CNC/Robotics Projects: Linear Actuator

[estbiostudent]

Hello folks,

I've been working on an early design for a robotics project I'm involved in. It's similar to a 3 axis CNC machine, but the application requires a great deal more travel in the Z direction, and has to lift a bit more weight than ordinary. I'm looking into ball screw linear actuators and the like, but I'm having a hard time finding them for a reasonable price. So I thought I'd put a shout out and see if anyone knows of a place to get them as used surplus, or has a different idea for moving in the Z axis with relatively good precision, and speed with relatively large travel (.5 - 2 meters)

eric

[John Gomm]

A motorized car jack is probably not accurate enough, is it?

[john fisher]

How about using a lever- take some actuation mechanism, like  the head off a small CNC mill for instance, and connect it to the carriage that holds the tool using levers so the tool moves 2 meters, and the actuator moves 20 CM. The other obvious comment is a long rack&pinion or a the lead screw out of a lathe. Or maybe you could take the X axis out of a CNC router and flip it on end? heavy-long travel-vertical-fast-accurate sounds expensive.

John F

-- 
John Fisher

[Tom King]

my poor tired brain translated this into Linear Accelerator Project.

T

[Ron K. Jeffries]

Higgs Bosun reserach continues at SB Hackerspace.
---
Ron K. Jeffries

805-567-4670

[john fisher]

you could tweet that.


sorry

On 08/09/2012 01:36 PM, Ron K. Jeffries wrote:

Higgs Bosun reserach continues at SB Hackerspace.

-- 
John Fisher