I am going to build a CNC machine, What do I buy?

[m_c]

It is exactly this. I am looking at the Leadshine drivers as Zapp supply them. Cannot find Geco drivers at realistic cost here :-( Am looking at using a Lenovo Mini, I will think about it.
I actually have the smoothstepper as it was gifted but I have looked at the CSMIO/IP-M specs and it looks very comprehensive, very PnP.

Zapp is no more. Gary now works for Motion Control Products, albeit selling the same stuff.

Leadshine are good, but pretty much any DM driver will be comparable in performance. I wouldn't get too hung up on what brand to buy for more basic digital drives.
Leadshine AM/EM drives are probably some of the best drivers you can get, but for a milling machine, you're not likely to notice the benefits.

Gecko are overpriced for what they are now. If you want to know where Gecko drives fit into the technology ladder, DM drives are more advanced. The latest Gecko's were cutting edge for their time, but the Chinese surpassed them years ago.


However, the main thing will be what size motors you're using. Nema 23/4 size, any of the common drives will work well. Either with a ~40V supply, or ~60V if you want to max out how much speed you can get.
If you need to use Nema34 motors, then the above drives will cripple performance, as you really need mains powered drives to get the most from Nema34 size motors. At low voltage, Nema 23/4 motors geared suitably will usually out perform a Nema34 size motor.
But then you're into the price range of cheap servos.

 

[MCKDAVID]

not as complex as some of @Hood panels, but this is a 500 x 500, and it's basically full. 3 axis for plasma including THC. Like I said would have been easier if the box had been a bit bigger to make it fit in easier, and ensure control signal / power segregation easier, but it's all split out with limited cross over and all the critical signal wiring is done with twisted pair and screened cables. the power side is over on the right side of the board, with, incomer circuit breaker, AC fuses, isolator and Emergency stop and relays etc as far as practical away from any signals... the DC circuit fuses are on the top rail, again as far away from signals as I could get them. I would have just liked a bit more maintenance space but it all fits in...

the big thing I would do differently next time is shell out for fused terminals / holders, already had a box of panel mount fused holders so used them, would have been easier / cleaner to wire with terminal fuses directly..

that might give you an idea of what size you need... if you can go bigger.... especially if you think you might want to add anything later...

 

[m_c]

And if we're on posting pics of control panels, I have yet to surpass this -

Although I should really replace the temporary breakout board with something a bit less thrown together with what I had laying around, and maybe actually fit an E-stop button instead of the loop of wire for where it needs wired into

Everything else has been retrofits, so unless you strip the cabinet bare, you nearly always end up with some kind of mess.
But my number one tip, Cable Trunking. It turns a spaghetti bomb into a nice neatly wired cabinet

 

[Hood]

not as complex as some of @Hood panels, but this is a 500 x 500, and it's basically full. 3 axis for plasma including THC. Like I said would have been easier if the box had been a bit bigger to make it fit in easier, and ensure control signal / power segregation easier, but it's all split out with limited cross over and all the critical signal wiring is done with twisted pair and screened cables. the power side is over on the right side of the board, with, incomer circuit breaker, AC fuses, isolator and Emergency stop and relays etc as far as practical away from any signals... the DC circuit fuses are on the top rail, again as far away from signals as I could get them. I would have just liked a bit more maintenance space but it all fits in...

the big thing I would do differently next time is shell out for fused terminals / holders, already had a box of panel mount fused holders so used them, would have been easier / cleaner to wire with terminal fuses directly..

that might give you an idea of what size you need... if you can go bigger.... especially if you think you might want to add anything later...

View attachment 266376View attachment 266377

Is your control at a position and height where you have easy access to the THC control box/screen?

 

[Hood]

Zapp is no more. Gary now works for Motion Control Products, albeit selling the same stuff.

Leadshine are good, but pretty much any DM driver will be comparable in performance. I wouldn't get too hung up on what brand to buy for more basic digital drives.
Leadshine AM/EM drives are probably some of the best drivers you can get, but for a milling machine, you're not likely to notice the benefits.

Gecko are overpriced for what they are now. If you want to know where Gecko drives fit into the technology ladder, DM drives are more advanced. The latest Gecko's were cutting edge for their time, but the Chinese surpassed them years ago.


However, the main thing will be what size motors you're using. Nema 23/4 size, any of the common drives will work well. Either with a ~40V supply, or ~60V if you want to max out how much speed you can get.
If you need to use Nema34 motors, then the above drives will cripple performance, as you really need mains powered drives to get the most from Nema34 size motors. At low voltage, Nema 23/4 motors geared suitably will usually out perform a Nema34 size motor.
But then you're into the price range of cheap servos.

They have shared a website style and layout for as long as I remember and just assumed they were one in the same.

Regarding the Geckos, the size of them is minute compared to Leadshine etc. That may have changed since I was using steppers though and maybe Leadshine are smaller now.

 

[MCKDAVID]

Is your control at a position and height where you have easy access to the THC control box/screen?

aye, it's all wall mounted now, easy to access & THC is just within reach. The screen and mouse keyboard are on the other side of the partition wall, near the table, need to make up a cover with perspex to keep them clean, it's on the list, but that'll be easy enough. Similar to yours except the control panel is on the other "clean" side out of the way

 

[m_c]

They have shared a website style and layout for as long as I remember and just assumed they were one in the same.

Regarding the Geckos, the size of them is minute compared to Leadshine etc. That may have changed since I was using steppers though and maybe Leadshine are smaller now.

Zapp was Gary's own company. He sold up at peak lockdown, and moved to MCP. I think Gary originally worked for MCP before going solo. He certainly knows his stuff though, and was always very helpful if you needed any information about anything he sold.


Gecko's are small, but they have to be mounted flat, whereas other drives can be mounted on edge, so two DM542s probably take a similar area to to two Geckos, as height is rarely a problem in control boxes.

If I was really wanting small drives, I'd probably just use TB6600 drives now. They are still pretty basic, but a major improvement over the old TB6560's that used to self-destruct pretty regularly (usually due to people pushing them too near their 40V limit), and the only thing they don't have that Gecko's do, is a morphing point adjustment.

 

[Hood]

Geckos can easily be mounted upright , 4 in the space of one leadshine by fitting to a bit of angle Alu or similar.

Not that I will ever be likely to use steppers again and if I was then it would likely just be leadshine or similar due to cost and availability unless space was extremely tight.

 

[MCKDAVID]

And if we're on posting pics of control panels, I have yet to surpass this -
View attachment 266378

control panel for what? plasma, or machinery?

 

[m_c]

control panel for what? plasma, or machinery?

This little thing

A little CMM based on a basic 3040 router. X and Y run steppers closed loop via 1micron glass scales.

Or if you want another cabinet, here's the old lathe-


There is also the Triac mill, but I don't have any photos off it yet, as it's still very much a work in progress, as I still need to add the touch probe wiring and tidy up the cabinet

 

[northwest]

However, the main thing will be what size motors you're using. Nema 23/4 size, any of the common drives will work well. Either with a ~40V supply, or ~60V if you want to max out how much speed you can get.

I am driving just NEMA 23 steppers at 2.2A max speed is not an issue as the table isn't big enough to benefit from racing speeds! I have just looked at TB6600 drives and I am struggling to understand the price difference: £18.00 for a TB6600 drive and £65.00 for a Leadshine drive of approximately the same, on paper, spec?

I am starting to lose the will to live, worst possible scenario, giving me a choice! Though it does appear to me that the TB6600 is more suited to Arduino chipset instructions. But then I have no idea what I am doing anyway!

 

[northwest]

Well, ordered and paid for the CSMIO/IP-M so that is out of the way and at some point on it's way. Drivers next and a power supply. Anyone have a good source of cables/connectors etc.?

 

[Hood]

What kind of connectors? If just round sockets and plugs then these are not too bad. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SP13-SP1...var=460575524733&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649
If Din rail then I usually go to https://chaloncomponents.co.uk/product-category/terminals/jxb-range-feed-through-terminals/

 

[m_c]

I am driving just NEMA 23 steppers at 2.2A max speed is not an issue as the table isn't big enough to benefit from racing speeds! I have just looked at TB6600 drives and I am struggling to understand the price difference: £18.00 for a TB6600 drive and £65.00 for a Leadshine drive of approximately the same, on paper, spec?

I am starting to lose the will to live, worst possible scenario, giving me a choice! Though it does appear to me that the TB6600 is more suited to Arduino chipset instructions. But then I have no idea what I am doing anyway!

TB6600 actually refers to the chip inside the drive. It's a single chip solution, whereas other more expensive drives use separate chips.
In all honesty, if you're not expecting top performance, TB6600 drives will probably work. The biggest drawback would be if your steppers/machine happens to resonate at the right/wrong frequency it can lead to motors stalling at certain speeds, as the drives output can amplify the resonance to the point the motor stalls. The same applies to old analogue drives and the smaller single chip solutions often found in 3D printers, and is why you'll see discussions about adding stepper motor dampers.

It's also where modern digital drives excel, as they can monitor how the motor is reacting, and adjust their output to try and avoid excess resonance. It's also how they monitor for stall detection.

I think personally, for small low speed machines, I'd use TB6600 and make sure I keep well under the 50V limit.
If I wanted more reliability/speed, I'd go for a full digital drive, like a Leadshine AM/EM, or if you want to turn a blind eye to the shady marketing of cnc4you, their CWD drives.

 

[m_c]

Well, ordered and paid for the CSMIO/IP-M so that is out of the way and at some point on it's way. Drivers next and a power supply. Anyone have a good source of cables/connectors etc.?

I thought CS-Lab controllers came with all the required connectors?
For low voltage power supplies, I love DIN rail mounted for any required 5/12/24VDC. I usually just pick whatever is cheapest on RS for the required voltage/current.

For stepper supply, I prefer a good old fashioned unregulated supply, as they'll absorb any energy dumping from the stepper drivers without issue, unlike switch mode/regulated supplies. All you need is a toroidal transformer of suitable VA/voltage, bridge rectifier, and capacitor. To end up with around 36V, start with 24/25VAC. As you're only driving 2.2A steppers, 5A will be more than enough for 3 axis, and probably good enough for 4 axis unless you're planning on all axes going flat out at the same time, so something sized around 125VA will do.

 

[Hood]

....or if you want to turn a blind eye to the shady marketing of cnc4you, their CWD drives.

Tell me more

 

[MCKDAVID]

I thought CS-Lab controllers came with all the required connectors?.....

they do, they come with the "phoenix contact " Sub-D connectors to terminals rails, and from them they provide the associated ribbon connectors directly to the controller itself.. you will need the din rail though they didn't come with that.
think the OP was asking more about the general terminals and connections for the rest of the system build.

 

[northwest]

they do, they come with the "phoenix contact " Sub-D connectors to terminals rails, and from them they provide the associated ribbon connectors directly to the controller itself.. you will need the din rail though they didn't come with that.
think the OP was asking more about the general terminals and connections for the rest of the system build.

Yes I was thank you. But I am not sure about these controllers being sourced in the UK as the connectors and cables are listed separately. Out of interest, I have a delivery date of TOMORROW!

Sorry, just to clarify, I bought the controller online yesterday, from Poland.

 

[MCKDAVID]

Mine arrived with them in the box, didn't order them separately. Aye delivery was pretty rapid too, mind you that was before all the difficulty of transportation.

 

[Hood]

As said they do come with the connectors and ribbon cable, here is what you get with the IP-M.