Re: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] Z axis drive

Hi Ron,

It isn't perfect. Imagine if you are drilling through a plate. Most of
the time you are pushing the drill through the work but when it breaks
through it will often try to pull itself into the work. Brass and
plastics often pull on the cutter as well.

Having said that you will probably get away with it in normal use. I
assume the mechanism is a rack and pinion setup. If so you can probably
modify it to tighten up the mesh and reduce backlash. How about a spring
to hold the pinion tightly in mesh? If done well this type of
arrangement can end up with very little backlash indeed.

Les


Ron Ginger wrote:

>Im doing a conversion on a large, square column, mill, like a RF-45, but
>from Wholesale Tool
>
>The Quill drive has a rewind spring to keep the quill up, and is driven
>down by either a drill press style wheel or a worm gear and small handwheel.
>
>I am considering driving the handwheel with a belt and stepper, and
>hoping the rewind spring can be set strong enough to keep backlash down
>to a workable level.
>
>Has anyone tried this? It seems to me the forces are always cutting down
>on Z, never when retracting, so the spring ought to do it.
>
>ron ginger
>
>

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