3020 CNC routing machine and Mach 3

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ilkleyal

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Hello, I'm new here

Edited as I initially termed this a miller which caused some debate :eek:

Just bought one of these, it should arrive in the next week or so.

Yes, its Chinese and I'm taking a gamble but I am prepared to fix what needs fixing (if anything)

I'm a time served CNC machinist and keen model maker/Flyer so am looking forward to making this little device sing.

Bought to machine airframe components in Balsa/Ply/CF/Aly and so on.

If they are OK, I may well consider bulk buying and offering them in an improved form to the UK market

I will be in touch with an update when I have it installed.

Al

machine.jpg
 
It's a router, not a milling machine.
 
John Stevenson said:
It's a router, not a milling machine.
Click to expand...


Bit negative of you

Actually, its capable of rotating a tool, has x y and z axis and can mill 3D shapes, I take the view that a "router" is simply a lightly constructed milling machine which it is of course.

its never going to take a 5mm cut in Aly at 40,000 revs and 20 metres a min

It will be used for mostly 2 d work, yes, and as such you might call it a router but it can and will in my hands be used as a milling/drilling machine. So there.......
 
Bit aggressive for a third post...

Anyway if you look at your picture that you posted it clearly states "CNC Router"
Kind of gives it away...

These are sold as firstly CNC routers and engravers, capable of milling 3D parts.
Generally used for making signs etc with relief so that the words stand out.
Capable of 7cm of vertical travel with a smallish table.
Capable of 0.05mm repeatability, not too bad if it can keep it up constantly.
Not too sure of how rigid the machine is but it should be fine for woods and plastics.
You would most likely have to take very light cuts in any metals.

Good luck with it and keep us informed of what you can get it to do!
They have been discussed here and on many other boards before and the same conclusion has always been reached.

Andrew
 
lazylathe said:
Bit aggressive for a third post...

Anyway if you look at your picture that you posted it clearly states "CNC Router"
Kind of gives it away...

These are sold as firstly CNC routers and engravers, capable of milling 3D parts.
Generally used for making signs etc with relief so that the words stand out.
Capable of 7cm of vertical travel with a smallish table.
Capable of 0.05mm repeatability, not too bad if it can keep it up constantly.
Not too sure of how rigid the machine is but it should be fine for woods and plastics.
You would most likely have to take very light cuts in any metals.

Good luck with it and keep us informed of what you can get it to do!
They have been discussed here and on many other boards before and the same conclusion has always been reached.

Andrew
Click to expand...

Hi, Bit of fun, tongue in cheek, sorry if it was a tickle strong.

I accept all views willingly, I don't intend to make a V8 or anything with it ;)

Al

 
ilkleyal said:
I don't intend to make a V8 or anything with it ;)

Al
Click to expand...

Not big enough, you will be limited to a V7 :p
 
Definately a router but most members could upgrade this machine to their own requirements
 
Al,
They are not a bad machine but to cut costs they have cut corners, if you do a web search you will find plenty of posts giving details.

Given that many suppliers in China are making and selling these quality differs from supplier to supplier.

Main one I have read about is that the DC brushed spindle motor supplied with these is often a used spindle, I know of two that have packed in within a few days, just a point to note and check when you get yours.

Not a sour grapes post as I'm getting ready to purchase a larger 6040 model but these are a lot different, supported rails against unsupported, ballscrews against trapezoidal and a water cooled high frequency spindle against the DC one but it's twice as much money.

John S.
 
John Stevenson said:
Al,
They are not a bad machine but to cut costs they have cut corners, if you do a web search you will find plenty of posts giving details.

Given that many suppliers in China are making and selling these quality differs from supplier to supplier.

Main one I have read about is that the DC brushed spindle motor supplied with these is often a used spindle, I know of two that have packed in within a few days, just a point to note and check when you get yours.

Not a sour grapes post as I'm getting ready to purchase a larger 6040 model but these are a lot different, supported rails against unsupported, ballscrews against trapezoidal and a water cooled high frequency spindle against the DC one but it's twice as much money.

John S.
Click to expand...

Hi John, Thanks, yes I have researched them in detail and seen the Z axis problems, pathetic mounting for the plastic nut on the y axis, cable run problems and so on. All the sellers appear to claim they are in Portsmouth, they are not of course and are all actually Chinese vendors (probably one and the same) of all sorts of cosmetic tat and strange oddities like these machines.

Totally get the difference twixt the one I'm getting and the better ball screwed one, send me a link if you will please as I didn't see that.

Ref the spindle, I fully expect it to be rubbish, Anything else would be an unexpected bonus so I plan to change it anyway. I also know about the lack of an earth on the "control" box and the live male pins at the back of same. This is what I was alluding to as things that might need fixing. The Chinese may have already sorted these problems out though so we shall see.

Looking forward to it as it will be fun sorting it out and getting it up to a decent spec, I could of course see about better lead screws if necessary and I will be performing repeatability and accuracy tests on it as soon as its all installed and working. Once I have taken it apart and built it properly I intend to use only solid carbide so the structure needs to be rigid, If it isn't, I will make it so. you can look forward to a feast of photos and detail of the modifications.

Cheers

Al.


 
One of them is in Portsmouth, I ordered a TB6520 ? stepper board off them and it was here in 3 days with a Portsmouth postmark.

One 3040/ 3020 I know came thru just as quick, one thing dealing with these is forget the insane shipping from Portsmouth, it's just a way to keep ebay fees down and it will have already shipped from China to the UK anyway.

Main thing is, if it ships from Portsmouth you won't get hit by UK duties and VAT fees.
 
John Stevenson said:
One of them is in Portsmouth, I ordered a TB6520 ? stepper board off them and it was here in 3 days with a Portsmouth postmark.

One 3040/ 3020 I know came thru just as quick, one thing dealing with these is forget the insane shipping from Portsmouth, it's just a way to keep ebay fees down and it will have already shipped from China to the UK anyway.

Main thing is, if it ships from Portsmouth you won't get hit by UK duties and VAT fees.
Click to expand...

Hi John

Yes, if you look at the listings they vary from 420 to around 340 for the machine with the balance applied as postage to total £508.00 in every case. I went for the 340 with the insane post at £168.00 as this will keep the import duty down if it actually does ship from China. It's the same base machine at 420 and 340 as you know and you are quite correct in why they do this.

I have mailed them to see if they are shipping form China or Hampshire but as yet not had a reply.

I already have 2 orders for bespoke 3 phase motor mounts for model aircraft (we all fly with three phase brushless AC motors these days) so Im keen to get the machine installed and sorted out.


Regards
Al.
 
also when you get your machine expect it not to function properly with the blue box you will also need to spend more monies on a geko 540 controler setup to make it a decent reliable machine with no missed steps , i have the 6040 machine , anybody who has purchased one has suffered the same problems, a heads up for you
 
Well folks a few months on from taking delivery
I have used the machine extensively.

Failures have been limited to it needing a total rewire of the control cables. I ripped them all out and substituted quality 4 core shielded control cables after less than 2 hours use as the originals were all breaking up. They were garbage, that's a fact. The Z was faulty right out of the packaging and Y followed suit the next time I used the machine.

Accuracy is fantastic, honestly way better than I expected and there is less than .001" of backlash in any of the 3 axis.

Spiral milling which seems to be regarded as a problem for the supplied controller has been no problem, the spindle is fine at full revs for hours at a time and the stepper motors are all going very well. It really has been a great buy.

I have made quite a few videos and will post if anyone wants to see it spiral mill.

Al.
 
That's quite a small cutter sticking out very far in both videos. For a pocket like that I'd want as little sticking out from the spindle collet as needed, for rigidity, and as large a cutter as the router will handle given that material (MDF).
 
kvom said:
That's quite a small cutter sticking out very far in both videos. For a pocket like that I'd want as little sticking out from the spindle collet as needed, for rigidity, and as large a cutter as the router will handle given that material (MDF).
Click to expand...

Thanks, that's actually really welcomed feedback! I am just starting out, and using the cheap cutters it came with (I have since ordered more for use on PCBs. What you say makes sense! My main challenge now understanding PCB-GCODE and alternative methods...

Anyway, thanks!
 
Hi guys , i brought a 3040 cnc router back in 2008 , most likely one of the first ones ,at the time i couldn't even find a single post about it on cnczone :eek:, Well it's been 4 years since then and it still goes , the blue box it comes with , THROW IT OUT!!! , don't waste your time buy some geckos or better quality stepper drives. I put a trimmer router on mine a couple years back
apart from the increase in noise , best thing i have ever done it absolutely hoggs through aluminium (aluminum;)) , I use 1/4 carbide , .5mm-1mm cuts 400-750mm a minute , I manily use it for parts that can't be done manually or for roughing followed by a cleanup on the mill . On a good day it will hold 0.01mm (only if you clock the runnout of endmill and add to the diameter) , a bad day and it's out 0.1mm or more none the less a usefull machine


cheers
Brayden
 
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