Kumarappan Muthuraman

Falcon 3D · 2017 – 2020

High-speed XY gantry

A custom motion system for a spray pyrolysis machine

850 mm/s
X-axis travel speed
Role
Founder & CEO
Organization
Falcon 3D
Period
2017 – 2020
Tools and methods
  • SolidWorks
  • SolidWorks Visualize
  • Gantry and motion design
  • Stiffness optimization
  • CNC and laser cutting

A custom XY gantry for a spray pyrolysis machine, designed for speed and stiffness inside the tight envelope of an existing machine.

The brief

Fit a fast XY motion system inside the tight envelope of an existing spray pyrolysis machine.

What I built

I designed and built the gantry, optimizing the architecture for speed, stiffness and packaging.

Result

X-axis travel reached 850 mm/s, and the system met every process, alignment and repeatability requirement for production use.

CAD render of the XY gantry with linear rails and stepper motors
Fig. 1. CAD render of the XY gantry
The assembled XY gantry on the floor
Fig. 2. The built gantry
The gantry with its motors and carriage
Fig. 3. Motors and carriage
Gantry axis with a cable drag chain
Fig. 4. Cable routing in a drag chain
Power supply, stepper drivers, Arduino and touchscreen laid out on a table
Fig. 5. Control electronics
3D view of the Falcon XY gantry controller PCB
Fig. 6. The gantry controller PCB I designed, version 2.2
Second CAD render of the gantry
Fig. 7. CAD render, second view