About the heavymill

The Heavymill machine starts life as a kit. Included is everything you need to build a complete CNC Router Machine. This router was designed for real enthusiasts and serious workshops who want to take their production to the next level.

The Heavymill’s purpose is to serve those looking for serious power from a desktop tool. We’ve used industrial-grade components to create a CNC Router that can go for many years with minimal maintenance. The Heavymills performance means it can compete against expensive purpose built CNC Routers, yet remain portable and convenient to use.

The Heavymill can be used to cut Foams, Timbers, Hybrid materials, Plastics and some soft metals like Aluminium, Brass and Bronze. The Heavymill has a carving envelope of 900mm x 780mm x 110mm for the 1.0-meter machine. The 1.5m machine is 1280mm x 1280mm x 110mm. Capable of half sheet material.

RIGIDITY, PERFORMANCE & SPEED

Are not normally things associated with desktop CNC Routers. The Heavymill is different. We carefully selected a belt drive mechanism for speed, resolution and performance. This combination gives our users the most efficient work flow with great results, producing parts quickly and beautifully.

Each Heavymill CNC Router is built from the base up with 6-8 pieces of extremely heavy duty Aluminium Extrusion. This creates a solid foundation for the gantry to operate.

The Heavymill doesn’t come standard with a T-Slot bed. A T-Slot bed is useful where a coolant/lubricant system would be favourable and frequent clamping. For most wood, plastic and lite soft metal use, a MDF waste board will suit as this allows for many fixation methods, such a screw and glue.

heavy duty gantry

Our dense ‘8080’ X- Gantry weighs in at just under 40Kg with spindle loaded on the 1.0m machine and the 1.5m option just under 50Kg. That alone is double the weight of most other desktop machines.

Thick plates structure the large X-carriage which is home to the Z axis. The power for which comes from a NEMA 24 425oz.in motor. This Stepping motor features across all XYZ axis on the Heavymill.

All limit, motor, and VFD cable is managed with the drag chain. We also use this method on the Y-rail to keep things clean and tidy and your machine looking smart.

precision linear Motion

On our X carriage, you will find dual precision linear rails for absolute control. The Y rails each feature linear guides to support the heavy-duty gantry. The Z-axis runs on pillow-bearing blocks partnered with 16mm hardened steel shafts.

Linear guideways provide linear motion by re-circulating rolling elements between a profiled rail and a bearing block. The coefficient of friction on a linear guide-way is only 1/50 compared to a traditional slide and they are able to take loads in all directions. These features mean linear guides can achieve high precision and greatly enhanced moving accuracy, making it ideal for use on the 3DTEK Heavymill.

vfd and spindle

The weight behind the X gantry makes it the perfect home for a VFD-controlled Spindle. The Heavymill kit includes two 80mm Spindle brackets. The fixation plate also allows for 65mm and 69mm spindles (DeWalt/Makita) in case an industrial CNC grade spindle is not desired. Deciding between the 1.5kW and 2.2kW spindles is easy: If you are running in a workshop, want some extra grunt, using endmills up to 13mm diameter – opt for the 2.2kW package. An electrician will need to be consulted to sign off or take care of your 240v wiring and 20a sockets.

If you are in a smaller space, have limited power available, and will use end mills up to 10mm in diameter- opt for the 1.5kW. This configuration can plug into a normal 15A wall socket. We pair all VFD and Spindle sets with a premium, heavy-duty, and screened cable. 3DTEK can also provide a fully build control box for you. Please contact us for more information regarding VFD setups.

run all day long.

Once the Heavymill was designed, we had to find a drive good enough to power it. Que the Gecko Drives G540.

The G540 powers all steppers independently at a huge 3.5A. Furthermore, the G540, features proprietary anti-resonance and motor smoothing techniques. Nor does it require extremely high input frequencies to operate at high speed but offers enough resolution to match the accuracy of the Step motors we have selected for this machine. Head to Gecko Drives to learn more. Our Heavymill fitted Gecko Drives comes with a 2 year warranty.

The Heavymill sits perfectly between hobby machine and industrial CNC router. The best bit, is the price tag. We designed the Heavymill for professionals looking for performance without having to spend tens of thousands.

PAir with masso 

For a beautiful manufacturing experience

We found the MASSO CNC Controller some years back and what a discovery. The controller runs on its own proprietary accepting all G-Code. It features built in EMC filtering to prevent any interference in noisy environments, ensuing no interruptions occur with your work. Using a MASSO removes the need for a connected laptop- simply plug in a monitor and keyboard, upload your G Code file via WiFi or USB dongle, and get carving!

The 5 axis G3 MASSO Controller allows each of the steppers to be independently operated and adjusted on The Heavymill. This means the dual Y motors have independent control, as opposed to a shared signal for greater precision. The on board work co-ordinate indicates exactly where your cutting tool is, and creates a proper CNC machine experience- like the big machines.

great grbl Control

If the Masso controller is not required, our other option is a GRBL control card which recieves instruction from your PC.

We designed the GRBL CNC control to mount directly onto the top the Gecko G540 Driver, which is used to power the stepping motors. Its a nifty control card with all the features and control you’d expect from the Arduino based firmware.

GRBL is a highly reliable platform for 3 axis CNC Routing. Its popular amongst the CNC community for its  opensourced nature, support, ease of use and cost. Using this GRBL control card, your PC or Mac is required to be connected to the Heavymill. Its a great starting point for CNC machining and can be upgraded anytime.

If you don’t want to run GRBL or MASSO when choosing a 3DTEK Heavymill, you don’t have to. Simply select the option for ‘no electronics’ and use a controller of your choice. There are lots of possibilities!

BUilt with TRUST

We constructed the Heavymill using brands with a great reputation. The set up with Gecko & Masso provides users with the best machining experience possible and solidifies the 3DTEK Heavymill as your Ultimate Workshop Tool.