Gallery
A multi-tool router I worked on designing and partially assembling according to required specifications.
The machine is made of completely flat laser cut steel plates. The images expose the bottom Drive shaft used to drive the Y axis. A flat table is fixed on top of the body of the machine which is where the work is placed.
The laser cut parts slotted into one another and were then fastened using bolts and screws. While the assembly was a little tedious, the distance and screw size was according to the stated requirements.
This design was used to circumvent inaccuracies and slight tilting that can usually happen with bending a large steel body which would require further costs for machining and transport to a capable facility.
The unique requirement of this router is that it needed to accommodate multiple types of operation; it was expected to not only function as a wood router using a spindle but rather it needed to also be able to function as a laser cutter. This is why the Inverse T shaped protrusion and the plate surrounding it exist on the Z axis:
The design is to allow hot-swapping them with minimal effort.
Parts and assembly were made in Solidworks.