How do I configure Smoothieboard to work on a Delta Printer for Laser cutting and CNC milling?
I’ve looked around and found configuring Smoothieboard for the Delta printer for 3d printing, but no such luck in configuring a Delta for Laser or CNC.
The big attraction for me is are the branches for Smoothieboard to handle laser cutting and CNC work, but these seem to target Cartesian printers without any mention on how to configure for a Delta that I could find.
The reason for using a Delta is because I bet the speed increase and bed size could be substantially better than a Cartesian. Faster lasering and drilling PC boards.
Haven’t yet purchased the Smoothieboard. Waiting to sort this out, which I am sure will be very easy once I am pointed in the right direction.
I’m sure this info is out there, but the website search and Google didn’t find it for me.
Thank you very much for the help!
Rick.
Imported from wikidot
I’m not sure what your question is. Smoothie just supports this, configure it according to your setup and it will work, there is nothing in Smoothie preventing you from doing CNC work with a delta arm solution.
It is somewhat confusing at first. Basically, the 3d printer delta and cnc would be about the same, but you’d just turn the extruder part to false. The motors would be essentially set up the same way other than the extruder motor (which a cnc doesn’t have).
I would also highly recommend “bcnc” to pair with the smoothieboard. I’m also using fusion 360 for part design and cam, and then export the gcode (using grbl post processor in fusion). Just a though if you are still looking for software. Bcnc takes a bit of work to install python and the other files, but it seems to work well and has a realtime path graphic as well.
And finally, someone will burst your bubble at some point, so I’ll do it here. “Delta CNC” is a wonderful concept, but unless you make it super rigid (heavy…) it will have a ton of slack, which is okay for printing but horrible for cutting. The forces are different to be a problem.
You’ll find some delta cnc machines online, but you’ll also notice few or no actual consumer products. There may be some legal issues, but its often because a cartesian xyz machine is always much more stable and accurate.
In regards to getting your feet wet, try just setting up one or two of the motors, plugging them in, and see if they move the intended direction or if you need to flip the wires (only with power off!). Then repeat for each one.
good luck.
Yeah I didn’t mention it because I was in a hurry, but “delta CNC” sounds like the worse idea in the universe.
CNC means you want the most rigidity ever, and delta means you have the least rigidity ever.
Unless you are going to make everything out of very thick steel with huge joints and very high precision parts, it’s just not going to work.
If you are going to only machine pcbs that’s better, but you *still* have a problem.
Thank all of you for your help!
I think I now have a direction to go and an idea how to get there.