LightObject M5 small laser machine

[Tech_Marco]

We're going to launch a small laser machine (M5) in 2015. Currently it is in prototyping stage. We're expecting to receive samples in 3 months.

See this thread: viewtopic.php?f=46&t=2416

Any comment, feel free to let me know.


Regards,
Marco

[MitchL]

That looks pretty slick, Marco!

So, there's no belt drive reduction for X, but it looks like there's something on the Y? With that super lightweight X carriage and no belt reduction, you can get some serious speed on the X for rastering.

Are those steppers 0.9 degree ones? (I'm wondering what the um/step would be).

Have you got a sense for how much backlash there is?

/Mitch.

[Tech_Marco]

My tech in China has just received the sample from our appointed tooling shop and the tests he ran was just preliminary without putting a lot of stress on it yet. The actual performance info will be posted once he did more aggressive testing in next few days. The motor is 1.8degree and the motor driver micro-step can be set to 1/16, 1/32 or 1/64. Even 1/32 is more than enough for the laser machine. Most likely that I'll set it to 1/16 or 1/32 and will be determined after more tests are completed

Currently I'm having my motor drivers supplier to custom a motor driver for me. The max output is 2.5A (peak). The current on 47HS03 is 1.5A rms. So, we better to drive it by 1.8A~2.0A peak current. Once the XY stage is developed and satisfied. The next step is casing and it shouldn't take more than 3 weeks to complete it.

BTW, I'm having another supplier to custom made a faster response current meter (100mA). It is about 5 times faster than the current meter we're selling. I'll install it to this small machine. In fact, I'm thinking dual current meter; digital and analog.


Marco

[swamidog]

My tech in China has just received the sample from our appointed tooling shop and the tests he ran was just preliminary without putting a lot of stress on it yet. The actual performance info will be posted once he did more aggressive testing in next few days. The motor is 1.8degree and the motor driver micro-step can be set to 1/16, 1/32 or 1/64. Even 1/32 is more than enough for the laser machine. Most likely that I'll set it to 1/16 or 1/32 and will be determined after more tests are completed

Currently I'm having my motor drivers supplier to custom a motor driver for me. The max output is 2.5A (peak). The current on 47HS03 is 1.5A rms. So, we better to drive it by 1.8A~2.0A peak current. Once the XY stage is developed and satisfied. The next step is casing and it shouldn't take more than 3 weeks to complete it.

BTW, I'm having another supplier to custom made a faster response current meter (100mA). It is about 5 times faster than the current meter we're selling. I'll install it to this small machine. In fact, I'm thinking dual current meter; digital and analog.


Marco

a digital/analog meter would be excellent. i've been thinking of wiring up my machine like that.

[MitchL]

BTW, I'm having another supplier to custom made a faster response current meter (100mA). It is about 5 times faster than the current meter we're selling. I'll install it to this small machine. In fact, I'm thinking dual current meter; digital and analog.

An awesome feature of a new meter would be some sort of output that we could hook to a microcontroller, like an isolated, amplified version of whatever the current sense resistor sees (I could probably find this on the existing meters if I poked at it). Then I could program the microcontroller to watch and collect samples over the entire job.

It would be cool, maybe not useful, but cool .

/Mitch.

[Tech_Marco]

I don't know much about Micro-controller even though I'm desperately wanting to learn. I learned the basic of PIC but was told that AVR or ARM is better in price and performance. If I know better PIC, may be I can come up a better version PSU with digital control

One thing that I'm willing to try on the M5 is a remote control firing system. It would be good for doing alignment test. I think most folks here realized how much difficult to fine tuned an alignment for the 1st and 2nd mirror. We have to run back and fro to hit "Laser" for each test. Assuming if we can just hit a button remotely isn't it a great idea for alignment tuning? Plus, a newer laser red dot system will be applied to the system.

Anyway, I'll try to add more goodies into the M5 and make it affordable but with more features


Marco

[NickWL]

No running backwards and forwards on a K40 system - everything is within reach already!

[Tech_Marco]

That's why I make it bigger: 500x300 so I can let you run

Next move: 600mmx400mm XY stage. Better than the Lite but not as sophisticated as the XLE model
Price wise, it is better than XLE but a little higher than the Lite.

For the M5 XY stage (500x300), the estimated price is $475 and $575 for 600x400


Marco