Cheap X-Y Plotter Conversion?

[Alan Timm]

Monoprice has a really inexpensive X-Y plotter with an area of 620mm x 620mm.  $239.99

https://www.monoprice.com/Product?p_id=13960

No Z axis, and I'd need to use a different controller board, but it looks like it could be easily adapted for the openpnp hardware head.

Just eyeballing it, it looks like the total including the kit, controller, vacuum components, dual head etc would be around $600?

I was just starting to collect parts to convert my Rostock into a single head pnp, but this would be far more capable.

What do you guys think?  Could I make it work?

[Jason von Nieda]

I know of one other person who tried a machine based on this kit, I'm not sure if he's still on the mailing list. Arvid, you around?

Anyway, I know he struggled with the controller, but I think the hardware was okay. My main concern would be that the X shafts look a little undersizes and I think they would probably flex quite a bit if you added more mass to the head.

Jason

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[Ray Kholodovsky]

Yeah, you'd want to get a smoothie (pitch I make the Cohesion3D boards that run smoothie)..  But I have mixed feelings about this frame.  First reaction was, hey $239 is a lot!. I can (and did) do a 750x750mm openbuilds frame cheaper by far, but that involved cutting beams and milling/ laser cutting plates... While this is pre-made which sort of saves you time, and possibly money if you don't have the capability to do your own cutting... Guess I'd be most interested in how square the frame turns out :)

I like the way the dual Y axis is implemented, that's the right idea here... 

[Genie Kobayashi]

Hi Alan,

I've been trying to build OpenPnP based on Makeblock XY Plotter Robot Kit (No Electronic Version) with home-made RAMPS compatible shield.

http://www.makeblock.com/xy-plotter-robot-kit

In a word, the kit construction is weak and not recommended for dual head PnP. I modified heavily to make it stiff, changed two 0824 Y-beam to 2424 like as X-beam and put triangle bracket to each of four corners. Y carriage pair is redesigned and Y motor replaced with stronger one. Long 8mm shafts should be at least 10mm but I remain them as replacing requires extra cost.

I simply chose this kit as I knew the 2040 aluminum extrusion frame construction were heavy. My ShapeOko2 (NEMA23 motors) is enough big and bit hard to move by alone, and I wanted PnP machine light and portable.

Genie

[Michael Anton]

You may find that building something light and portable that also stays in alignment to be quite a challenge...