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CX601 Mill - Adding DRO's

YotaBota said:
Adapter circuit card it will be!
Thanks for the heads up on Samsung, I'll have to check and see what I have. The other half is the Android literate person in our house so I will have knowledge handy.
Click to expand...
BTW, I assembled my PC boards and bought Hammond boxes which I promptly tried the DRO out on to mill the D9 connector holes. Never again will I spin & count to place dozens of datum locations using the dials and backlash!

D :cool:
 
Tecnico said:
Never again will I spin & count to place dozens of datum locations using the dials and backlash!
Click to expand...

This is something one cannot appreciate till you have one. The capability blew me away the very first time I used it. In fact, I used my X scale right after I installed it to help me make my Y sensor bracket. I had intended to use my crank dials for that purpose because I didn't trust the DRO yet. But the repeatabity and ease of use were compelling, so I plowed ahead and ONLY used the DRO. I even flipped the part so I could use X instead of Y. I've NEVER looked back going so far as to add a quill scale to my Z. The unit combines the quill and knee to read total Z.
 
Susquatch said:
This is something one cannot appreciate till you have one. The capability blew me away the very first time I used it. In fact, I used my X scale right after I installed it to help me make my Y sensor bracket. I had intended to use my crank dials for that purpose because I didn't trust the DRO yet. But the repeatabity and ease of use were compelling, so I plowed ahead and ONLY used the DRO. I even flipped the part so I could use X instead of Y. I've NEVER looked back going so far as to add a quill scale to my Z. The unit combines the quill and knee to read total Z.
Click to expand...

I remembered you mentioning using the mill before the install was finished to make installation parts and did the same as I was machining my boxes. My circuit card was sitting on the mill junction box (on a piece of wood as an insulator) with cables hanging off while I milled out their Hammond enclosures. Turning dials until hitting the bullseye was a revelation even though I was expecting it. Brought a big smile to my face!

Knee & quill to come but the display arm takes precedence.

D :cool:
 
Joe Kirby said:
Just completed adding X,Y and Z axis DRO's to a CX601 mill. Tried to keep things very simple but still needed to maintain accuracy. Used self adhesive 10mm wide magnetic tape (1 micron) in a stainless/mag tape/stainless sandwich. Brackets are 3D printed and I may make from aluminum at a later date if needed. Adhesive is 3M VHB tape which is very strong and oil resistant. Removed the X and Z axis measuring tapes and reused the machined grooves for the magnetic tape.
Hopefully the following photos will be self explanatory.
Also just completed simple design for adding quill DRO and summing to Z axis. Will add photos later.

View attachment 31983View attachment 31982View attachment 31986
Click to expand...
Joe, Would be willing to share your stl files?
 
Joe Kirby said:
Just completed adding X,Y and Z axis DRO's to a CX601 mill. Tried to keep things very simple but still needed to maintain accuracy. Used self adhesive 10mm wide magnetic tape (1 micron) in a stainless/mag tape/stainless sandwich. Brackets are 3D printed and I may make from aluminum at a later date if needed. Adhesive is 3M VHB tape which is very strong and oil resistant. Removed the X and Z axis measuring tapes and reused the machined grooves for the magnetic tape.
Hopefully the following photos will be self explanatory.
Also just completed simple design for adding quill DRO and summing to Z axis. Will add photos later.

View attachment 31983View attachment 31982View attachment 31986
Click to expand...
Joe,

Nice job your scale installation.

Where did you source the linear magnetic tape and sensors?

I will be using servos with 17 bit encoders for a CNC conversion, but I still want an independent DRO

Thanks
 
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Hello again fellow metal munchies! I'm about to install the 1um tape to the cx601 and was checking the "trueness" of the groove cut for the measuring tape. The magnetic tape will fit very well as previously said in this thread. My question is will the 0.003"-0.004" variation in x travel going to put an error in the touch dro positioning of any significance ( It will result in a change in the gap between the read head and the tape)?
(The edge of the groove in the vertical varieties about 0.002")
 

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Has any one noticed the groove machined into the left side of the base of the 601? Probably was intended for a measuring tape like the x axis. It was filled with auto body bondo and paint, cleaned it out and am going to lay in some magnetic scale tape in there
 

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Theflyingwrench said:
I'm about to install the 1um tape to the cx601 and was checking the "trueness" of the groove cut for the measuring tape. The magnetic tape will fit very well as previously said in this thread. My question is will the 0.003"-0.004" variation in x travel going to put an error in the touch dro positioning of any significance ( It will result in a change in the gap between the read head and the tape)?
Click to expand...

I did some early testing on my Ditron system with 1 micron tape to see how much difference a varying gap made. As long as the head could read the tape, a changing gap made no difference at all. Just make sure the gap never exceeds the recommended maximum lest you start losing position.
 
Very nice installation and interesting thread. I have a 601 for a number of years and installed a DRO with glass scales on it shortly after buying the mill. Lots of mounting brackets to make and holes to drill. It is still working perfectly and I haven't even taken any of the scale covers off to see how things look underneath. I guess I should do that one of these days.
 
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