Architect and roboticist Julien Alexandre wanted a belt grinder for a workshop, and moderately than shopping for one off-the-shelf determined to construct his personal — underneath the watchful management of an Arduino Opta micro programmable logic controller (PLC).
“This can be a 2.2kW belt grinder that I’ve utterly designed and manufactured, aside from the wheel set,” Alexandre says of his creation. “The modular body will be tilted for vertical or horizontal use and permits using a number of finish tooling and work desk. The usage of linear bearings and lead screw for the belt tensioning mechanism is overkill, however it does enable for a really superb adjustment of belt pressure. It may well accommodate a variety of various belt sizes across the 2000×50mm customary.”
An Arduino Opta, with appropriate security module, has been drafted in to manage a homebrew low-cost 2.2kW belt grinder. (📷: Julien Alexandre)
The beastly software, designed to run a belt lined in abrasive grit at excessive velocity for grinding down materials and delivered to our consideration by the Arduino weblog, is primarily constructed from second-hand mechanical and electrical parts — permitting Alexandre to place collectively one thing with industrial specs at an reasonably priced worth. There is a three-phase AC motor, pressure management, and angle-adjustable belt — and the meeting can lay flat on the desk or be positioned at 90 levels.
Controlling the electronics is an Arduino Opta, the corporate’s compact micro PLC designed for industrial automation and management. Two of the Opta’s inputs monitor for errors within the security chain, whereas a chunky and easy-to-reach management panel is used to sign the motor controller. Security is, naturally, a core concern, and alongside the Opta is a Pilz security relay module — and, as all machines of its sort ought to have, there’s an emergency cease button ought to something go mistaken.
Alexandre has shared extra info on this and different tasks on his Instagram account; you may learn extra concerning the Arduino Opta vary in our hands-on function.