Fig 1. - CNC stand with sliding front doors
Description
Design and construction of a large, enclosed stand for the CNC-MD001 or CNC converted manual machine. Designed for easy access to the work envelope while still keeping all the chips and coolant in a contained environment.
The Problem
While the MD001-CNC machine comes integrated into the cabinet, there is currently no great solution for a CNC converted MD001 (IH Clone) machine. There are also many engineering challenges to CNCing any machine. Some of those include where to mount the electrical components, how to mount the controlling computer, how to manage all the wiring, where/how to install a coolant pump... The list goes on.
I have seen many attempts at building a stand for this machine and others like it. Few cover all of the features listed above. There are some very good homemade versions shown on YouTube videos and other home machinists type of forums. Unfortunately none of them are really practical for mass production.
What is required is a design that allows all the components that go into making a functional cnc machine to be contained in a functional and efficient manner. It should also be easy to ship and assemble as well as producable at a reasonable price.
My Approach
My design tries to cover all the basic engineering challenges for making a CNC machine. The features incorporated into the MD001 (IH Clone) machine stand are...
- Completely enclosed on all sides to contain coolant and chips
- Large electrical cabinets on both sides for wiring, drivers and other electrical components
- Front and back cabinets for tool storage and coolant pump
- Large sliding front doors for easy access (Fig 1)
- Large wiring access holes and channels through out the stand
- Large viewing windows all around
- Integrated control panel box for contiaing a monitor, laptop or other controller
The stand is made from 2mm sheet steel (>14 Ga.) for superior strength and ridgidity. Construction also centers around the central support stand for easier shipping and assemby. All the enclosure parts of the stand are easily bolted in place with strong M6 hex bolts. The main body of the stand has re-enforced rails to support the machine as well as a sloped floor to transport the used coolant to the drain area.
Summary and Further Work
The last stages of the design are almost comleted and the stand will be ready for drop shipping very soon. The initial prototype had a large single swing out door (Fig. 2) that proved to be impractical. The new design with sliding door access (Fig. 1) is much more convenient and allows easy access for small and large parts.
Future design enhansements may include featues like a sealed top with high intensity lighting and adjustable mounting rails to accomodate a larger variety of machines.
Fig. 2 - CNC Stand with large single front door
