Regarding CNC...I'm a bull in the china shop. I know just enough of the nomenclayture to be dangerous.

My challenge is to motorize a drawer slide so it would extend at adjustable speeds ranging from 0.5 to 5.0 millimeter a second in 0.1 millimeter increments. Basically, there is no load on the motor other than the dead load of the slide and drive components.

The simplest vision is an AC or DC drive system. Using a rotary knob, you dial in an extension speed down to the 0.1 millimeter and turn it on; it stops when you trun it off or it trips a kill switch.

What I'm looking for is "how to" to develope the motor/controller parts.

All suggestions welcomed.

Thanks for your interest and best regards.

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FlyVA,

I just did a quick search here: http://www.robotshop.com/motors-actuators.html. I'm sure they have something pre-made that you could attach to a drawer . .
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Another thought . . . pairing up a "continuous rotation" servo with a "servo tester". I have a cheap servo tester I bought from Hobby King that has a pot you can set the speed. Put a couple Normally Closed switches on the limits of your drawer, hack the servo tester . . . .
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Or if you want to go "full Tim "the Tool Man" Taylor on it . . .

http://www.robotshop.com/40-stroke-4...-actuator.html
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Originally Posted by FlyVA

Regarding CNC...I'm a bull in the china shop. I know just enough of the nomenclayture to be dangerous.

My challenge is to motorize a drawer slide so it would extend at adjustable speeds ranging from 0.5 to 5.0 millimeter a second in 0.1 millimeter increments. Basically, there is no load on the motor other than the dead load of the slide and drive components.

The simplest vision is an AC or DC drive system. Using a rotary knob, you dial in an extension speed down to the 0.1 millimeter and turn it on; it stops when you trun it off or it trips a kill switch.

What I'm looking for is "how to" to develope the motor/controller parts.

All suggestions welcomed.

Thanks for your interest and best regards.

Drive a 1/4"x20 hardware store allthread lead screw at 0 to 50 RPM

or

3/8"x16 allthread lead screw at 0 to 40 RPM.

You need a DC motor with reduction drive to do that, and a speed controller for it, both rated per RPM above. Calibrate the dial on the speed controller. Or make up a dial.

Thinking about it in a junkyard way, maybe you can rig up a belt reduction from a windshield wiper motor, and control from a car. They have a worm drive and a pretty good reduction already, as well as a speed controller.