Re: Servo controllers for table top machines.

Steve,

Companies do not sell servo systems just to rake in higher profits.
Servo systems perform better and are by far more efficient than a
stepper system. Even the lowest cost VMC's use AC servo drives.

Also, brakes are used often in vertical load applications. Ballscrews
can be efficiently backdriven so when power is cut off, there is an
automatic spring brake to keep the Z axis from falling. High end
VMC's use a gas strut to do the same thing.

I'm not sure why you are against servo systems??!! They are indeed
harder to setup and tune, but they work very well and have been proven
to be far superior to steppers in high performance systems.

David B.