Where's my 5'th axsis?

[daniel]

To Anyone at Shopbot...

Are you guys still working on the 5'th axsis bot? Is it anywhere near close to development?

[Brady Watson]

Daniel...5 axis hardware is easy. So is 5 axis control software. What CAM package are you going to use? It's $10,000 and up for 5 axis toolpathing software. That would make just the CAM software about the same price as the CNC...

-Brady

[norm (Unregistered Guest)]

visual mill 5000$ 5 axes

[gerald_d]

Brady, are you sure you wanted to say "5 axis hardware is easy"? I think that it is quite tricky, and that very high precision/stiffness is required if one doesn't want a "sloppy" system with lots of backlash/flex.

[Brady Watson]

Norm,
VisualMill isn't true 5-axis toolpathing software. You have to do a lot of calculations on your own to make use of the quasi-5th axis. BobCAD also claims that it does 5 axis toolpathing but as with VisualMill, you have to define the axis, set the axis to the proper angle and run the tool canted for just those defined moves. In other words, you can't just pull in true (not 2.5D) geometry and run a 5th axis toolpath on it & have it raster over the entire thing with true 5 axis motion.

From the MecSoft site: "....in version 5.0 is the new 5th Axis Positional Milling command.." Not much more than that on it's 5th axis capability.

Gerald, not really. I'm sure that you could come up with a solid gimbal-type design if you wanted to. Then again, if you are going to do that, the whole SB would need major stiffening and re-engineering considering the different forces in play with a 5th axis.

-Brady

[paco]

Or may just work less aggressively on the tool... it can be done, I believe.

[gerald_d]

This (http://www.quintax.com/custom2.html#5axst) is a relatively lightweight (and flexible) 5 axis router. It *is* being done - but it is certainly a much more difficult engineering project. This (http://www.shopbottools.com/images/Jamboree02pics/5axisani.gif) was shown at the 2002 SB Jamboree.

[norm (Unregistered Guest)]

http://www.hexapods.net/ or maybe the other way around ?

[Mike Windsor]

Here is a link to an ingenious 5 axis machine and software . http://www.rainnea.com/cnc.htm The 5 axis head uses satelite positioning motors (about $30 each from surplus center )

[paco]

Cooool! Though does'nt seem more rigid than PRT's... Thanks for sharing the link Mike!