Vote to Buy a new CNC Plasma Machine

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Ron Olson

History

  • First Draft of Proposal: 1/16/2021
  • Mailing List Announcement:
  • Officially Proposed:
  • To be Voted on:

Background

PS1's existing CNC Plasma Cutter's control box completely shorted out due to coolant splashing into it, along with a massive short circuit that occurred due to improper wiring. Because of this, the controller (the electronics that drives the machine) need to be completely replaced. There are also a number of issues the machine had before this event occurred:

  • The limit switches are broken; these switches prevent the gantry from running off the end of the table
  • The table flexes. That seems odd given how big and heavy it is; the gantry can torque the table enough that it can produce lousy cuts, especially doing smaller cuts
  • The water table is warped and because of this larger pieces will not lay completely flat.

There have also been ongoing issues with the torch not finding the material and plunging into the water, or not properly detecting the material and driving into it. Every user of the machine has run into this issue at one time or another and troubleshooting is extremely difficult.

Member Expectations

The existing machine was built by members and it's to their great credit that the machine, as was initially delivered, worked at all. As it stands, the machine was always more difficult to use for a member who just wants to cut their parts and has minimal troubleshooting skills; PS1 members want to use the machine to cut their parts, not participate in a CNC science fair experiment.

Have a Particular Machine in Mind?

Wait, why this machine?

Why Should We Get This?

Language

We authorize the board to spend up to $$$$$ accessories.

References