Foxalien wm3020 Cnc with Linear Rails & Ballscrews
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 มิ.ย. 2024
- A review of a small desktop cnc with linear rails and ballscrews which can mill aluminium
This video is sponsored by www.pcbway.com
PCBWay provides professional pcb, 3d printing, injection moulding & cnc services.
WM3020
Foxalien bit.ly/3wBWIJD
Amazon amzn.to/3VrvO0R
Amazon UK amzn.to/3gE3bi7
WM3020 with 40W laser bit.ly/wm3020-40w-laser
WM3020 with 20W laser bit.ly/wm3020-20w-lazer
Note: The Foxalien website prices include tax & import duty.
Endmills for aluminium
Amazon.co.uk amzn.to/44g23Vw
Amazon.com amzn.to/3O0EnPg
Single flute DLC coated amzn.to/3px4fZW
Some of the links above are affiliate links. If you click on the link and buy something, you will not pay anything extra, but we might receive a small income, which is used to pay for future videos.
00:00 Introduction
01:52 Assembly
02:48 Pcbway
03:29 Software
05:01 Height probe
06:42 Example gcode
07:16 Spoilboard
08:05 Aluminium milling adaptive tests
09:06 Aluminium finishing tests
10:10 Aluminium 6mm 1 flute
10:30 Aluminium 5mm 3 flute
10:49 6061 T6 corner bracket
11:49 PCB Milling
16:07 PWM to 10V testing
16:44 Opinion
17:08 Laser module - วิทยาศาสตร์และเทคโนโลยี
Building my own 5050 at the moment using a modded 3018 to make the custom parts, always enjoy watching new designs for ideas, cheers for the great videos.
I've just ordered one of these (Black Friday Deal!) partly because of your excellent review here. I'd also like to thank you for responding to all the various questions people have put to you, which i have also found very useful. Great TH-cam - Thanks!
Perfect. Great to see this.
This is pretty much the upgrades I had planned for my 3020.
Glad to see that there is finely some smaller machines coming in with some more capability
Oh man, now I'm crazy about this beauty here. Your video make me so excited that I decided for this incredible machine!
As a good teacher,I appreciate your time
Thanks for the followup vid on this machine! :)
Very informative. My unit is due for delivery later this week. Looking forward to your spindle upgrade videos.
Nice thorough review! Your build video of it enticed me enough to buy one for myself a few weeks ago. It's a great machine, but I've already found some ways to upgrade it:
The stock spindle is good, but mine had a fair amount of runout in the motor shaft. There is a small amount of adjustability in the set screws of the ER11 tool holder, but I wasn't able to get mine low enough to be satisfactory to me. Additionally, the shaft deflects quite a bit under load, causing chatter. I ended up upgrading it to a 600W Deadelus brushless ER11 spindle. So far I'm really happy with that: it has a very small runout, and the ER11 tool holder is machined out of the shaft of the motor, so it's nice and stiff. There is very little deflection under load. Also, the collet nut that came with it is heaps better than the stock spindle's. I'll be looking forward to your video about your spindle upgrade!
Another big issue with the WM-3020 is, despite having ballscrews, there is still an amount of "backlash" introduced by the lack of proper bearing mounts. I had read about this being necessary on DIY CNC forums but I wasn't really sure why until I got my machine. When a force is applied in the axial direction on a ball screw, there needs to be something to take that load and prevent it from sliding (you want the ball screw nut to slide, not the entire ball screw!). On the WM-3020, this force is taken in one direction by a flange-mount bearing, and the other by the bearings in the stepper motor. None of these interfaces are made rigidly, they are all slip-fit. Unless there is some preload applied (which there wasn't, and I think it would be hard to do) you will be able to shift the entire ball screw in and out without it rotating (ie. your axis will slide when it gets pushed towards the stepper motor).
I solved this issue using some thrust bearings and machined bearing mounts that take the load instead of the stepper motor's bearings.
For some reason the machine came with the GRBL setting "step idle delay" set to 25ms. As soon as an axis hasn't been moving for more than 25 milliseconds, it will turn off the stepper motor. I don't think this makes any sense for a CNC machine. For a lot of toolpaths, the Z height isn't changed for a long time. With this setting left at 25ms, your Z-axis stepper will turn off and upward or downward forces will cause your Z-axis to shift and you will loose those steps. This is a lot easier to happen with ballscrews than with lead screws, which have more sliding friction. You will also almost always lose whatever microstep position you were holding before it was turned off. I highly recommend disabling this feature!
I'm still discovering ways to improve the rigidty of the machine (for example the plate that holds the Z-axis stepper is a little thin, and flexes under loads in the Z-axis), but overall I'm extremely pleased with it. I am looking forward to an increased Z-axis height kit (If I don't make one myself first...). That would be very nice because as it is currently, as soon as you add some fixturing you run out of extra height to install your bits!
Hey, very good comment. Lots of good suggestions.
Thanks for pointing out the issues. Would you share the link to the thrust bearings and the STL of your bearing mount in case you machined it with the CNC?
Bearings of that 300W "spindle" are placed in rubber seatings. That's where the shutter comes from. If you don't want to mess up your bits, think about changing spindle or just remove rubber seating and put something made of metal instead.
Before I bought this machine I asked FA if they can sell me it without this f*cking "spindle" and they did not agree so... I also have it...
Very helpful comment, thanks!
Can you provide some details about your modifications? I'm also interest in information about interchange of the spindle, guide or so? Thank you again!
Beautiful Machine thanks for the video good job.
I like your video style a lot because you are going straight to the point. But provides still a lot of information around the topic.
Two additional topics as a dedicated video would also be very interesting:
1) Attachment methods:
o According to material: Aluminium/wood
o Scotch: I did not yet understood why there is no double sided scotch used. Instead this "special" green one is used!?
o Primer/Glue/Scotch method: I saw this method a lot but did not yet understood its main advantage.
o Turning the machining object for maching its sides. Correct referencing after unscrewing the machining object.
o Vises: Important aspects of them. There are cheap and expensive ones. What makes sense to invest for such a type of machine?
o Egalization/Parallization(?) of four machining object faces?
2) Mills / Cooling:
o Which coating/mill base material for which working material?
o When is cooling required? Which types are when recommended? (I saw your video "Sainsmart Genmitsu 3020 Pro Max" which already gives some details)
o Flute types: Single, dual, etc. When to use which?
o Material removal/Surface finish: Which mills are recommended for material removal and which are good for a smooth surface?
o Operating depth: What has to be considered if you want to create deep pockets? Say 30-40mm? Is it the mill cut depths only? Or more the Z-axis stability?
Maybe you do a video with a bit more complex (40x40x40mm and ) wood/aluminium/steel objects and go into the mentioned aspects above a bit more in detail?
Thanks a lot!
Great video - thanks :) Alu cutting performance seems hugely better than Genmitsu 3020 Pro Max
Great video! Very informative!
Can't wait to met mine tomorrow to mill aluminum
Nice video. I like the part where you make the PCB for the HY VFD. Can you tell me if these are available for sale? I just bought two of these machines and I have 65m 800w spindles with the HY VFD. I would like to control them with something like the board you created. Please let me know and if there is something available. Nice job, Marty
Did you ever add the more powerful motor
The y-axis linear rails and ball screw axis is exposed to dust and aluminium chips.
How much dust/chips is still going into the rails/ball screw axis with a dust shoe?
Which other means are recommended/required to avoid fast wear out of the rails/axis?
In your video of the "Sainsmart Genmitsu 3020 Pro Max" you added some DPC material at the bottom of the table bed as a dust shield...
Im gonna try and put a 2hp HF router on mine when it shows up in a few days. Grabbed a foxalien 3018 for 299 with everything
Foxalien bit.ly/3wBWIJD
Amazon amzn.to/3VrvO0R
Amazon UK amzn.to/3gE3bi7
WM3020 with 40W laser bundle bit.ly/wm3020-40w-laser
WM3020 with 20W laser bundle bit.ly/wm3020-20w-lazer
Note: The Foxalien website prices include tax & import duty.
Endmills for aluminium
Single flute DLC coated amzn.to/3px4fZW
Some of the links above are affiliate links. If you click on the link and buy something, you will not pay anything extra, but we might receive a small income, which is used to pay for future videos.
I have subscribed after watching this very interesting machine. I am not in a hurry to get a cnc machine but I await the upgrade vid for the VFD spindle with higher power.
I have been thinking about purchasing this machine. Will it handle aluminum well also if I upgrade the gantry to steel plates do you think that it would help with ridgity? I am thinking of different ways to upgrade this machine? Or if you know of any other cnc machines that are already built well enough to handle aluminum and stainless steel could you point me in the right direction? Thank you for all you time in the videos you make.
God damn and not a second too soon.
Definitely gonna have to get one of these, I can see this being my templates machine especially with a router upgrade.
What do you make?
@@FingerEverything I make fingerboard stuff! Specifically molds and templates for deck making!
@@Skate_RC Heeeey oh! I make fingerboard ramps and decks! Fancy that! Do you sell molds?
@@FingerEverything That's awesome man! Glad to see another fingerboarder here! And yes, I do sell molds, currently 3D printing them and I'm building a mill to be able to machine them out of aluminum this spring.
A great review - what was the grade of the first pieces of aluminium that you did the test cuts in please? 1050?
Yes 1050, which for the benefit of others is horrible to cut, soft and gummy, not a recommended grade of aluminium, but actually quite a good test. 6061T6 or 6082T6 are my recommended grades of aluminium for machining.
great video, i've been referencing it a lot. What post processor did you use out of fusion 360 for your wm3020? I'm having trouble with consistency from fusion tool path simulation to what the program looks like after posting
Thanks. grbl post. That is not something I have experienced!
Nice worki love that green color but what's the ral code?
I bought this machine, how do I learn to go from parts in CAD to Candle?
When you talk about 'optimal load', are you referring to the pitch at which the milling cutter advances?
In Fusion 360 it is the width of cut or step over associated with an adaptive toolpath. The adaptive toolpath does its best to present a constant load to the endmill.
Hi. What type of aluminum profile has this cnc? Thank you
Awesome review! Just ordered mine !! I was looking to get the 800w 65mm spindle but was wondering if you get any flex on the z axis or does the machine feel solid enough along with the nema 17 to handle the weight of the spindle?
It lifted a 1.5kW spindle fine, see the end of the video.
Great!! Are the nema 17 1.7A?
great cnc under 1k
Which would you recommend for aluminum and hardwood projects using either a dewalt/makita or 1.5kW spindle: WM-3020 or ProverXL 4030. Is this machine a lot more accurate compared to the 4030? Are the Nema 17 stepper motors of the WM-3020 a major limitation? Thanks!
I would recommend a VFD for sure, the stock spindle is not bad for what it is but really still a wee bit underpowered. I was planning on getting a 600W Teknomotor for mine but it is a bit of a challenge to get that mounted as it is a square style Spindle and the mounting bolts are on the back. That means it would need an adapter plate but then problem 2 is that it is 68 mm wide and the mounting holes on the Z plate are 70mm apart. In short I would most likely have to drill extra holes in the Z plate. I might still do it if the 1.5KW spindle I have on order turns out to be a bad buy but for now I will just use the 65mm optional spindle holder and that 1.5KW vfd driven spindle.
As for the steppers, they are Nema 17 so I also got a set of Nema 17 Closed Loop steppers and T42 drivers to go with it. Was planning on replacing the control board with something else anyways (interested in playing around with the ESP32 based GRBL forks and replacements like FluidNC etc). The base controler, while perfectly useable for most people, just didn't have the ... what's the word ... tinkering potential I want. I was in doubt about getting Nema 17 Servos like the iHSS42-24-07 but getting Servos set up correctly for my usecase (isolation milling PCBs and making faceplated and enclosures in POM etc.) would probably drive me insane (too many parameters to deal with on servos).
Nice looking machine. A bit small for my taste. It would be nice if it was expandable or if they offered a larger version.
I'm not FoxAlien but they advertised that it'll support a future extension kit. No information on how much it'll extend it by but I'm assuming it'll be at least comparable to a 3040 or bigger.
@@Skate_RC I just ordered a new cnc machine. It's a 4030, but I got a 6060 expansion kit too. Black Friday deal..
Where do you buy the endmills you use? Is it safe to buy the cheap no name ones?
amzn.to/3px4fZW
Hello. I also bought such a machine. How do you work on the machine if the spindle speed control does not work with G-code commands? I also do not adjust the slider.
Leave the spindle speed at maximum and then set your feedrate accordingly. The spindle has maximum torque at maximum speed, so there is no real advantage in changing it.
How does the sound compare to a genmitsu 3020 while milling aluminium ?
About the same generally . This one is much better at cutting ali though.
is this similar to the genmitsui 3030 prover max? this seems to be a better spec?
I don't know. I haven't looked at the 3030 prover max.
I’m having a hard time cutting aluminum. May I know where you get the air blower system? Could you please let me know? Thank you
EBay. They are commonly available.
The grade of aluminium makes a big difference. 6061 T6. Or 6082 T6. Cuts well. Also try a single flute endmill (for aluminium) and use the correct feed rate and speed. You can also use wd40 for lubrication.
How did you connect the air nozzle?
I cut an adapter plate in aluminium. There are some spare threaded holes on the mount
@techydiy Have you ever tried to produce circuit boards for smd assembly with this type of machine?
Yes, it easier in one way than through hole as you don't have to drill but there is a limitation on how small you can make the tracks/clearance.
@@techydiy Thank you for your feedback. Perhaps you could add this to your machine tests in the future. I think there are many out there who would like to use the milling machine for this purpose, especially since smd is also becoming more and more interesting for the hobby user.
Have you had a chance to upgrade the spindle on this?
I have a Makita router on it at the moment. No chance to make a video though.
can fusion 360 be used to model and send G code to this machine? Or do you have to write the G-code manually?
F360 can 3d model and generate the gcode. Another program is used to send the gcode to the machine.
Do you know why theres a y2 stepper motor port?
It is for machines that have two stepper motors on the y axis, one either side.
Is the promised video with the spindle upgrade still planned? Any ETA?
It will happen but in a couple of months.
@@techydiy wanna see that too :) and also some fusion tips for it
how long did it take to cut that angle bracket?
Not long enough to bother timing it
Does it have ability to cut and craving carbon fiber sheets of 1.5mm?
As long as you can deal with the dust
Does candle supports a possibility for a tool lengh sensor? To measure only a new tool after a swap in between a milling process
Candle doesn't specifically support it, but you can setup macro buttons . Grbl does support it. You would connect the tool setter to the probe input. UGS would be a better software option than candle. Its on my list of things to setup at some point.
@@techydiy ok thanks for the answer. Then i see if i can get ugs to work and got find a macro for it. Dunno why its not in candle. As a newbie i think it relatively important to have the possibility to do that.
Estlcam would be nice to have tho but i dont think the controller can do. Have to check that controller they using
It is a grbl based controller.
@@techydiy yea. im testing cncjs at the moment.
Is it more important to have more RPM's or more Power on a trmmer/ router such as the makita ones
High torque over a wide speed range is what I would look for.
@@techydiy is 530w 35000rpm good?
Hi, Do you have a link for the 65mm spindle mount? Thanks
bit.ly/foxalien65mmclamp
It is the same for several machines. Select 65mm.
@@techydiy Awesome thanks!
Hey. What pump and stuff you use as air blower?
I use an existing 100L shop compressor. If I was buying specifically for this I would get small “silent” compressor.
@@techydiy thx for the answer. I'll check whats the smallest i can find
Hi, please advise me, I only need to cut 3 mm copper sheet. What machine cheapest and suitable? CNC or laser cutter?
A laser would be very expensive. This cnc will cut copper sheet..
@@techydiy thank you.
Would this handle 12mm 7075 t6?
Yes
Oh people make like her
Looks like a great machine, but waaay too expensive!
why not cut fluid ? at least water
It doesn’t need it and it makes a mess
@@techydiy The classic cutting fluid for aluminium is WD-40 which you can apply using a spray-can and plastic tube nozzle. I don't know if it would make a difference when using TiN-coated cutting tools though. Maybe machining different grades of aluminium would benefit from using WD-40 but it's still going to make a bit of a mess regardless. I'm interested to see if it can cut steel given enough time and possibly mist coolant with carbide tooling. I've also got some brass parts I'd like to make, including some decorative 3D-relief brass plaques.
I'm going to order a WM-3020 very soon but there don't seem to be any Black Friday deals on this particular unit where I am (the United Kingdom). The UK Amazon store seems to be my best bet at 759 pounds UK inc. VAT, shipping etc. Thanks for the review, very helpful.
I use dlc coated bits for aluminium and they cut dry.
The manufacturer is Rennie Tools in Stockport ( www.rennietool.co.uk )
2 degree helix did not work at all on my machine had to change it to .5 degree
The endmill makes a huge difference
Using a 3 flute
hsmadvisor.com/ is good for feeds and speeds calculations.
Talked to fox alien max speeds is 1200mm/sec for all axis movement
To find the maximum feed rate and acceleration you have to test each axis until the stepper motors lose steps, then back off to about 80% of that value. 2000 mm/min was conservative on my machine.
Similar to the 3020 pro max I think
Only superficially. The 3020 pro max lacks linear rails on the Y and z axis. It also uses lead screws instead of ballscrews. It’s performance is quite inferior.
Isn’t it the same as Sainsmart’s?
No. It’s a much higher spec.
You could point the differences between this and the Genmitsu 3020-PRO MAX that justify the doble the price
The Foxalien has ballscrews and linear rails on all axes.
The Genmitsu has a single linear rail on the x axis and leadscrews all around.
so much money is put in this unit and yet still using a cheap brushed motor and can't afford to use a brushlessed one ?
this is the machine as it came from the store.