Unlike CNC machines and 3D printers, the Z axis in larger laser machines does not ride on precision guides.
In my OMTech 60 W laser, 700×500 mm platform rides on four large leadscrews with terrible concentricity. They have upper and lower bearings pressed into the steel frame, but with no attempt at precision alignment: the entire platform moves in a circle about 1 mm in diameter in the XY plane as the leadscrews turn.
Bonus: the platform moves majestically, so attempting to track the laser head height at normal engraving / cutting speeds can’t possibly work.
I’ll have to on this. Mine wobbles all over the place…
If you’ve even seen the Sadler video on the Russ Spec machine, this is addressed… Cloud Ray link to this machine. If I knew then what I know now, I’d bought this one
There is a video in the Cloud Ray ad, this is the same video on Youtube.
You’ll notice these Z axes bearings have been changed out for something a bit more accurate.
I own one of these and am thoroughly pleased with it.
Here’s a video I made after getting it over a year ago.
(It looks different because, per Russ, it’s beta unit #2.)
Hi all, first off an extra thanks to @Colin for providing the 80$ I needed to complete one of the prototyping phases. Unfortunately my health never did get much better and bigger projects like this are just out of my reach now. I’ve been coming to term with that change in my life lately, and as part of that I will be releasing everything I had so far.
I am releasing everything I had done under GPL. I do exempt the light burn team from having to continue releasing modifications if they were to make an accessory / move the project along. If anyone wants to make a commercial product out of this, I’d love to be kept in the loop / participate in a limited capacity.
on this. Mine wobbles all over the place…
