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$15,298
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The Buildbotics CNC controller controller achieves record breaking speeds on existing DIY hardware while setting a new bar for reliability. This controller's flexibility makes it easy to construct CNC mills, 3D printers and LASER cutters, opening the world of high performance benchtop-scale manufacturing to many new Makers.
While many Maker tools have advanced at a rapid pace, CNC builders have come to expect Open-Source CNC controllers to come as unassembled kits, often with exposed circuit boards. The Buildbotics controller is different. It is protected by a rugged aluminum box and comes with it’s own cables for connecting stepper motors and a wide array of cutting and extruding tools.
In CNC control applications, reliability is a huge concern. Yet, many inexpensive CNC controllers were designed with little or no attention to electrical safety. The Buildbotics controller protects the devices connected to it by galvanically isolating high voltages. The controller itself is protected from short-circuits, reverse voltage and current overloads. Thermal protection was also considered. Due to the careful selection of high-quality electronic components, the controller does not need a fan to cool itself, even while driving 6 amp motor loads. Going fanless not only eliminates noise but also avoids sucking in dust and debris.
The typical lack of electrical protection in previous Open-Source CNC controllers has earned them a poor reputation. For this reason, CNC builders often still rely on decades old stepper motor drivers which, although robust, lack modern features or even basic programmability. Such drivers are tethered to a dedicated desktop PC over a printer cable. Just finding a computer with a printer port is difficult these days and tuning a PC to produce stepper motor pulses which are both smooth and fast is a black art.
The Buildbotics controller, on the other hand, offers a modern Web interface accessible from a browser over a local network or WiFi. It’s dedicated hardware is able to achieve smooth step rates in excess of 250,000 per second, with no tuning. CNC programs, even gigabytes in size, can be uploaded to the controller and run without further support from the remote computer. Whole networks of Buildbotics controllers can be managed from a single laptop computer.
A whole slew of features are now available in one package, including:
Remote monitoring by USB web camera.
Tool head positioning via a USB gamepad.
Spindle speed control with PWM.
Full control of high-speed VFD spindle drivers over built-in RS485.
Heated 3D printer bed or coolant system control via two 15 amp switches.
Supporting software includes the impressive Open-Source CNC simulator, CAMotics. CAMotics displays 3D previews of the cut workpiece. After sending GCode directly to the controller, it shows continuously updated tool position and time estimates. Compatible software like FreeCAD, LibreCAD and Inkscape provide a completely Open-Source toolchain for designing, simulating and running CNC jobs.
Inclusion of a Raspberry Pi 3 running Linux and a 16GiB microSD card is particularly exciting. This platform has massive potential for integration with existing Open-Source software. For example, a high-speed pick-n-place machine with camera support could be quickly realized through integration with the OpenPnP project. Integrations with Octoprint and LaserWeb are also on the horizon.
We've already manufactured more than 20 Buildbotics CNC controllers (10 of the latest units). Now we want to make more. Our manufactures are ready. We are ready. Let's do this!
It’s true, the Buildbotics CNC controller has some hurdles to overcome before it is widely accepted in the Maker community. Many feel like they were burned by previous poorly tested Open-Source CNC controllers and cheap knockoffs. This controller has already been successfully tested in several CNC builds. Founders Joe and Doug Coffland built and filmed the construction of a Taig CNC mill, an OX CNC router, a K40 LASER upgrade and a Dyna Myte 2400 retrofit. So far, the results are impressive. They achieved a record breaking speed on the OX of 2,000 inches per minute shortly after the machine was assembled. They are releasing these films over the next few weeks on their Youtube channel.
Buildbotics LLC is a garaged based company located in Petaluma, CA. It’s founders Joe and Doug Coffland are related as Nephew and Uncle. They founded the company in 2014 and began work on the Buildbotics controller in 2015. Both have extensive engineering experience.
Doug earned a bachelor’s degree in Electronics Engineering from the University of Idaho, graduating cum laude in 1979. He recently retired from more than thirty years service at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory where he earned five patents and managed approximately 100 scientists, engineers, and technicians.
Joe earned a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from Boise State University in 2000. In 2002, he founded the software consulting company Cauldron Development LLC through which he has developed embedded systems under contract with companies such as Hewlett Packard, Wabtec and Ugobe. He has extensive experience with simulation systems having developed a hardware/software simulator for the University of Amsterdam, a cell simulator for the University of Notre Dame, the Open-Source CNC simulator CAMotics and acting as the lead developer for the Folding@home project for more than ten years.
For people familiar with the venerable Gecko 540 or the Smoothieboard, we've created a chart to illustrate why the Buildbotics controller is worthy of your consideration.
Here’s what you get with each reward level:
The base kit includes the Buildbotics controller, I/O breakout board and all the necessary custom cables. You will need to add a power supply, stepper motors and spindle or other tool head, and a machine of course.
The 12v kit includes a 12 volt 18.5 amp Meanwell power adapter. This high quality power supply plugs directly into the Buildbotics CNC controller and accepts standard 110v or 220v AC inputs. This kit is ideal for smaller NEMA 17 stepper motors commonly used to drive 3D printers and LASER cutters. You will need to connect it up to your machine's stepper motors, tool head and optional limit switches.
The 24v kit includes a 24 volt 11.67 amp Meanwell power adapter. Choose this option to drive the larger stepper motors usually used in CNC mills, plasma cutters and water jets.
This kit is a complete CNC milling setup which can cut wood, plastic, aluminum or steel. The Taig CNC mill is an awesome product produced by a reliable company that has been around for many years. Adding the Buildbotics controller modernizes this machine giving you a real benchtop milling power house. The kit comes with a Buildbotics controller, a 24v Meanwell power adapter, a Taig CNC mill with ballscrew upgrade, three NEMA 23 stepper motors, an SSR switch to turn the spindle on and off and all the necessary custom cables. Some minimal assembly is required.
The Taig CNC mill is one of our favorites. With very little effort, we were able to connect the stepper motors to the Buildbotics controller and get this machine up and running. Spindle control, limit switches and an EStop button can also be added with a little more work.
When we paired the Buildbotics controller with a large format OX CNC we were surprised by it’s speed. Simply by connecting up the motors and configuring them using the Buildbotics Web interface, we were able to reach speeds of 2,000 IPM (50,000 mm/min) and stop smoothly before hitting the other side.
The 6040 CNC is an greatly entry level machine available from many different resellers on EBay. These machines tend to come with poor quality control systems but when paired with a Buildbotics controller they perform as well as much more expensive machines.
This summer we restored a Dyna Myte 2400, a retro machine from the 80s, for the RobotGarden Makerspace. Check our video:
This 40W CO2 LASER is another great EBay deal but it comes with notoriously poor software. We connected the Buildbotics controller to the existing stepper motors, LASER driver and limit switches. We also added a safety switch on the door.
The Buildbotics controller is ideal for DIY CNC builders. It makes building CNCs a lot easier by simplifying the wiring and eliminating the need for custom electronics enclosures.
The Buildbotics controller contains four highly reliable stepper motor drivers with the following specs:
Up to 6A per channel
12v to 36v DC
Up to 128 microstepping
Smooth S-curve acceleration
At step rates in excess of 250k/sec per channel.
It is suitable for driving NEMA 17, NEMA 23 and some NEMA 34 motors. We currently only support 3-axis Cartesian machines but preliminary support for a 4th rotary axis is underway. The fourth driver can also be synchronized to drive a single axis with two motors.
The PWM, enable and direction outputs can be used to control a wide array of tool heads. The RS485 connection drives high-speed VFD controlled air and water cooled spindles over two wires.
Limit switches, Z-axis probing, PWM spindle control, RS-485 spindle control, and e-stop switches can be easily connected via a 25-pin I/O breakout board using simple screw terminals. This is not a parallel port.
We really like Meanwell power supplies because they are reliable and not too expensive. We especially like their power adapters which plug directly into the Buildbotics controller. Any power supply which outputs 12–36v DC, with at least 6A, can be easily connected with our custom power cable.
The Buildbotics controller kits come with pre-made cables for connecting stepper motors, power supplies and load switches. These cables really save time.
Inexpensive gamepads can be used for tool head positioning and navigating LCD menus. Plug into a USB port to jog the machine axes. Plug in a USB camera and keep an eye on your machines from a Web browser
Wired Ethernet provides reliable network communication even in noisy environments. USB WiFi dongles can also be used to put your machines on the network.
Two load switches, each capable of supplying up to 15A can power heated beds for 3D printers, extruders, vacuum tables or whatever else you can think of. For AC loads an inexpensive SSR switch can be used and relays can be used for higher amp DC loads.
Heat dissipation was carefully considered throughout the design. As a result, the fan-less aluminum enclosure dissipates heat without pulling in metal and wood shavings. Check out what hackster.io blogger, Jeremy Cook had to say.
Four screw holes allow the enclosure to be easily mounted on or near the machine.
We have put a lot of thought into making a robust device that not only protects its own internal electronics but also the devices connected to it. Here’s a list of some of the reliability features:
Over current protection
Over temperature shutdown
Under voltage lockout
Reverse voltage protection
Short-circuit protection
Electrical isolation
The Buildbotics CNC controller is production ready. In fact, we’ve already produced quite a few units. Here’s our plan:
As soon as Kickstarter releases the funds, we will order all the parts.
Then we will assemble and test each unit here in California.
Finally we will deliver the controllers with the help of an experienced shipping company.
After ordering, it takes 6 weeks to get all the components. Assembly, testing and packaging will take 2–3 weeks. Shipping should begin in early December. We’ll keep you updated throughout the process.
Welcome, software and hardware developers. You made it.
We’ve already implemented a lot of cool features but we have not even scratched the surface of what this controller could do. To make the Buildbotics controller a massive success we need to build an awesome developer community around it. That is why we’ve made everything Open-Source. Here’s what you can find on GitHub:
Firmware source code.
Hardware schematics and PCB layout.
Enclosure designs.
The buildbotics.com front-end, server code, image server and API.
Feel free to submit pull-requests or open new issues on any of these repositories. But please follow these best practices:
First search for preexisting issues.
Create a good title which clearly explains the issue at a glance.
With bug reports include: your setup, what you expected, what happened instead, any error output, screenshots if necessary.
There are many features you could help us add to the Buildbotics controller. Here are a few things we'd like to add to the controller's built-in RaspberryPi 3:
Installation and integration of LASER Web.
Installation and integration of Chillipeppr.
Direct support for 3D printing with OctoPrint.
Support for OpenPnP pick and place.
Built-in support for TPL.
See our issue tracker for more ideas and keep an eye on this section. We will be expanding it. If you have any questions please feel free to email joseph@buildbotics.com.
Risks and setbacks are possible in any project. We know because we’ve come through quite a few already to get to this point. Here are the risks we’ve identified and how we intend to mitigate them.
*** Kickstarter fails to fund ***
We’ve already heard from a lot of people who are really interested in the Buildbotics controller but let’s be realistic, building CNCs is not something just anyone does. Reaching potential backers and convincing them that this is a good idea is our current biggest challenge. We are doing everything we can but we need your help to get the word out. Reach out now and let other makers know. If we don’t fund, we will be sad but this project is 100% Open-Source so the Buildbotics controller will live on.
*** Manufacturing delays ***
We are relying on manufacturers to build our PCB boards, enclosure and custom cables. Fortunately, if any of them fails to deliver we have alternatives. We’ve ordered from each of our manufactures several times so we have a pretty good idea of their timing. That said, if something does go wrong you can rest assured that we will do everything in our power to resolve it ASAP.
*** Manufacturing errors ***
Faulty components can be disastrous, especially with large manufacturing runs. That’s why we are working to develop a bed-of-nails tester which we will send to our board manufacture. They will use this device to test each board for correct functionality before they ship them to us. Then, we will test the boards again before assembling them in to complete units. Finally, we will test the assembled units before packaging them for shipping. If you do somehow receive a bad unit we will do our best to remedy the problem in a timely manner.
*** Budget ***
Many Kickstarter campaigns fail to budget correctly. We have carefully poured over our budget to make sure we will have all the necessary funds for the parts, assembly, packaging, taxes and shipping to various destinations around the world.
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