[The_ShamWOW88]

Originally Posted by asid61

Nice! That robot looks pretty fly. I like how you've painted the 8020.
If you have the money, a 1/2" or 3/8" collet for your minimill would be useful. A whole set would be optimal. t will increase the rigidity fo your setups.
What motors are driving the elevator?

Driving the elevator up and down is one CIM through an AM Planetary gearbox (geared to 181.1:1). The Rack&Pinion is driven by a RS775.

Originally Posted by magnets

Looks like a great robot! I'm a big fan of the color scheme you guys have - it looks pretty professional. The rack and pinion grabber system is a neat solution too.

However, I really recommend that you don't ever use a drill chuck to hold an end mill as you're showing in the video. The drill chuck really isn't a collet or a tool holder, and isn't designed for side loads or gripping end mills. You'll get a poor surface finish, lots of chattering, reduced end mill life, and the risk of damaging the spindle, the chuck, or somebody.

I know this the hard way. A student used a drill chuck with an end mill to spotface a hole, figuring an endmill could be used as a drill bit in a drill chuck. The jaws of the chuck were insufficient to hold the end mill, the bit caught the part and bits of metal went flying across the room.

That's good to know. I'll bring this up with the team.