rather than days.) But what you
could do and this was also suggested earlier by Charles would be to
make a 3 axis version of the hexapod linked to in Matt's post. This
used six vertical plain slides. To produce a 3 axis version all you
do is take your radial array and rotate the actuators so they are on
the sides of the "box". This can be done and I sketched it this
afternoon, I then found a comercial machine on the internet. I may
have uploaded the picture to the file section in a hexapod ideas
folder.

Now I am really stuck, do I shoot for the dream with it's
requirements of another 3 stepper drives, steep learning curves,6
actuators but ultimate coolness and 5 axis capability or do I go for
a design that produces a fast and capable three axis machine using
many of the advantages of the hexapod but with fewer head aches.

Certainly the latter might make a better group project.

Graham





--- In CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@yahoogroups.com, "ddgman2001" <sheldon@d...>
wrote:

> Hexapods really fire up my mojo. 5-axis would be cool but way out

of

> my league.
>
> Would not the simplest 3-axis "hexapod" be to use 3 rigid struts

(as

> earlier suggested) and a radial array of three linear slides above.
>
> It seems that the slides and encoders would be easier and cheaper

to

> source and the radial array would make the software easier to
> configure.
>
> The only downside I can think of is that the upper frame would have
> to be more substantial.
>
> Thanks.
>
> Sheldon