Edit: Changed the thread title seeing as how this has very little to do with a computer case...
Hey everyone, sorry I haven't been very active recently. Work took over and next thing I know months have gone by.
Anyways, I have been very busy. I managed to get my hands on some newly retired equipment from a fully automated assembly line that was scrapped to make way for "Worker Oriented - Job Creating" assembly work cells (Politics once again stifling the technology industry but what can you do...). These are some of my new toys:
Two of the work cells I was tasked with stripping before being hauled off to the dump:
http://s324.photobucket.com/user/InitialDriveGTR/media/20130720_132710.jpg.html
One of the cells with its guarding removed, leaving the bare robot:
http://s324.photobucket.com/user/InitialDriveGTR/media/20130718_121611.jpg.html
These robots are by Adept Robotics, they are called Cartesian robots, implementing X, Y, and Z axis in addition to Theta (Rotary table) and this one specifically had an industrial screw driver used for final stages of product assembly. We typically do not recycle old machines as it's cheaper to just throw them away. So I snagged three of these robots, and over the last month I have been working on converting them into CNC mills. I am developing two at the same time, one for my own personal use at home, and the other for our department to use for fixing messed up parts the machine shop gives us quite frequently. I'm using 600mm modules for the X and Y axis, and the Z axis is a 250mm module. Each axis has a 400W servo with disk brakes, and encoders with 65,536 points of accuracy per revolution. That means each axis can move incredibly fast, with a significantly heavy load, with repeatable accuracy of less than a thousandth of a millimeter.
I have been developing software for the robot so that it can interpret raw G-Code used traditionally in CNC milling applications. Using this method, the robot can now essentially be used as a CNC mill. I purchased a Bosch 1617EVS router last night, and will be making some brackets to mount it to the Z-axis later today. Yes I have been sharing my bedroom with an industrial robot. Turns out they don't make very good pets, as our electric bill has almost tripled since I brought it home. lol.
http://s324.photobucket.com/user/InitialDriveGTR/media/20130819_202057.jpg.html
The robot installed on the second floor of my parents shed; finishing the install this weekend:
http://s324.photobucket.com/user/InitialDriveGTR/media/20130827_185531.jpg.html
Some of the control used to interface and control the robot:
http://s324.photobucket.com/user/InitialDriveGTR/media/20130822_174526.jpg.html
Testing out th G-Code interpretation code with an expo marker (Many markers were brutally murdered in the process sadly)
http://s324.photobucket.com/user/InitialDriveGTR/media/20130820_202246.jpg.html
The first part! (It's not actually going to be used, but just to see how the calibration was working)
http://s324.photobucket.com/user/InitialDriveGTR/media/20130827_155736.jpg.html
The whole point of me showing that stuff is that before I start making performance automotive parts, I want to get some practice using the machine and to further develop the software and user interface. So what better than build a new computer case?!?!?
And for those who know my last build Arctic Rain, it's doing very well. I have been running it closed loop as I don't use it that often for gaming these days. Most of my time is now spent on my Sony Vaio Duo ultrabook (Which is fantastic btw)
I've been out of the desktop computer world for a few months now, so I don't know whats been going on in terms of performance specs etc. and this haswell stuff I've skimmed over a while back. So I need ideas. GO.
Hey everyone, sorry I haven't been very active recently. Work took over and next thing I know months have gone by.
Anyways, I have been very busy. I managed to get my hands on some newly retired equipment from a fully automated assembly line that was scrapped to make way for "Worker Oriented - Job Creating" assembly work cells (Politics once again stifling the technology industry but what can you do...). These are some of my new toys:
Two of the work cells I was tasked with stripping before being hauled off to the dump:
http://s324.photobucket.com/user/InitialDriveGTR/media/20130720_132710.jpg.html
One of the cells with its guarding removed, leaving the bare robot:
http://s324.photobucket.com/user/InitialDriveGTR/media/20130718_121611.jpg.html
These robots are by Adept Robotics, they are called Cartesian robots, implementing X, Y, and Z axis in addition to Theta (Rotary table) and this one specifically had an industrial screw driver used for final stages of product assembly. We typically do not recycle old machines as it's cheaper to just throw them away. So I snagged three of these robots, and over the last month I have been working on converting them into CNC mills. I am developing two at the same time, one for my own personal use at home, and the other for our department to use for fixing messed up parts the machine shop gives us quite frequently. I'm using 600mm modules for the X and Y axis, and the Z axis is a 250mm module. Each axis has a 400W servo with disk brakes, and encoders with 65,536 points of accuracy per revolution. That means each axis can move incredibly fast, with a significantly heavy load, with repeatable accuracy of less than a thousandth of a millimeter.
I have been developing software for the robot so that it can interpret raw G-Code used traditionally in CNC milling applications. Using this method, the robot can now essentially be used as a CNC mill. I purchased a Bosch 1617EVS router last night, and will be making some brackets to mount it to the Z-axis later today. Yes I have been sharing my bedroom with an industrial robot. Turns out they don't make very good pets, as our electric bill has almost tripled since I brought it home. lol.
http://s324.photobucket.com/user/InitialDriveGTR/media/20130819_202057.jpg.html
The robot installed on the second floor of my parents shed; finishing the install this weekend:
http://s324.photobucket.com/user/InitialDriveGTR/media/20130827_185531.jpg.html
Some of the control used to interface and control the robot:
http://s324.photobucket.com/user/InitialDriveGTR/media/20130822_174526.jpg.html
Testing out th G-Code interpretation code with an expo marker (Many markers were brutally murdered in the process sadly)
http://s324.photobucket.com/user/InitialDriveGTR/media/20130820_202246.jpg.html
The first part! (It's not actually going to be used, but just to see how the calibration was working)
http://s324.photobucket.com/user/InitialDriveGTR/media/20130827_155736.jpg.html
The whole point of me showing that stuff is that before I start making performance automotive parts, I want to get some practice using the machine and to further develop the software and user interface. So what better than build a new computer case?!?!?
And for those who know my last build Arctic Rain, it's doing very well. I have been running it closed loop as I don't use it that often for gaming these days. Most of my time is now spent on my Sony Vaio Duo ultrabook (Which is fantastic btw)
I've been out of the desktop computer world for a few months now, so I don't know whats been going on in terms of performance specs etc. and this haswell stuff I've skimmed over a while back. So I need ideas. GO.