Multimachine Concept

Introduction

While machining equipment is being scrapped today in industrial decay areas of the USA (such as Detroit), it is worthwhile to produce high-end CNC machining equipment that can produce advanced products (modern steam engines, hydraulic motors, etc.) on a small scale by reducing labor requirements to produce these items. High-end industrial CNC machines are expensive and typically not produced locally. Any community interested in providing lasting prosperity may want to invest in the production of advanced CNC equipment.

• Lathe, Mill, Drill capacity
• Surface grinder attachment
• Indexing head attachment - for gears
• Rotary table attachment for tapers
• Manual in first implementation, CNC in later versions
• Manual down pressure ram, for inner keyways
• Radial arm design
• Vertical and horizontal operation
• Open source dovetail design - tapered stock bolted to a block?
• 3 axis, heavy duty table, 4 feet long
• Weight - 2000 lb
• Open Source Stepper Motor Controllers in later versions
• 0.001 accuracy over length
• Precision acme drive for low cost
• Open Source Digital Readout (DRO) (eventually), retrofitted to microcontroller-compensation of backlash in CNC version
• Detachable hydraulic motor drive; will be able to make hydraulic motors with this Multimachine
• Highly self-replicating. All precision parts for the Multimachine, including hydraulic motors and precision drive, should be machinable on the Multimachine itself. Scrap steel should be melted and processed with rolling to produce the necessary steel (eventually)
• Cast concrete/weldment hybrid - untill press forge and induction furnace is available for forged or cast components

Prototype 1

• Cast base - solid mass - about 1000 lb for now
• Head and table add up to about 2000
• Start with heavy metal stock embedded in concrete base
• Start with attachable head, vertical mill, with ability to retrofit a rotating haed to accommodate lathing
• DIY dovetail design on xyz table
• Manual controls with precision acme
• Buy a DRO unit for accuracy
• Retrofittable to CNC in the future

Base V2

Base V3

Head V1 Cutaway

Collaboration

Other

Note: Design Rationale includes concept, general specifications, calculations, and fit in other product ecologies