X/Y Forcing Mechanism for CNC Router Diagnostics

The purpose of this tool is to gradually apply a known force to a CNC router, so that the deflection may be measured as a function of applied force.  (The deflection measurement is separate and not part of this design.)

This can be used as a diagnostic tool to identify whether a CNC router is performing as well as expected, and potentially to identify the weak point.  It could also be useful when designing a CNC router to test the difference between design alternatives.

For the mechanical fixture you will need:

• Wooden base plate from plywood or MDF
• 8 M4 socket-cap screws for attaching printed parts to the load cells.
• 2 M3 screws and 2 M3 nuts for gradually applying force to X/Y stage
• Rubber bands to pull stage in X and Y direction (allows measuring push and pull forces with a single setup)
• Several #6 x ½" sheet metal screws (18 in total)
  • 4 to attach base to underlying plank
  • 6 to attach push/pull fixtures to plank (3 for left and 3 for right)
  • 4 for attaching rubber bands to pull stage back toward push/pull fixtures (2 for left and 2 for right)
  • 4 for fixing adapter plate to the platform (only 2 used in video below)

And to complete the system as shown you will need

• 2 load cells with HX711
• One OLED SSD1306
• Arduino controller like Mega 2560 or ESP32 should also work
• Batteries or USB connection for power

More discussion here (including Arduino code):

https://forum.v1e.com/t/deflection-measurement/37968/8?u=jamiek