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| Alpha Wolf CNC Plasma Gantry Kit |
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Overview
If you are looking for a top of the line CNC Plasma / Laser / Router Gantry kit that is a great "Value" for its price and surpasses the "Cheap" hobby
price point machines, that you can use to complete your own light Industrial CNC cutting system with some sweat equity to save some money, you
are in the right place! The Alpha Wolf CNC Plasma Gantry will be a supreme leader in its class & reign superior because of its simple, yet highly
effective design features, great value, excellent strength, durability, exceptional accuracy & precision plasma cutting capabilities! Many DIY people
and fabricators are capable of building a CNC machine, but it is not economically smart to do so totally from scratch, taking away from valuable
billable business hours as the time involved in order to understand all the important elements, eliminate the large amount of time it takes to
properly design, test and improve, as well as the trial and error associated in achieving a quality cutting table of this magnitude. It just does not
make sense. This is were our time already spent in these areas, can save you time and money but still allow you to achieve a "self built"
professional CNC table focusing your time on things that you are more productive at, which saves you time and money!
There is a large amount of information to read below, as well as a fairly long video to watch to show the features and capabilities of our system. I
greatly urge you to take the time to read it and watch the video thoroughly so you can see the value of our design and make an educated decision
of if our system is right for you! We would love to increase your productivity and quality of work with our machine! We are focused on making
excellent machines, not on selling you an inferior machine under a fancy cover and advertising.
Product Development
The WMF Alpha Wolf™ CNC Gantry is not a design that was made with only mass production, minimal components, proprietary software or
hardware and profits in mind. It was designed for use in my own shop with the end user (me) in mind, as well as cost, maintenance, adjustments,
adaptability, accuracy and many other things as well. I liked some features of some table setups, but was disappointed by the lack of other
features, durability, rigidity and unnecessary use of expensive linear guides (or lack of in proper places) used in many setups as well as
unreasonable prices for what they were offering only because they are a large company with fancy advertising. There are a handful of tables and
kits that are being sold by other companies, that i would be ashamed to sell and put my name on at many different price points (both low and
high!). Since building my own shops CNC table and posting pictures and videos on the internet, it has been cutting many thousands of pounds of
steel and aluminum over the past 2 years, and i have received quite a few inquiries from people about purchasing a table like mine, both locally
and by email. This is how this CNC Gantry product was born. Also, the design was evidentially better than those of another company already
building kits, as they coincidentally came out with another design that had a lot of similarities to some of our design, but has fallen short of a
complete package that properly captures every important design feature.
In the R&D of this table and gantry there have been countless hours critiquing other designs, improving over our very first self-built table, and
choosing only the best and proper methods for this type of table in and above its price point. As of right now, i am not building full turnkey tables
(maybe in the future) but putting all of the time of engineering and designing an exceptional complete CNC gantry into the hands of fabricators and
DIYers that are capable of fabricating their own tubing table structure, hooking up some wires, and configuring the software, so that I can focus on
building the important part of the machine while letting the end user save large amounts of cost on the machine and freight by building the table
structure and finishing it up themselves. By doing this, you can end up with a much better machine than just buying one outright, or buying a kit
made of extruded aluminum that looks like it was built using tinker toys instead of a much heavier duty industrial type unit, and it is an enjoyable
process to be able to say that you took part in building your own CNC table!
Comparison to Brand "X" and others
Less than half the price of a similar Industrial steel gantry kit in complete form, recommended motors are more than 2x as powerful. Resolution,
speeds, cutting capabilities, performance and features are equal to or better than extremely expensive Industrial machines and much better than
other lower cost budget "hobby" options. Superior design improvements in important areas with cost kept in mind. Z axis always Included! Belt
reduction drives are standard! When shopping around, if you find a "cheap" machine, ask yourself why is it so cheap, were there corners cut,
whats missing, etc? On the other end of the spectrum, if you find another machine that seems similar, but is way overpriced, find out what you are
gaining, if anything, for all that added cost over our "Alpha Wolf" Gantry system. Our system captures the ideal middle of the road option and the
only corners that we cut to save cost are by having the low overhead costs of our small business and our limited low cost advertising. We are
relying mainly on Google, YouTube, Forums, Our Customers and our machine itself demonstrating its value and performance to provide us with
business. If you are interested in taking pictures and videos and showing your build thoroughly on a CNC forum for your own satisfaction, we will
compensate you for your efforts and assistance shedding light on our product. Contact us for details with your forum link.
Design Features and Value
The design of the gantry allows adjustability and adaptability to the end users desires. The width can be easily widened without a loss in strength
or rigidity as well as the length being limited only by your shop space and how large of a table you are willing to build. You may not see as much
value if only comparing the price with other small "Cheap" tables like 4ft x 4ft, etc., but when you start thinking 5ft x 12ft or larger, have had to
rebuild or had countless problems with your "Cheap" table, it is a no brainer. This table was not designed to compete with the "Cheap" units that
are available, and i have no desire to do so. If you want the cheapest table available, look elsewhere, and then if you decide your "Cheap" table
wasn't a very good "Value", sell it and take a look at ours. It was designed to be a better "Value" than the cheap tables and a much lower cost
option than $xxx,xxx Commercial and Industrial tables filling the gap in the market. All working parts, switches, etc. are designed into the Gantry
itself, so all the wiring is flowing together and table expansion and wiring is easy and tidy. This also prevents a spider web of wires traveling to all
corners of the table which looks unprofessional and is asking for a problem. You can also start smaller and if you decide to go larger in the future,
it can easily be changed, and for a relatively low cost. It is setup to accept Nema 34 motors on the X and Y axis and a Nema 23 motor on the Z
axis, but any motor combination can be used, using adapter plates that work with the design to allow either size to be used on any axis.
X & Y Axis Design Features
The Alpha Wolf Gantry design incorporates several features to make it excel above many other tables and kits in accuracy both while new and to
eliminate problems associated with wear from many years of use. It has belt reduction drives standard as well as oversized proper spring
tensioned pinion gears which allow a higher tooth contact patch and insure full engagement with proper tension against the rack to minimize wear
and eliminate backlash and slop from improper adjustment or lack of maintenance on other designs. The pressure angle and pitch of rack that is
used has a wider profile and strength than others as well. Because of these features, it does not need constant adjustment from wear. It is
designed to give many years of service with minimal or no adjustments from wear while continually providing accurate parts.
The Gantry axis linear rail is a V bearing type that is self-clearing for dirty environments and also is adjustable via eccentric bushings to easily
achieve proper bearing tightness. The outer gantry linear rails (table mounted) are designed using 1/2" x 3" Cold Rolled steel that can be
purchased locally in whatever lengths you require, for a much lower cost than linear rails, and they serve their purpose very well. The end
carriages use double stacked bearings on every point of contact to increase strength and rigidity as well as prolonging the life of the bearings.
This means the Gantry's weight is rolling on a total of 8 bearings and is held in alignment by a total of 16 bearings which are also adjustable by
means of eccentric adjusters, allowing easy fine-tuned adjustment. In order to further assist in the ease of adjustment and cleaning, the main
bearing carriages pinion gear drives can be easily disengaged and locked via quick release pins to allow zero resistance while adjusting bearings
or to move the gantry easily while not powered up. There are also 2 bearings per side that ride on the bottom side of the rail to insure that the
gantry stays tight to the rails. These are easily slid into and out of position for installing and removal of the Gantry.
Z Axis Design Features
The Z axis rides on recirculating ball bearing guides and is driven by a recirculating ball bearing screw mounted with double opposing bearings as
well as a lower support alignment bearing. The z axis is very small compared to the X and Y axis, so using these components does not greatly
increase the cost and it gives greater rigidity and accuracy. The Z axis has a clearance of 6 3/8" and allows over 6" of travel This allows cutting on
flat sheet as well as the sides of tubing, or clearance to add a rotary chuck attachment (such as our RTC1 Rotary Chuck) to cut tubing while it is
rotating.
With all of the features listed above, belt drives, enclosed motor mounts and bearing carriages with double stacked bearings, spring tensioned
gear engagement, oversized z axis guides and drive in the compact housing, as well as the oversized gantry tube giving it outstanding strength,
rigidity and being made entirely of steel without even lightening the rear of the main tube with cutouts, we were still able to keep the weight of a 4ft
wide table gantry without motors, torch and cables to UNDER 115 lbs as well as a 10ft wide Gantry still coming in under 200lbs!!! That is
exceptional for a table of this caliber which still allows you to use the smaller Nema 23 motors on the shorter Gantry (like CandCNCs bladerunner
for example) to save cost on the electronics if desired, but paired with the stronger Nema 34s (like CandCNCs Plazpak) it gives absolutely
exceptional performance and the option of a quite large CNC table at a very affordable price!!
Accuracy
When used with common 10x microstepping drives the X & Y axis motors provide a positional accuracy of .0006" and the Z axis provides .0001".
This is more than sufficient for most any fabrication application from Plasma, Laser, engraving, routing, etc. For comparison, a standard sheet of
printer paper is approx .004" thick. For an example of the accuracy and quality of parts that can be made with our setup, We are actually using
one of our CNC tables to manufacture itself! And it is doing a wonderful job of it! See our other pictures and videos for other examples. (1" square
cut from 1/2" steel on a 2 yr old table held .001" and better!)
Speeds
Rapid Speed of our shop table is set to 850 IPM (Inches Per Minute) with 75 IPS (Inches Per Second) Acceleration (been wonderfully reliable for
the past 2 years) but could be even faster yet, if desired. It can be fine tuned to YOUR requirements. Cutting speed for many applications are in
the range of 100 - 200 IPM, but can vary greatly as it depends on the size of your Plasma cutting power source and thickness of material. In our
video, there is an example of cutting 16ga @ 500 IPM with a standard shop air 60amp Hypertherm Hand Torch.
Table Size and Capacity
Table size is totally your option. Width can be whatever you require, for example, 4ft, 5ft, 8ft or up to 11ft wide cutting area with a standard rail and
also staying in the recommended Gantry weights of CandCNCs PlazPak for a 200lb Gantry. Although, it can be even wider if necessary, inquire if
needed.
Length can be 4ft, 8ft, 10ft, or even 100ft long if needed by joining multiple rails and does not effect the electronics needed to maintain the same
performance.
Cutting thickness capacity is determined by your choice of Plasma cutter. Weight capacity is determined by the table structure you build. If you
can build a welding table, use a level and measure to insure squareness, you can build the table to support the material and Gantry for your CNC
machine and save a large amount of cost in both the machine and freight by ordering the steel and building it on site.
Purchasing Options and Pricing
See the drop down boxes at the top of this page to purchase.
All kits include all the same parts, but are offered at different levels of completion. If you are not comfortable getting everything aligned, squared,
parallel, etc. we recommend you purchase a complete gantry that will only require minimal adjusting when installing on the table.
All Gantry widths allow several inches over the listed width for offsetting of a 2nd tool (scribe, etc.) and to insure the ability to cut slightly over width
sheets. (as supplied by steel mill). All kits are ready for Nema 34 Stepper motors on the X & Y Axis (under 4 1/2" long for table dual drive axis) and
a Nema 23 Stepper motor on the Z Axis (other mounting adapters available separately)
Complete Alpha Wolf Gantry - Assembled (Easiest for you)
Painted, Assembled and Adjusted ready to set on the table with only minor adjustments
Wood Crating, Freight and Insurance - Contact us for an more accurate quote or arrange local pickup
Complete Alpha Wolf Gantry - Unassembled (Recommended Best Value!)
Unpainted welded X, Y and Z assemblies ship partly assembled with required hardware. Gantry linear rail may be dropshipped. Main tube
(trimmed and drilled) and table gear rack ship together. All items ship via UPS in multiple packages. Requires main parts to be painted,
assembled and adjusted while setting on the table. Does require common fabrication knowledge for properly finishing and aligning.
Can also save approx $750-$1000 of freight cost!
Alpha Wolf Gantry Kit - Bare Bones Parts ONLY! (Lowest Cost - Most work for you)
Still includes all of the same parts, however, some drilling and trimming may be needed, parts are not trial fitted, not welded, not assembled, not
aligned or adjusted - Lowest Possible Cost - Requires competent, skilled DIY fabricator! If you are not a DIY person, this is not for you.
Currently limited instructions, but pictures and simple videos are available. As time allows, we are working on improving instructions.
If you have doubts, please contact us first and make sure you are capable and confident to ensure successful completion! No returns!
Table Drive Kit
Includes gear rack for both sides, VHB tape for securing (optional) and cable carrier .
Needed to complete the table, select your desired cutting/travel length.
---If you are unsure which package to choose, Contact Us to discuss which package is right for you!---
Current pricing is introductory pricing and is subject to change from supply and demand, increased production, options, etc. Initial available
quantities will be limited and orders placed exceeding our available in stock units will be put on the waiting list in line with their order date.
Projected lead time of units not in stock is estimated at 4-6 weeks depending on work load and demand. If you want to be notified of any available
specials and sales in the future on overstock, etc. send us your email and information.
We do not do financing, but will put you on the list for one of our Kits with your name on it with a down payment of $750, and ship when the
remaining balance is paid. If the price of a complete and ready to go unit is out of your budget, contact us to discuss our Bare Bones Kit and doing
all the welding/assembly yourself (requires a skilled competent fabricator).
Alpha Wolf CNC Gantry Kit Contents
A kit, either complete or unassembled will include all necessary parts and hardware for an operational CNC Gantry as pictured and described
except items listed under "NOT Included".
Included
NOT Included
See CandCNC for..
Shipping/Freight
Shipping on all options except for Complete Assembled Gantry ship in the US for $200 via UPS (includes table drive kit).
Inquire about Freight costs for the Complete Assembled Gantry for an accurate quote, or arrange pickup.
Other Approximate Costs Involved in the CNC table
Save large amounts of money and end up with a superior machine by using your own sweat equity, time and knowledge to build a CNC table
comparable with $25,000-$75,000+ units (depending on size) and the satisfaction of saying you put it together! Cutting at rates of $50-$100 hr (or
more depending on your business), table cost can be reclaimed in as little as the first 100 - 200 hrs of cutting! After that, it turns to profit and you
also gain the ease and speed of being able to quickly cut parts out that you or your customers need. No more paying another shop and waiting for
them to cut your parts or carving them slowly and painfully with standard hand tools.
Future Additions and Options
In order to get the Gantry Kits out and available as soon as possible, all options are NOT available yet. Future options will hopefully include...
Torch Mounts
Inquire about options, availability or other sizes needed. We are a small business and appreciate your business greatly, and if there is something
that you need or want made slightly different, contact us, and we will do the best we can to satisfy your needs, or point you in the right direction,
with a smile on our face.
Electronics and Software
In order to keep costs low for the end user, we do not supply or support the electronics or software (the manufacture can do much better), but we
can supply you with the information needed to input into the software to setup the machine (it will be included in the Basic Instruction and
Information Manual). See the Software and Electronics manufacturers to purchase and for support in those areas. CandCNC has nice,
reasonably priced, complete electronics package options you may want to look at. A similar package to our current setup and our recommendation
would be the PlazPak1A or 1B if adding a Rotary Axis, although if you do not need as much speed and acceleration as we have, you may take a
look at the Nema 23 Bladerunner setups it will also make for a great table.
Our shop table setup uses Nema 34 960 oz/in motors on the X and Y and is setup for 850 Inches per Minute max rapids and 75 Inches per Second
Acceleration and a Nema 23 380 oz/in motor on the Z axis setup for 150 Inches per Minute max rapid and 25 Inches per Second Acceleration, it is
set well below its max limits and configured to our preference. We do alot of cutting between 100 and 200 IPM but it can be faster or slower
depending on material thickness, plasma cutter amperage and quality desired. The gantry is under 115lbs without motors, cables and torch.
Because of this, its low rolling resistance and dual motors on the main axis, cutting thin material quickly, moving fast and changing direction with
unnoticeable deceleration in the corners is easily achievable.
Our recommendation for software for CNC Plasma or similar is Sheetcam and Mach3 / Mach4 with your choice of CAD program. These are being
used quite widely and openly, are low cost (or free!) and do a great job for what they were intended for with the option to customize them to your
needs. You will need CAD - Autocad, Draftsight, etc - (drawing), CAM - Sheetcam, etc. - (nesting, selecting cutting speeds, lead ins and outs, etc)
and a Machine Controller - Mach 3 / Mach 4, etc. and other programs you may choose for artistic designing such as Corel Draw, Inkscape, etc.
You can see YouTube for tutorials on most of these programs and others that are available, and we may add some in the future, if time permits.
Need Parts Cut?
If you need parts cut for your table build, or for any project and don't have a table yet, email us for a quote. Pricing is most efficient with a CAD
drawing supplied, and for medium quantities, or repeated purchases and are not time sensitive. (so we can fit them in with our other cutting) But
we can go off of a pencil drawing with dimensions and supply parts quickly if necessary. Also smaller to medium sized parts that can be shipped
Flat Rate, or other cost effective method, work best unless you can pick them up to avoid costly freight charges.
Full Tables/Business Opportunity
Currently because of our workload, time constraints and shipping hassle, we are not building and selling complete ready to go tables at this time.
After you have purchased one of our Gantry Kits, put it together and get it running, you may realize how easy it is to finish a complete table. If you
see the value of our Gantry Kit and that it makes a great table that performs very well and generates a lot of interest with a price point well below
other Commercial and Industrial models, you may be interested in using our gantries to build more complete turnkey tables to sell. This is a great
idea, and definitely leaves a lot of value for the work you will do. If you do choose to do this, let us know and i will put you on the list with your
location and if we have someone inquire about a ready to go table in your area, or they need troubleshooting help for their machine, I will put them
into contact with you. This is not for everybody, but for the capable parties it is a great opportunity for more business avenues. If doing this, we
also would love to see your pictures and videos of your completed and operating setups so the customers can see your finished products.
If any information on this page conflicts our main purchasing page, the main purchasing page takes priority as it is updated more frequently.
If you are looking for a top of the line CNC Plasma / Laser / Router Gantry kit that is a great "Value" for its price and surpasses the "Cheap" hobby
price point machines, that you can use to complete your own light Industrial CNC cutting system with some sweat equity to save some money, you
are in the right place! The Alpha Wolf CNC Plasma Gantry will be a supreme leader in its class & reign superior because of its simple, yet highly
effective design features, great value, excellent strength, durability, exceptional accuracy & precision plasma cutting capabilities! Many DIY people
and fabricators are capable of building a CNC machine, but it is not economically smart to do so totally from scratch, taking away from valuable
billable business hours as the time involved in order to understand all the important elements, eliminate the large amount of time it takes to
properly design, test and improve, as well as the trial and error associated in achieving a quality cutting table of this magnitude. It just does not
make sense. This is were our time already spent in these areas, can save you time and money but still allow you to achieve a "self built"
professional CNC table focusing your time on things that you are more productive at, which saves you time and money!
There is a large amount of information to read below, as well as a fairly long video to watch to show the features and capabilities of our system. I
greatly urge you to take the time to read it and watch the video thoroughly so you can see the value of our design and make an educated decision
of if our system is right for you! We would love to increase your productivity and quality of work with our machine! We are focused on making
excellent machines, not on selling you an inferior machine under a fancy cover and advertising.
Product Development
The WMF Alpha Wolf™ CNC Gantry is not a design that was made with only mass production, minimal components, proprietary software or
hardware and profits in mind. It was designed for use in my own shop with the end user (me) in mind, as well as cost, maintenance, adjustments,
adaptability, accuracy and many other things as well. I liked some features of some table setups, but was disappointed by the lack of other
features, durability, rigidity and unnecessary use of expensive linear guides (or lack of in proper places) used in many setups as well as
unreasonable prices for what they were offering only because they are a large company with fancy advertising. There are a handful of tables and
kits that are being sold by other companies, that i would be ashamed to sell and put my name on at many different price points (both low and
high!). Since building my own shops CNC table and posting pictures and videos on the internet, it has been cutting many thousands of pounds of
steel and aluminum over the past 2 years, and i have received quite a few inquiries from people about purchasing a table like mine, both locally
and by email. This is how this CNC Gantry product was born. Also, the design was evidentially better than those of another company already
building kits, as they coincidentally came out with another design that had a lot of similarities to some of our design, but has fallen short of a
complete package that properly captures every important design feature.
In the R&D of this table and gantry there have been countless hours critiquing other designs, improving over our very first self-built table, and
choosing only the best and proper methods for this type of table in and above its price point. As of right now, i am not building full turnkey tables
(maybe in the future) but putting all of the time of engineering and designing an exceptional complete CNC gantry into the hands of fabricators and
DIYers that are capable of fabricating their own tubing table structure, hooking up some wires, and configuring the software, so that I can focus on
building the important part of the machine while letting the end user save large amounts of cost on the machine and freight by building the table
structure and finishing it up themselves. By doing this, you can end up with a much better machine than just buying one outright, or buying a kit
made of extruded aluminum that looks like it was built using tinker toys instead of a much heavier duty industrial type unit, and it is an enjoyable
process to be able to say that you took part in building your own CNC table!
Comparison to Brand "X" and others
Less than half the price of a similar Industrial steel gantry kit in complete form, recommended motors are more than 2x as powerful. Resolution,
speeds, cutting capabilities, performance and features are equal to or better than extremely expensive Industrial machines and much better than
other lower cost budget "hobby" options. Superior design improvements in important areas with cost kept in mind. Z axis always Included! Belt
reduction drives are standard! When shopping around, if you find a "cheap" machine, ask yourself why is it so cheap, were there corners cut,
whats missing, etc? On the other end of the spectrum, if you find another machine that seems similar, but is way overpriced, find out what you are
gaining, if anything, for all that added cost over our "Alpha Wolf" Gantry system. Our system captures the ideal middle of the road option and the
only corners that we cut to save cost are by having the low overhead costs of our small business and our limited low cost advertising. We are
relying mainly on Google, YouTube, Forums, Our Customers and our machine itself demonstrating its value and performance to provide us with
business. If you are interested in taking pictures and videos and showing your build thoroughly on a CNC forum for your own satisfaction, we will
compensate you for your efforts and assistance shedding light on our product. Contact us for details with your forum link.
Design Features and Value
The design of the gantry allows adjustability and adaptability to the end users desires. The width can be easily widened without a loss in strength
or rigidity as well as the length being limited only by your shop space and how large of a table you are willing to build. You may not see as much
value if only comparing the price with other small "Cheap" tables like 4ft x 4ft, etc., but when you start thinking 5ft x 12ft or larger, have had to
rebuild or had countless problems with your "Cheap" table, it is a no brainer. This table was not designed to compete with the "Cheap" units that
are available, and i have no desire to do so. If you want the cheapest table available, look elsewhere, and then if you decide your "Cheap" table
wasn't a very good "Value", sell it and take a look at ours. It was designed to be a better "Value" than the cheap tables and a much lower cost
option than $xxx,xxx Commercial and Industrial tables filling the gap in the market. All working parts, switches, etc. are designed into the Gantry
itself, so all the wiring is flowing together and table expansion and wiring is easy and tidy. This also prevents a spider web of wires traveling to all
corners of the table which looks unprofessional and is asking for a problem. You can also start smaller and if you decide to go larger in the future,
it can easily be changed, and for a relatively low cost. It is setup to accept Nema 34 motors on the X and Y axis and a Nema 23 motor on the Z
axis, but any motor combination can be used, using adapter plates that work with the design to allow either size to be used on any axis.
X & Y Axis Design Features
The Alpha Wolf Gantry design incorporates several features to make it excel above many other tables and kits in accuracy both while new and to
eliminate problems associated with wear from many years of use. It has belt reduction drives standard as well as oversized proper spring
tensioned pinion gears which allow a higher tooth contact patch and insure full engagement with proper tension against the rack to minimize wear
and eliminate backlash and slop from improper adjustment or lack of maintenance on other designs. The pressure angle and pitch of rack that is
used has a wider profile and strength than others as well. Because of these features, it does not need constant adjustment from wear. It is
designed to give many years of service with minimal or no adjustments from wear while continually providing accurate parts.
The Gantry axis linear rail is a V bearing type that is self-clearing for dirty environments and also is adjustable via eccentric bushings to easily
achieve proper bearing tightness. The outer gantry linear rails (table mounted) are designed using 1/2" x 3" Cold Rolled steel that can be
purchased locally in whatever lengths you require, for a much lower cost than linear rails, and they serve their purpose very well. The end
carriages use double stacked bearings on every point of contact to increase strength and rigidity as well as prolonging the life of the bearings.
This means the Gantry's weight is rolling on a total of 8 bearings and is held in alignment by a total of 16 bearings which are also adjustable by
means of eccentric adjusters, allowing easy fine-tuned adjustment. In order to further assist in the ease of adjustment and cleaning, the main
bearing carriages pinion gear drives can be easily disengaged and locked via quick release pins to allow zero resistance while adjusting bearings
or to move the gantry easily while not powered up. There are also 2 bearings per side that ride on the bottom side of the rail to insure that the
gantry stays tight to the rails. These are easily slid into and out of position for installing and removal of the Gantry.
Z Axis Design Features
The Z axis rides on recirculating ball bearing guides and is driven by a recirculating ball bearing screw mounted with double opposing bearings as
well as a lower support alignment bearing. The z axis is very small compared to the X and Y axis, so using these components does not greatly
increase the cost and it gives greater rigidity and accuracy. The Z axis has a clearance of 6 3/8" and allows over 6" of travel This allows cutting on
flat sheet as well as the sides of tubing, or clearance to add a rotary chuck attachment (such as our RTC1 Rotary Chuck) to cut tubing while it is
rotating.
With all of the features listed above, belt drives, enclosed motor mounts and bearing carriages with double stacked bearings, spring tensioned
gear engagement, oversized z axis guides and drive in the compact housing, as well as the oversized gantry tube giving it outstanding strength,
rigidity and being made entirely of steel without even lightening the rear of the main tube with cutouts, we were still able to keep the weight of a 4ft
wide table gantry without motors, torch and cables to UNDER 115 lbs as well as a 10ft wide Gantry still coming in under 200lbs!!! That is
exceptional for a table of this caliber which still allows you to use the smaller Nema 23 motors on the shorter Gantry (like CandCNCs bladerunner
for example) to save cost on the electronics if desired, but paired with the stronger Nema 34s (like CandCNCs Plazpak) it gives absolutely
exceptional performance and the option of a quite large CNC table at a very affordable price!!
Accuracy
When used with common 10x microstepping drives the X & Y axis motors provide a positional accuracy of .0006" and the Z axis provides .0001".
This is more than sufficient for most any fabrication application from Plasma, Laser, engraving, routing, etc. For comparison, a standard sheet of
printer paper is approx .004" thick. For an example of the accuracy and quality of parts that can be made with our setup, We are actually using
one of our CNC tables to manufacture itself! And it is doing a wonderful job of it! See our other pictures and videos for other examples. (1" square
cut from 1/2" steel on a 2 yr old table held .001" and better!)
Speeds
Rapid Speed of our shop table is set to 850 IPM (Inches Per Minute) with 75 IPS (Inches Per Second) Acceleration (been wonderfully reliable for
the past 2 years) but could be even faster yet, if desired. It can be fine tuned to YOUR requirements. Cutting speed for many applications are in
the range of 100 - 200 IPM, but can vary greatly as it depends on the size of your Plasma cutting power source and thickness of material. In our
video, there is an example of cutting 16ga @ 500 IPM with a standard shop air 60amp Hypertherm Hand Torch.
Table Size and Capacity
Table size is totally your option. Width can be whatever you require, for example, 4ft, 5ft, 8ft or up to 11ft wide cutting area with a standard rail and
also staying in the recommended Gantry weights of CandCNCs PlazPak for a 200lb Gantry. Although, it can be even wider if necessary, inquire if
needed.
Length can be 4ft, 8ft, 10ft, or even 100ft long if needed by joining multiple rails and does not effect the electronics needed to maintain the same
performance.
Cutting thickness capacity is determined by your choice of Plasma cutter. Weight capacity is determined by the table structure you build. If you
can build a welding table, use a level and measure to insure squareness, you can build the table to support the material and Gantry for your CNC
machine and save a large amount of cost in both the machine and freight by ordering the steel and building it on site.
Purchasing Options and Pricing
See the drop down boxes at the top of this page to purchase.
All kits include all the same parts, but are offered at different levels of completion. If you are not comfortable getting everything aligned, squared,
parallel, etc. we recommend you purchase a complete gantry that will only require minimal adjusting when installing on the table.
All Gantry widths allow several inches over the listed width for offsetting of a 2nd tool (scribe, etc.) and to insure the ability to cut slightly over width
sheets. (as supplied by steel mill). All kits are ready for Nema 34 Stepper motors on the X & Y Axis (under 4 1/2" long for table dual drive axis) and
a Nema 23 Stepper motor on the Z Axis (other mounting adapters available separately)
Complete Alpha Wolf Gantry - Assembled (Easiest for you)
Painted, Assembled and Adjusted ready to set on the table with only minor adjustments
Wood Crating, Freight and Insurance - Contact us for an more accurate quote or arrange local pickup
Complete Alpha Wolf Gantry - Unassembled (Recommended Best Value!)
Unpainted welded X, Y and Z assemblies ship partly assembled with required hardware. Gantry linear rail may be dropshipped. Main tube
(trimmed and drilled) and table gear rack ship together. All items ship via UPS in multiple packages. Requires main parts to be painted,
assembled and adjusted while setting on the table. Does require common fabrication knowledge for properly finishing and aligning.
Can also save approx $750-$1000 of freight cost!
Alpha Wolf Gantry Kit - Bare Bones Parts ONLY! (Lowest Cost - Most work for you)
Still includes all of the same parts, however, some drilling and trimming may be needed, parts are not trial fitted, not welded, not assembled, not
aligned or adjusted - Lowest Possible Cost - Requires competent, skilled DIY fabricator! If you are not a DIY person, this is not for you.
Currently limited instructions, but pictures and simple videos are available. As time allows, we are working on improving instructions.
If you have doubts, please contact us first and make sure you are capable and confident to ensure successful completion! No returns!
Table Drive Kit
Includes gear rack for both sides, VHB tape for securing (optional) and cable carrier .
Needed to complete the table, select your desired cutting/travel length.
---If you are unsure which package to choose, Contact Us to discuss which package is right for you!---
Current pricing is introductory pricing and is subject to change from supply and demand, increased production, options, etc. Initial available
quantities will be limited and orders placed exceeding our available in stock units will be put on the waiting list in line with their order date.
Projected lead time of units not in stock is estimated at 4-6 weeks depending on work load and demand. If you want to be notified of any available
specials and sales in the future on overstock, etc. send us your email and information.
We do not do financing, but will put you on the list for one of our Kits with your name on it with a down payment of $750, and ship when the
remaining balance is paid. If the price of a complete and ready to go unit is out of your budget, contact us to discuss our Bare Bones Kit and doing
all the welding/assembly yourself (requires a skilled competent fabricator).
Alpha Wolf CNC Gantry Kit Contents
A kit, either complete or unassembled will include all necessary parts and hardware for an operational CNC Gantry as pictured and described
except items listed under "NOT Included".
Included
- Gantry Assembly
- X Axis Drive and Guides
- Y Axis Drive and Guides
- Z Axis Assembly
- Cable Carrier (1" x 2" ID standard) and tray for Gantry Axis
- Cable Carrier (1" x 2" ID standard) and Gear Rack x2, for dual side drive Table Long Axis (specify table travel desired)
- Heavy Duty plunger style home/limit switches for all Axes except Z (use material and floating head switch or ohmic touch sensor)
- Belt Drives, Spur Gears, Bearings, Eccentric Adjusters, Motor Mounts, Spring loaded gear engagement adjusters, Set screws for fine tuning
gantry alignment, Belt covers for outside belt drives for safety, Quick release pins, and all required hardware. - Basic Assembly Instructions and Access to Simple YouTube Videos showing how parts of the table are designed and to aid in table
manufacturing and assembly.
NOT Included
- Table Structure
- Cutting Slats
- 1/2" x 3" Cold Rolled Rails for long axis (acquire from local steel supplier)
- Plasma Cutter
- Torch Mount
- Air Scribe Kit (optional)
- Extensive Instructions
See CandCNC for..
- Electronics
- Motors
- Wiring
- Connectors
- Computer
- Software
- Software Support
Shipping/Freight
Shipping on all options except for Complete Assembled Gantry ship in the US for $200 via UPS (includes table drive kit).
Inquire about Freight costs for the Complete Assembled Gantry for an accurate quote, or arrange pickup.
Other Approximate Costs Involved in the CNC table
- Software - $350 +/-
- Computer - $300 +/- (nothing fancy needed, see Mach 3 requirements or purchase from CandCNC)
- Electronics - $2000-$4000 prebuilt CandCNC package (see their website)
- Plasma Cutter - $1000 up to whatever is in your budget for a standard shop air unit or High Definition Commercial unit. Many brands will
work well, but we recommend Hypertherm. (see CandCNC connection kits) - Approx. cost of steel frame and rails for a 4ft x 8ft open table - $500-$600 +/- depending on location (enclosed or water tray, additional)
- (2x3, 1x2, 10 gauge cutting slats or your preference, 1/2" x 3" Cold Rolled rails and misc.)
Save large amounts of money and end up with a superior machine by using your own sweat equity, time and knowledge to build a CNC table
comparable with $25,000-$75,000+ units (depending on size) and the satisfaction of saying you put it together! Cutting at rates of $50-$100 hr (or
more depending on your business), table cost can be reclaimed in as little as the first 100 - 200 hrs of cutting! After that, it turns to profit and you
also gain the ease and speed of being able to quickly cut parts out that you or your customers need. No more paying another shop and waiting for
them to cut your parts or carving them slowly and painfully with standard hand tools.
Future Additions and Options
In order to get the Gantry Kits out and available as soon as possible, all options are NOT available yet. Future options will hopefully include...
Torch Mounts
- Fixed Hand (1") or Machine Torch (1 3/8") for Ohmic touch sensor
- Floating Hand (1") or Machine Torch (1 3/8") for switch touch off
- Magnetic Breakaway
- Note: Torch sizes can vary and there are already a number of torch mounts available at reasonable prices, or you can make your own, so to
start with we are focusing our efforts on the main machine components, but we can custom build one to your specs if needed.
- Air scribe kit (cylinder & mount, regulators, solenoid, fittings and tubing)
- Complete table dimensioned drawings to ease the building process
- In depth instruction manual
- Complete tables ready to cut
- Table, software and cutting support / training
Inquire about options, availability or other sizes needed. We are a small business and appreciate your business greatly, and if there is something
that you need or want made slightly different, contact us, and we will do the best we can to satisfy your needs, or point you in the right direction,
with a smile on our face.
Electronics and Software
In order to keep costs low for the end user, we do not supply or support the electronics or software (the manufacture can do much better), but we
can supply you with the information needed to input into the software to setup the machine (it will be included in the Basic Instruction and
Information Manual). See the Software and Electronics manufacturers to purchase and for support in those areas. CandCNC has nice,
reasonably priced, complete electronics package options you may want to look at. A similar package to our current setup and our recommendation
would be the PlazPak1A or 1B if adding a Rotary Axis, although if you do not need as much speed and acceleration as we have, you may take a
look at the Nema 23 Bladerunner setups it will also make for a great table.
Our shop table setup uses Nema 34 960 oz/in motors on the X and Y and is setup for 850 Inches per Minute max rapids and 75 Inches per Second
Acceleration and a Nema 23 380 oz/in motor on the Z axis setup for 150 Inches per Minute max rapid and 25 Inches per Second Acceleration, it is
set well below its max limits and configured to our preference. We do alot of cutting between 100 and 200 IPM but it can be faster or slower
depending on material thickness, plasma cutter amperage and quality desired. The gantry is under 115lbs without motors, cables and torch.
Because of this, its low rolling resistance and dual motors on the main axis, cutting thin material quickly, moving fast and changing direction with
unnoticeable deceleration in the corners is easily achievable.
Our recommendation for software for CNC Plasma or similar is Sheetcam and Mach3 / Mach4 with your choice of CAD program. These are being
used quite widely and openly, are low cost (or free!) and do a great job for what they were intended for with the option to customize them to your
needs. You will need CAD - Autocad, Draftsight, etc - (drawing), CAM - Sheetcam, etc. - (nesting, selecting cutting speeds, lead ins and outs, etc)
and a Machine Controller - Mach 3 / Mach 4, etc. and other programs you may choose for artistic designing such as Corel Draw, Inkscape, etc.
You can see YouTube for tutorials on most of these programs and others that are available, and we may add some in the future, if time permits.
Need Parts Cut?
If you need parts cut for your table build, or for any project and don't have a table yet, email us for a quote. Pricing is most efficient with a CAD
drawing supplied, and for medium quantities, or repeated purchases and are not time sensitive. (so we can fit them in with our other cutting) But
we can go off of a pencil drawing with dimensions and supply parts quickly if necessary. Also smaller to medium sized parts that can be shipped
Flat Rate, or other cost effective method, work best unless you can pick them up to avoid costly freight charges.
Full Tables/Business Opportunity
Currently because of our workload, time constraints and shipping hassle, we are not building and selling complete ready to go tables at this time.
After you have purchased one of our Gantry Kits, put it together and get it running, you may realize how easy it is to finish a complete table. If you
see the value of our Gantry Kit and that it makes a great table that performs very well and generates a lot of interest with a price point well below
other Commercial and Industrial models, you may be interested in using our gantries to build more complete turnkey tables to sell. This is a great
idea, and definitely leaves a lot of value for the work you will do. If you do choose to do this, let us know and i will put you on the list with your
location and if we have someone inquire about a ready to go table in your area, or they need troubleshooting help for their machine, I will put them
into contact with you. This is not for everybody, but for the capable parties it is a great opportunity for more business avenues. If doing this, we
also would love to see your pictures and videos of your completed and operating setups so the customers can see your finished products.
If any information on this page conflicts our main purchasing page, the main purchasing page takes priority as it is updated more frequently.
TM
| If you prefer a shorter read to prevent boredom, for pictures and to make a purchase. See our Compact Main Information page HERE. |