My father’s ProtoTrak mill runs belts off the servos, is very well used, and will still mill an interpolated circle within a half a thousandth, better if it had new belts (they’re definitely due to be replaced). Belts work fine if sized properly for the machine.
Yes, Onshape is super nice. I've been using it 1.5 years at my day job (this CNC design is a side hobby project). They have a free hobby version also, that is exactly the same.
I'd like to see someone copy the old Light Machines ProLight 2000. Its frame is some kind of epoxy composite, all axes use servo motors. It can crank on some high speeds and has a 100 pound working load capacity. The downside? The only software it works with runs in MS-DOS and it only works with EMS memory for loading large gcode files. It's like the company wrote the software to work on an IBM Model 5150 with an ISA RAM expansion card then *never updated it*. So most PLM2000 mills end up with their Animatics servo controllers removed and replaced with something else. The 1000 model used stepper motors but instead of all the electronics being in a box on the back of the mill's frame, they were in a separate, large box and that connected to a proprietary ISA or PCI card. Intelitek still has some of those cards but they want a stupidly insanely high price for one. So most of the PLM1000 mills end up with replacement electronics too. The PLM2500 was the same as the PLM2000 except for having a 42,000 RPM spindle VS the 5,000 or 10,000 RPM of the 1000 and 2000. ProLight also offered the mills without a spindle for custom attachments. The spindle mount attaches with 4 bolts so it's easy to change or to build a custom mount. Intelitek bought Light Machines some time in (IIRC) the 1990's and from all the info I could find discontinued production of all the "big" Prolight mills and the PLM3000 CNC lathe. IMHO that was a dumb thing to do since nobody before or since has made benchtop CNC mills and lathes that compact with the capacity these had.
That is a great machine, agree, the best bench top CNC ever made. I almost bought one, until I found out they were about 400 lbs. Too heavy for my 2nd floor apartment living situation.
My father’s ProtoTrak mill runs belts off the servos, is very well used, and will still mill an interpolated circle within a half a thousandth, better if it had new belts (they’re definitely due to be replaced).
Belts work fine if sized properly for the machine.
Thanks. I used the same machine in a tool room when I had a part time machinist job in the late 90s. Agree, the belts ran great.
this in browser CAD Software looks great
Yes, Onshape is super nice. I've been using it 1.5 years at my day job (this CNC design is a side hobby project). They have a free hobby version also, that is exactly the same.
I'd like to see someone copy the old Light Machines ProLight 2000. Its frame is some kind of epoxy composite, all axes use servo motors. It can crank on some high speeds and has a 100 pound working load capacity.
The downside? The only software it works with runs in MS-DOS and it only works with EMS memory for loading large gcode files. It's like the company wrote the software to work on an IBM Model 5150 with an ISA RAM expansion card then *never updated it*. So most PLM2000 mills end up with their Animatics servo controllers removed and replaced with something else.
The 1000 model used stepper motors but instead of all the electronics being in a box on the back of the mill's frame, they were in a separate, large box and that connected to a proprietary ISA or PCI card. Intelitek still has some of those cards but they want a stupidly insanely high price for one. So most of the PLM1000 mills end up with replacement electronics too.
The PLM2500 was the same as the PLM2000 except for having a 42,000 RPM spindle VS the 5,000 or 10,000 RPM of the 1000 and 2000. ProLight also offered the mills without a spindle for custom attachments. The spindle mount attaches with 4 bolts so it's easy to change or to build a custom mount.
Intelitek bought Light Machines some time in (IIRC) the 1990's and from all the info I could find discontinued production of all the "big" Prolight mills and the PLM3000 CNC lathe.
IMHO that was a dumb thing to do since nobody before or since has made benchtop CNC mills and lathes that compact with the capacity these had.
That is a great machine, agree, the best bench top CNC ever made. I almost bought one, until I found out they were about 400 lbs. Too heavy for my 2nd floor apartment living situation.
ρгό𝔪σŞｍ 😣