Re: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] Re: Question about steppers

Will wrote:

>[snip]
>My father said that he could make a circuit that would switch bewteen
>two stepping motors, ie, I could write and m-code to switch between a
>quill mounted motor for drilling and highspeed machining with a
>vertical ballscrew and the stepper driving the lift. Rigidity is a
>big concern, having the quill as retracted helps alot. You do not
>tram the head in, you do it once and untill you need it better, you
>tend to not mess with it. I'm pretty sure the screws are 1/2x10 acme,
>but I've never measured them and current reside 600mi from the
>machine. The twin leadscrews have a timing belt between them and one
>screw, the motor only drives one screw. (The new bridgemills are
>different, single leadscrew. They also have a fifth columm, and
>ofcourse I built my own version, I plan to change the column lock to
>a air operated cam - ala m-code.)
>
>

You could just set up the two motors as Z and W axes. I believe the
"standard" axes are X,Y,Z, then A,B,C rotary around the cartesian axes,
then U,V,W as "auxiliary" axes parallel to the X,Y,Z. You'd need some
CAM software that can deal with the extra axes though.

>[snip]
>

- Steve